A. Treasury Board's statement in their latest bulletin that the offer will expire July 30^th is in contradiction to their previous position. In Treasury Board's April 21^st letter to the PSAC they indicated that the time period could be extended by mutual agreement. Given the large number of issues still to be dealt with, it appears that an extension may be necessary.

Q. Treasury Board's latest bulletin also says their offer is a full one. Why is the PSAC saying it is only partial?

A. Because the offer is still a partial one. Last week Treasury Board suggested they would be willing to include adjustments to the Hospital Services (HS) group -- excluded from their initial offer -- but they have not provided any details of what that offer might be. A Sub-Committee on Technical Issues has also been set up because of the multitude and complexity of details to be worked out.

Q. Treasury Board has said that pay equity adjustments could be folded into base rates of pay at the time of settlement or at the time of conversion to the Universal Classification Standard (UCS). Does this make a difference?

A. Yes. Since some of this money was earned more than 10 years ago, it's only fair that it be folded into base rates of pay as soon as a settlement is reached, and treated as pay for all purposes. That way it will be used to calculate your rate of pay on conversion to UCS.

Q. I keep hearing that calculations are already done and cheques are ready to be printed. Is this true?

A. No. However, departments have been instructed to keep all pay records in good order in preparation for calculations.

Q. Treasury Board says they would prefer a negotiated settlement that is "fair and equitable to both employees and the Canadian public" as compared to a Tribunal order. Does the PSAC agree?

A. The PSAC has been trying to negotiate a settlement for years:

• When this was a bargaining demand in 1991, Treasury Board refused to address it, in spite of a very supportive conciliation board report and a strike by PSAC members.
• We are concerned, however, by Treasury Board's implication that a full settlement would somehow be less than fair to the Canadian public.
• Section 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act requires pay equity, not partial payments.
• Surely, obeying the law, and putting this money into the hands of some of the lowest-paid workers who will, in turn, use it to support local business, is in the best interests of the Canadian public.
• Treasury Board should set an example for other employers by complying with the law rather than trying to short change their employees.

A. No. All term, casual, seasonal, part-time, full-time and acting employees who worked in the affected groups at any time during the retroactive period, or who work there now, are eligible. Treasury Board estimates that about 172,000 employees and former employees will qualify for payments. A settlement of this size, with as much retroactivity as we expect to see, is without precedent. As you can imagine, it will take time both to negotiate a settlement and to complete all the pay calculations.

Q. Now that the election is over, is there anything we can be doing to speed up negotiations?