bout de papier, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1985) — Summer 1985 // Été 1985, p. 29
For the first time ever PAFSO has gone to arbitration. Despite strong efforts over the past months by the PAFSO bargaining team in more than 13 contract negotiation meetings with representatives of Treasury Board and the Department of External Affairs, agreement has not been reached on several key issues. It has become clear to both parties that the sides were too far apart on such questions as salary increase to reach a settlement through further negotiations or through mediation.
Consequently, PAFSO has requested arbitration by the Public Service Staff Relations Board.
The PAFSO bargaining team had made determined efforts to reach a mutually acceptable, voluntary settlement and had been successful in negotiating such improvements to the Foreign Service contract as strengthened maternity leave provisions and reimbursement for expenses related to employer cancellation of vacation leave. We had also won recognition that while Treasury Board considered the PAFSO proposal for a sabbatical leave option based on a “deferred salary” plan as too innovative and precedent-setting, the idea had merit and would be explored further in discussions between PAFSO and management at External Affairs.
However, Treasury Board adamantly refused to consider issues that PAFSO members had, in a recent questionnaire, identified as essential, such as proposals for a lump sum bonus (for those at the top of their salary band and unable to benefit from performance pay) and acting pay, while at the same time insisting on several roll-backs to the current terms and conditions of employment. The Treasury Board package offer of a 1.5 per cent salary increase with roll-backs on weekend overtime and on severance pay would have left the Foreign Service Group with pay and benefits that weigh poorly against those of comparable groups in both the public and private sectors. The offer was also less than that achieved in all recent settlements reached either by arbitration or by negotiation.
Prior to taking this important step (all previous rounds of contract bargaining having been settled at the negotiation or mediation stage), PAFSO had explored any last possibilities for voluntary settlement with Treasury Board itself, with other bargaining groups, with our legal counsel and with those on previous PAFSO bargaining teams.
PAFSO proposed to Treasury Board that those items which had previously been cleared from the bargaining table, or which had not been subject to dispute would not be submitted to the Arbitration Board for a ruling. Accordingly, when PAFSO called for arbitration, rulings were requested only on those few items identified as being still in dispute.
PAFSO is hopeful that, based on past practice, the Arbitration Board process will be expeditious. Prior to one or two days of formal hearings, possibly in late July, both the bargaining team and Treasury Board will be presenting detailed submissions to the Arbitration Board. The binding decision by the Arbitration Board should follow shortly thereafter.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1985) — Summer 1985 // Été 1985, p. 29. Read the rest of this issue →
