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PSAC Bargaining Team continues to push for changes to retirement plan, proposes summer bargaining dates.
Our FB bargaining team met with Treasury Board and CBSA representatives in Ottawa the week of June 20 to continue negotiations for a new contract. Over the course of the week the parties discussed our demands related to working alone, leave for dental and medical appointments, increase in shift premium, and pension reform.
With respect to pension reform, we re-iterated to CBSA/Treasury Board that we want a written commitment from the employer guaranteeing CBSA and Treasury Board’s support for an amendment to the Superannuation Act to provide for a “twenty-five and out” retirement plan for FB workers, similar to what is in place for other enforcement workers in the federal public sector. To date we have made little progress on this or any of the other issues being raised at the table. The parties agreed to discuss hours of work and scheduling issues at our next session. We proposed dates for August. The employer refused, stating that they cannot assemble their team in August. Our next meeting is a four-day session scheduled for early September.
Labour Board forces CBSA to disclose information in Essential Services Agreement proceedings
Under the law, we cannot stage a strike until we have an essential services agreement (ESA) in place with CBSA/Treasury Board. The law changed a few
years ago, and since then we have been attempting to negotiate an ESA with CBSA. Last year the Labour Board ruled against CBSA by stating that, in the event of a strike, the assessing and collecting of taxes, fees and fines are not essential to the safety and security of Canadians, meaning that none of these duties would be performed by BSO’s in the event of a strike. This ruling forced CBSA to provide new proposals. Recently CBSA did so. The new proposals provided by management are, in our opinion, a joke at best. We have again filed a complaint with the Board.
The Board has given CBSA until July 20th to fully disclose the rationale it used for its latest proposal. We will be providing further ESA information this summer.
We’ll be sure to update as things progress. If you have any questions speak with a member of our team, a member of your Branch Executive, or go to the PSAC website.