Q. What happened at the May 12th initial Pay Equity meeting?
A. The PSAC sought additional clarification from Treasury Board's lawyer, Mary Eberts, on Treasury Board's April 21st partial offer. The partial offer includes some retroactive pay, adjustments to Disability Insurance payments and pension adjustments.
Further information is required on the methodology, group
population figures, various salary-related issues, interest owed,
retroactive adjustments, etc.
Q. Were any of the issues outlined in PSAC Pay Equity Bulletins 1, 2, and 3 resolved?
A. No. Further meetings will be held to continue the discussions in an effort to resolve the outstanding matters.
Q. What information will be provided as negotiations progress?
A. General information as opposed to specific details will be provided on a regular basis. You can be assured that whenever there is a substantive matter to report on, the information will be provided.
Q. What other issues will be discussed?
A. We have agreed to consider ways to assist with the Income Tax considerations of a Pay Equity settlement, financial counselling and notification of those affected by any settlement.
Q. Treasury Board's latest 'Information' bulletin implies that their offer is complete and detailed. Is this correct?
A. No. Their position has not changed since the parties first met on April 21st, i.e., it is still a partial offer.
Q. Is it correct that the HS and DA-PRO members are included in the offer?
A. No. In fact, Treasury Board has not made any Pay Equity offer for the HS or DA-PRO members. Their position has not changed.
Q. Why are discussions taking so long?
A. There are a large number of workers employed for a large number of years to be taken into consideration for any settlement offer. This means the Employer's position on the impact that Pay Equity adjustments will have on such issues as maternity leave, acting pay, and rate of pay on promotion, are crucial to proceeding with these discussions.
Q. Who is entitled to Pay Equity wage adjustments?
A. All employees in the affected groups in the federal public service are entitled to the adjustments. Those workers in the affected groups who have resigned or retired from the federal public service or who continue to be employed in another occupational group are also entitled to these adjustments. The Alliance and Treasury Board have agreed to continue discussions on how those workers who have left the federal public service will be notified once the Pay Equity settlement has been reached.
Q. Are the equal pay adjustments considered pay for all purposes?
A. The law says they are. Existing equal pay wage adjustments for employees in LS, ST, CR and HS groups ARE used for purposes of calculating superannuation, maternity leave, acting pay, overtime, and rate of pay on promotion, etc. This has been Treasury Board's practice since 1990. The Alliance believes it must continue.