Collective Bargaining Update #7
Your negotiating team met with the Employer again from April 26 to 28, 2016. The goal of this session, like all others, is to work through the many changes proposed by the union and the employer. I?m pleased to report progress was made in some areas. However, we also hoped to receive a formal response to our sick leave proposal tabled in January. Sadly but not surprisingly, none was forth coming.
It was nearly two years ago that the employer served notice to bargain on the union. Ostensibly this was to reach an agreement on sick leave and short-term disability. Yet two years later, the Treasury Board still cannot say exactly what will replace your current sick leave provisions. It can happen that the union or employer will come to the table a little unprepared to discuss a particular topic. However, it is patently unacceptable for any party to make significant demands on the other and not be prepared to explain them in a meaningful way. Yet that is exactly what is happening and it?s plainly unfair.
It?s unfair because while the government dawdles, you go without any pay increase. In an attempt to work around this problem, your negotiating team offered the employer a complete collective agreement including your current sick leave language. With this, we offered a commitment to reopen the collective agreement whenever the employer believes it is ready to discuss sick leave in a meaningful way. In exchange for agreeing to reopen sick leave the employer must also agree to a wage reopener. With this option on the table, any further delays in bargaining rest squarely with the Treasury Board. There are no excuses.
No further talks are planned at this time. We see no value in scheduling meetings until the Treasury Board is prepared to make decisions. Members will be updated as event progress.
In Solidarity,
Daniel J Boulet
Business Manager / Financial Secretary