EC Negotiations at an Impasse - Next Stop: Arbitration
April 23, 2004
After four frustrating days of negotiations over the last two weeks your EC bargaining team has concluded that Treasury Board negotiators are unable or unwilling to move any further toward reaching a new collective agreement. We are at an impasse in negotiations and will proceed to arbitration shortly.
Negotiations began in September after Treasury Board (the employer) asked for a delay over the summer. We have met with employer representatives since then on six occasions, twelve days in total, even after taking into account the two month delay once Martin came to power. Progress has been at the speed glaciers move. We have won some minor changes - for example acting pay after three days rather than four. However the employer is clearly not interested in substantive negotiations on pay and various types of additional leave, issues critical to the membership. Treasury Board negotiators tabled a low-ball pay offer in February, the same as that tabled in negotiations with other federal public service bargaining units. In response we reduced our pay demands twice, until they were in line with recent settlements. These modifications did not bring any substantive reply from the other side of the table on pay or any other key issue - all they said is they would evaluate the cost. The only possible conclusions: either the employer is stalling or is not serious about negotiating with us.
The EC bargaining committee assembled a list of proposals a year ago based on the member survey, the grievance record, and progress made by others in the federal public sector. Your EC negotiating team has pressed the employer for their reply on our proposals. To date their response has been so uncompromising that we have concluded further negotiations are pointless. Many of our proposals are outstanding - the employer is simply saying 'no'.
Given Treasury Board's intransigence your EC collective bargaining committee decided to proceed to arbitration on April 21, and we advised the Treasury Board negotiator the next day.
What's next?
Return to this website to inform yourself on the process and issues. Updates coming soon:
Week of April 26:
Arbitration - what is the process and timing, which issues go to arbitration, what outcome can we expect?
Tuesdays starting May 4:
WWhat are CAPE's issues?
April 23, 2004
After four frustrating days of negotiations over the last two weeks your EC bargaining team has concluded that Treasury Board negotiators are unable or unwilling to move any further toward reaching a new collective agreement. We are at an impasse in negotiations and will proceed to arbitration shortly.
Negotiations began in September after Treasury Board (the employer) asked for a delay over the summer. We have met with employer representatives since then on six occasions, twelve days in total, even after taking into account the two month delay once Martin came to power. Progress has been at the speed glaciers move. We have won some minor changes - for example acting pay after three days rather than four. However the employer is clearly not interested in substantive negotiations on pay and various types of additional leave, issues critical to the membership. Treasury Board negotiators tabled a low-ball pay offer in February, the same as that tabled in negotiations with other federal public service bargaining units. In response we reduced our pay demands twice, until they were in line with recent settlements. These modifications did not bring any substantive reply from the other side of the table on pay or any other key issue - all they said is they would evaluate the cost. The only possible conclusions: either the employer is stalling or is not serious about negotiating with us.
The EC bargaining committee assembled a list of proposals a year ago based on the member survey, the grievance record, and progress made by others in the federal public sector. Your EC negotiating team has pressed the employer for their reply on our proposals. To date their response has been so uncompromising that we have concluded further negotiations are pointless. Many of our proposals are outstanding - the employer is simply saying 'no'.
Given Treasury Board's intransigence your EC collective bargaining committee decided to proceed to arbitration on April 21, and we advised the Treasury Board negotiator the next day.
What's next?
Return to this website to inform yourself on the process and issues. Updates coming soon:
Week of April 26:
Arbitration - what is the process and timing, which issues go to arbitration, what outcome can we expect?
Tuesdays starting May 4:
WWhat are CAPE's issues?