PSAC is calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to return to the bargaining table, after the Public Interest Commission (PIC) tabled its recommendations last week.
“The PIC report amply demonstrates that many of the demands of our bargaining team are justified,” said Chris Aylward, National Executive Vice-President of PSAC.
“It's time for CFIA to return to the bargaining table and enter into serious negotiations for a new Collective Agreement, using the PIC recommendations as a roadmap for a settlement,” added Bob Kingston, President of Agriculture Union.
The PIC recommended the concession on severance pay that has been accepted by other bargaining units, with the pattern settlement of 1.75%, 1.5% and 2% in a three-year Collective Agreement, along with other language changes that constitute the pattern. These include an increase in bereavement leave, more flexibility in accessing family-related leave, the restoration of sick leave credits to term employees who are rehired within a year of completing their appointment, and cumulative service for term employees for the purpose of moving to the next step on the pay grid.
But the PIC also made several other recommendations that include improvements sought by the Union. Among these are:
- The 40-hour work week for the GL/GS classifications is an anomaly and should be reduced to 37.5 hours with no reduction in pay
- Employees should be able to accumulate all overtime worked over the course of a week. (Such overtime to be paid for each 15-minute total period of accumulated overtime worked.)
- Seniority should be the determining factor in granting vacation in the event of a conflict with the interests of other employees
- Employees should be reimbursed for any medical certificate required by the Employer, to a maximum of $35.
- Employees should be required to give 5 days' advance notice for volunteer and personal leave, down from 10 days.
- Wash-up time for meat inspectors should be increased to 15 minutes per day from 10 minutes and such wash-up time may be used either at the end of the day, or at the meal break, or a combination of both.
- AS-2 and AS-3 Compensation Advisors should receive an annual retention allowance of $2,000, effective January 1, 2012.
- Wages for the SI Group shall be adjusted to the SI level at Parks Canada retroactive to the start of the Collective Agreement, before general economic increases are applied.
- A 2% increase should be added to the maximum salary increment to FI-01 to FI-04 classifications to match that of the same classification at Treasury Board should be implemented retroactive to the start of the Collective Agreement; albeit with corresponding reductions to Transition Allowances.
Unfortunately, not all of the recommendations are unanimous.
The Public Interest Commission consists of a neutral chairperson and a sidesperson appointed by each of the PSAC and the CFIA. The sidesperson for the CFIA dissented on three of the major recommendations: the reduction in the workweek for GL/GS employees; the accumulation of overtime throughout the week to reach the 15-minute threshold; and the increase in wash-up time for meat inspectors, along with the ability to use that wash-up time prior to meal breaks.
A consensus on the recommendations had initially been reached by the PIC; the Union sidesperson considered a dissent on some issues that were not recommended, but ultimately decided to sign the agreed-upon report. The fact that the CFIA sidesperson later decided to renege on some of his recommendations was the key cause of the long delay in receiving the PIC report, which was expected as early as mid-March.
Although there was no consensus on three of the recommendations, the legislation that provides for the establishment of Public Interest Commissions says that if there is not unanimity, the report of the impartial Chairperson is the report of the PIC.
Your Bargaining Team thanks you for your patience and your continued support as we try to reach a negotiated settlement with CFIA. While the PIC report validates many of our proposals, the recommendations are not binding. We need the help of all members at CFIA to encourage the Employer to get back to the table and bargain seriously so that we can bring back a tentative agreement to be voted on as soon as possible.
http://www.psac-afpc.com/news/2013/bargaining/20130731-e.shtml
