The Association and Treasury Board have signed a three year tentative agreement for the Social Science Support Group (SI) and the Economics, Sociology and Statistics Group (ES).
May 22, 2001
The Association and Treasury Board have signed a three year tentative agreement for the Social Science Support Group (SI) and the Economics, Sociology and Statistics Group (ES). The agreement, if ratified by the membership, will come into effect retroactive to June 22, 2000, and follows months of complicated negotiations.
The Association and Treasury Board managed to integrate the separate SI and ES pay scales into a single set of pay ranges resulting in significant increases for the majority of SIs and ESs. The tentative agreement will also provide employees with enhanced bereavement leave, greater vacation leave for long time employees and new leave without pay for the care of immediate family. An extended parental leave allowance was agreed to in a separate Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier in the year.
While in no way comprehensive, the following constitutes a simplified summary of the highlights to be found in the new tentative agreement. Over the course of the three year agreement, SI and ES employees can expect to see the following:
Effective June 22, 2000: 2.5% economic increase; 2.5% rolled into the value of the top increment of all pay ranges. The increased increment is part of the wage harmonization undertaken to blend the two pay scales into one. As part of the wage harmonization, the bottom levels will be dropped from several pay ranges.
Effective June 22, 2001: 2.5% economic increase, and a second bottom level will be dropped from the SI-01 and ES-03 pay ranges. Other monies for wage harmonization will be added to pay ranges.
Effective June 22, 2002: 2.5% economic increase.
The compounded value of the wage adjustments of 2.5%, 2.5% and 2.5%, plus the 2.5% rolled into the value of the top increments, is 10.38%. Taking into consideration increases in pay rates resulting from the wage harmonization, some members (depending on their levels and positions on pay lines) stand to gain as much as 20% over the life of this collective agreement.
"This was a challenging and difficult round of negotiations" said Association President Bill Krause. "We are pleased with the results. The wage harmonization was the deal maker. The employer was forthcoming and demonstrated a willingness to address our concerns. We accomplished the very difficult task of melding the SI and ES pay scales... This blending of rates, the first by any federal bargaining agent, is a down payment on the conversion that will occur under the UCS. We also managed to ensure enhanced benefits for our members in several areas."
The full details of the package will be explained at length in documentation being forwarded to the members relating to ratification of the agreement. The tentative agreement will be subject to ratification by the members of both groups, which number in excess of 7000.
May 22, 2001
The Association and Treasury Board have signed a three year tentative agreement for the Social Science Support Group (SI) and the Economics, Sociology and Statistics Group (ES). The agreement, if ratified by the membership, will come into effect retroactive to June 22, 2000, and follows months of complicated negotiations.
The Association and Treasury Board managed to integrate the separate SI and ES pay scales into a single set of pay ranges resulting in significant increases for the majority of SIs and ESs. The tentative agreement will also provide employees with enhanced bereavement leave, greater vacation leave for long time employees and new leave without pay for the care of immediate family. An extended parental leave allowance was agreed to in a separate Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier in the year.
While in no way comprehensive, the following constitutes a simplified summary of the highlights to be found in the new tentative agreement. Over the course of the three year agreement, SI and ES employees can expect to see the following:
Effective June 22, 2000: 2.5% economic increase; 2.5% rolled into the value of the top increment of all pay ranges. The increased increment is part of the wage harmonization undertaken to blend the two pay scales into one. As part of the wage harmonization, the bottom levels will be dropped from several pay ranges.
Effective June 22, 2001: 2.5% economic increase, and a second bottom level will be dropped from the SI-01 and ES-03 pay ranges. Other monies for wage harmonization will be added to pay ranges.
Effective June 22, 2002: 2.5% economic increase.
The compounded value of the wage adjustments of 2.5%, 2.5% and 2.5%, plus the 2.5% rolled into the value of the top increments, is 10.38%. Taking into consideration increases in pay rates resulting from the wage harmonization, some members (depending on their levels and positions on pay lines) stand to gain as much as 20% over the life of this collective agreement.
"This was a challenging and difficult round of negotiations" said Association President Bill Krause. "We are pleased with the results. The wage harmonization was the deal maker. The employer was forthcoming and demonstrated a willingness to address our concerns. We accomplished the very difficult task of melding the SI and ES pay scales... This blending of rates, the first by any federal bargaining agent, is a down payment on the conversion that will occur under the UCS. We also managed to ensure enhanced benefits for our members in several areas."
The full details of the package will be explained at length in documentation being forwarded to the members relating to ratification of the agreement. The tentative agreement will be subject to ratification by the members of both groups, which number in excess of 7000.