Collective Bargaining Update

Collective Bargaining

May 21, 2010

Public Service

The ACFO negotiating team initially exchanged proposals with the employer on September 24^th2009 and three bargaining sessions were held on October 26^th-29^th2009, December 15^th-17^th 2009, and January 20^th -22^nd2010. At the conclusion of the January bargaining session ACFO made a comprehensive offer to the employer that addressed all the outstanding proposals.

On May 3^rd and May 11^th senior ACFO and Treasury Board representatives met to discuss our offer. Treasury Board has advised that they do not have a mandate to accept ACFO’s most recent offer and will not be in a position to respond until September 2010.

Treasury Board has advised that the delay is due to the freeze on departments’ operating budgets in the March 4^th budget. This freeze has necessitated Treasury Board to develop and seek approval for a new mandate that addresses this significant development.

Although departments’ operating budgets will be frozen to the same levels, public sector wages can still be increased up to 1.5% in 2010-2011 as previously planned under the Expenditure Restraint Act.

The parties have agreed to schedule two further bargaining sessions in September to consider the employer’s response and complete negotiations.

In the interim ACFO will also be assessing its option to refer the matter to binding arbitration should the need arise.

NAV CANADA

ACFO is pleased to report that our members at NAV CANADA ratified the tentative agreement on March 10, 2010.

The parties have now completed drafting and translating the final agreement, and the new agreement will be signed and implemented over the next month.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email Scott Chamberlain (schamberlain@acfo-acaf.com) or Vicky Ringuette (vringuette@acfo-acaf.com) or contact Vicky at 613-728-0695.

Date: 2010-05-21T00:00:00