2020-10-26
The work on negotiating our first Collective Agreement is continuing – full steam ahead! This is, by far, the single most important task we are working on for the benefit of all our members.
As we noted previously, there were delays caused by Treasury Board’s assigned negotiator retiring. They have now assigned a new negotiator to work with us. We are familiar with her as she was the same person we worked with when we were bargaining our first Memorandum of Agreement that allows us to conduct union business and represent our members in the workplace.
The new negotiator has been updating herself on our file and she seems eager to get going. We are currently in talks about scheduling the bargaining processes as well as outlining the terms for virtual bargaining. We are hopeful that the formal bargaining process will kick off in the next couple of months.
In the meantime, the Bargaining Committee continues to meet virtually as we refine our research and initial proposals. We must have a collective agreement that will blend the CMs, PSs, IMs, and TOs and ensure that the disparity created by the employer is corrected while considering the unique needs of each group.
Keep in mind that that bargaining in good faith involves a great deal of confidentiality. We cannot share specific points in the proposed agreement until it comes time for a ratification vote. We must also not publicly share priority items or negotiating strategies because then the employer would know what is most important to us. However, we will keep everyone updated with the major milestones of the collective bargaining process.
If you have questions about the collective bargaining process or where we are at in that process, please contact your local steward.