Agriculture Union members were among the more than 100,000 federal workers who voted to ratify new collective agreements.
Our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, publicly announced the “no concessions” agreements on April 13. They cover classifications grouped in four major bargaining units: Program and Administrative (PA); Technical Services (TC); Operational Services (SV); and, Education and Library Science (EB).
Robyn Benson, PSAC National President, said she was “proud of our negotiating teams for standing strong during these two long, difficult years at the table.”
The four-year collective agreements, which expire in 2018, provide for across-the-board annual wage increases of 1.25 per cent for each year, plus other wage adjustments made for specific bargaining units and classifications.
The PSAC also pointed to a number of “significant breakthroughs”:
- The sick leave articles of the collective agreements remain unchanged. The parties have negotiated a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a Task Force to develop recommendations on measures to improve employee wellness.
- Workforce adjustment improvements that are the most substantial since the agreement was first signed as an appendix into PSAC collective agreements in 1998.
- Better family leave provisions, including those for extended family.
- Establishment of a joint committee to look at childcare needs in order to help members meet family responsibilities.
- A Memorandum of Understanding that in 2015 launched a task force on workplace mental health has been incorporated into the new contracts
In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with the employer to sign the new collective agreements. With the exception of wages, which are retroactive, the new negotiated provisions come into effect on date of signing, unless otherwise specified.