Explanation of Collective Agreement Negotiated Changes

Collective Bargaining

Aug 20, 2013

During collective bargaining negotiations, ACFO and Treasury Board agreed to and formally signed off on the articles in the new FI Collective Agreement that were not referred for arbitration. Most of these articles were renewed without change, or were updated with minor technical or procedural amendments that do not substantially alter your terms and conditions of employment.

Highlights of the significant negotiated amendments which impact your Collective Agreement are explained in the table below. For more detailed information, including a full list of the amendments, please consult the list of negotiated changes on ACFO’s website.

Article	Title	Explanation
12	Leave with or without pay for Association Business	Representatives of the Association will benefit from leave with pay to attend training sessions concerning Employer-Employee relations when the training is sponsored by the Employer, such as Occupational Health and Safety workshops.Prior to this change, representatives could have been required to attend these training sessions while on leave without pay.
17	Grievance Procedure	Filing a grievance is a formal conflict resolution process subject to specific procedural rules. Whereas these procedures had designated 4 levels in the grievance process, in the new FI Collective Agreement it will now be reduced to 3 levels.As of the date of signing of the new Collective Agreement (anticipated for September 2013), the first step of the grievance procedure will be heard by a first level delegated manager; the second level will be heard by intermediate management; and the third and final level in the grievance procedure will now be heard by the Chief Executive, deputy head or an authorized representative.
29	Vacation Leave with Pay	If you are on vacation leave and are required to attend court (ex. serve on a jury, be available for jury selection, or testify as a witness in any legal proceeding), the time spent on such activities will not be considered time spent on vacation leave. The time will either allow for an extension of your vacation leave equal to the time spent on court activities or reinstated for use at a later date.
53	Professional Allowance	The Ordre des comptables professionels agréés du Quebec has been added to the list of annual membership fees eligible for reimbursement.