Dear members,
The CRPEG bargaining team met with the company on Tuesday February 4 and half of
Wednesday February 5– our first meeting since the company was last available in November.
No further progress was made, and based on the inability to make further progress, we declared
an impasse and will file a notice of dispute under the Canada Labour Code. Below is a summary
of the negotiations to date. This was presented to the members who attended the meeting at the
Lion’s Hall on February 5.
Bargaining Timeline
● Your collective agreement expired on December 31, 2023. In the interest of renewing
your agreement as quickly as possible, your CRPEG bargaining team began preparing
for negotiations in the summer of 2023 and issued notice to bargain, as per the Canada
Labour Code, on September 26, 2023.
● We also knew that this round was going to be particularly demanding as we sought to
update an old contract with many clauses that haven’t changed in decades. Of course,
we also have to address critical workplace issues, and make up for major economic
developments since our last agreement.
● With this in mind, your bargaining team prepared a thorough package of proposals which
we presented to the employer over two days in November and December, 2023.
● After filing notice to bargain, the union met with the company for a total of 27 days.
● Your bargaining team made the decision to hold a two-day strike preparation planning
meeting in December, 2024.
● We provided the Company with our complete monetary package more than two months
before our session with the hopes that the Company may come to negotiations prepared
for meaningful bargaining; this was not the case.
● At approximately 1:00pm on February 5, 2025, the CRPEG bargaining team declared an
impasse. This means, despite bargaining in good faith, we were unable to reach a
tentative collective agreement.
Outstanding Major Issues
● While we have made some progress – updating maternity and parental leave provisions
to be in line with changes to the Employment Insurance and QPIP programs,
administrative revisions to the structure of the agreement, and integration of certain
legacy policies into the agreement – we remain extremely far apart on the most
important issues that affect you daily.
● We have raised issues where some of our contract provisions are in conflict with the
Canada Labour Code. These issues are in addition to our negotiations items. The
Company has not yet recognized any conflict with the Canada Labour Code.
● Your bargaining team proposed additional vacation leave; our current thresholds for
10–14 years of service just barely meet the Canada Labour Code requirements, and in
some cases (like if you work overtime) doesn’t meet Code.
● We proposed language to protect and strengthen our career and professional
development (C&PD) benefits; the employer’s response has been to propose more
reasons for denying C&PD requests, conflating C&PD with mandatory training, and
ownership over any items purchased as part of C&PD.
● We proposed significant improvements to our healthcare benefits plan that has not
been updated in over 25 years.
● We know that our promotion system is fraught with issues and proposed several
provisions to improve access to fair and equitable promotion.
● And of course, we have proposed improved compensation through increases to both
merit and scale that fairly and accurately reflect professional standards in the sector
and accounts for the economic environment that we are currently facing.
● The Company made it explicitly clear that they are seeking to erode our rights as it
pertains to our office spaces.
● The company is seeking to implement the same reductions in 75% sick leave that they
have forced on managers and non-union workers. Instead we have proposed
improvements to our sick leave program, a program that is woefully inadequate and, at
worst, punitive to employees at a time when they need support.
● The Company has responded with an economic offer that would put our members even
further behind and not keep up with inflation.
Next Steps
● Under the Canada Labour Code, the declaration of impasse triggers a series of next
steps; declaring impasse does not mean we are going on strike tomorrow or even next
week. This impasse is formalized with a “notice of dispute” filed to the government and
the Company.
● Now that we have declared impasse it means that we will move to the conciliation
phase of collective bargaining; the government will assign a conciliation officer from the
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service within 14 days. The conciliation officer has
up to 60 days to help us reach an agreement by acting as an intermediary, however, this
is still a negotiation and the conciliation officer does not have the authority to impose a
settlement or contract.
● If the conciliation does not result in a tentative agreement, the conciliator will issue a
report to the Minister of Labour that the officer has failed to assist us in reaching a deal.
● After the conciliator’s report is filed, Parliament requires us to observe a 21 day cooling
off period during which time neither side can legally strike or lock out workers.
● After the cooling off period either party may initiate a strike or lockout – if this happens
you, the government, and the Company will know at least 72 hours in advance.
● Prior to a strike, we must hold a vote at least 60 days prior to the strike with an
overwhelming support from you, the membership, for a strike. This vote will likely be a
vote on the Company’s final offer or to authorize a strike.
What do we Need from the Membership
● It’s important now more than ever to show support for your bargaining team.
● The Company needs to know that we are united and mobilized: ready to take action to
fight for what is fair.
● Right now, you can take small steps like attending the events that your Mobilization
Team has planned for the coming weeks and months.
● You can download the CRPEG Teams display CRPEG visibility items, and make sure
you have provided PIPSC with a personal email address so that we can communicate
with you in confidence and not on the Company’s system.
Your bargaining team is extremely disappointed in the company’s apparent lack of desire to
come to a fair deal but instead seems content to draw out the negotiations timeline. In spite of
this, we will continue to fight for a fair deal as we move to the conciliation phase of negotiations.
In solidarity,
The CRPEG Bargaining Team