Tag Archives: TC

TC group: PIC report offers no guidance

A Public Interest Commission (PIC) report has been issued for the TC group following the hearing held on December 9, 2022. Unfortunately, the report provides no substantive guidance aside from recommending that the bargaining team should continue to negotiate.

Read the PIC report 

However, the federal government has refused to budge, including on an employer wage offer that would deliver a pay cut to nearly 11,000 federal public service workers in the TC group at a time of record high inflation and a looming recession.

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement once impasse is declared at the bargaining table. This PIC has clearly not moved the needle with the employer and has delayed negotiation for TC group members.

We have seen the same kind of slow progress across other tables from Treasury Board since the beginning of negotiations in June 2021.

Despite recent public statements from Treasury Board, there has been no agreement to return to the bargaining table. There’s no doubt the best way to reach a fair contract is at the table. But it’s becoming clearer every day — reaching a fair agreement with this government is going to take a strong strike mandate from our members. Workers can’t wait.

Register for upcoming townhalls 

At the end of January, you will have three opportunities to meet with members, researchers and negotiators from your national bargaining team to ask questions, share your concerns, and hear about how your team is escalating actions across the country to reach a fair deal.

Your support is key to our success as we negotiate your new contract during this round of Treasury Board bargaining and continue to fight for fair wages, work-life balance, good, secure jobs and inclusive workplaces. Keep your information updated for the latest bargaining news, download our bargaining toolkit to stay informed and engaged, and sign up for strike training to be prepared.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PA, SV, TC & EB members: Register now for national virtual townhalls on bargaining

PSAC members in the EB, PA, SV and TC groups are invited to attend national townhall meetings to get the latest updates about bargaining with Treasury Board as we work to secure a fair contract for 165,000 federal public service workers.

Throughout this round of bargaining and at Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings that wrapped up before the holidays, we’ve seen how the federal government has refused to address any of our key issues at the table, including fair wages, better work-life balance, addressing racism and discrimination and protecting good, secure jobs.

What to expect at the townhalls? 

You will hear from members, researchers, and negotiators from your national bargaining team about the latest bargaining updates and how we’re escalating our actions across the country to reach a fair deal. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and share your concerns.

This is your chance to learn how your bargaining team is fighting for a fair contract, and how you can support them.

All townhalls will have simultaneous English and French interpretation.

Need to find out which bargaining at group you are in? Consult your collective agreement or use this tool.

EB townhalls

PA townhalls

SV townhalls

TC townhalls

Stay informed and engaged 

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest bargaining updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

TC group: no progress on key demands following mediation

Following a week of mediation, the federal government continues to refuse to budge on its wage offer that would deliver a pay cut to nearly 11,000 federal public service workers in the TC group who are facing record high inflation and a looming recession.

This revised wage offer was initially proposed during Common Issues mediation in September and would average 2.06% per year over a four-year agreement. Treasury Board held fast to this wage offer during mediation with the TC group, October 17-21.

TC negotiators made it clear that the current offer is unacceptable, and that a fair contract offer is necessary.

Yet the government is demanding concessions and made no move to resolve key issues for TC group members, including the large number of group-specific allowances that we are proposing to ensure that our members are fairly compensated.

In response, PSAC has launched both in-person and online strike training for our more than 165,000 federal public service members to ratchet up the pressure on the government to bargain fairly.

PSAC will now raise these issues at the Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings conducted by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. PIC dates have been set for Common Issues, November 28 to December 1, and for the TC group on December 9.

If an agreement cannot be reached during the PIC process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions, up to and including taking strike action if necessary to reach a fair contract.

Stay informed and engaged

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest bargaining updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

CIU funds top-up strike pay for its PA, SV, TC and EB members

At its September 2022 meeting, in Ottawa, the CIU National Board of Directors passed a motion to establish an additional strike fund to better support CIU PA, SV, TC and EB members during this current round of bargaining.

The fund would allow CIU members in good standing who are part of these groups, and who participate in strike activities, to access an additional $50 per strike day, on top of the existing $75/day provided by the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

This is similar to the additional strike pay that the 2021 CIU Triennial Convention had created for FB members for that table’s previous round of bargaining.

This decision by the CIU National Board of Directors comes as PA, SV, TC and EB members await the result of a Public Interest Commission, which could set the stage for possible strike action.

The CIU Board of Directors is hopeful that, should strike actions prove necessary, this display of solidarity across tables will help ensure that the membership is successful, that Treasury Board bargaining groups have the resources they need to win the fight for a fair agreement, and that the employer knows we’re ready to fight as one.

For any questions regarding this top-up strike pay, please contact your Branch President.

TC group: Update on EG rates of pay following arbitration victory

PSAC won increased rates for Engineering and Scientific Support (EG) members in the Technical Services (TC) group in January 2022 to ensure that they are at parity with EGs at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Since then, Treasury Board has refused to make payments to any EG members in the TC group, arguing they won’t implement the changes until PSAC and the government reach a new collective agreement.

We believed that this was a clear violation of the arbitration ruling, and returned to the arbitrator to force Treasury Board to pay this amount immediately. Closing this pay gap is long overdue, and the government should not deny workers amounts that they are rightly owed.

Unfortunately, the arbitrator did not side with us, and has ordered that the updated rates only be paid when we finalize a deal with Treasury Board for this round of bargaining. Although the initial payment resulting from the new 1.5 per cent step in June 2022 won’t happen until a new collective agreement is signed, this pay parity victory will be fully retroactive for EG members.

This arbitration decision has no impact on what PSAC is seeking at the table in this round of bargaining.

Negotiations hit a breaking point when Treasury Board refused to budge on their insulting wage offer amidst soaring inflation in Canada. PSAC is in mediation for common issues bargaining from September 12 to 14 and 20 to 23, with dates for the TC group coming soon.

Check out our bargaining toolkit to learn more about this round of bargaining, the issues that matter most, and how to get involved.

Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive the latest updates for TC members.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.