As you know, we are back to the bargaining table this year, as our current collective agreement expires at the end of September 2018.
Regarding the formation of the new bargaining team: The SP constitution requires that the majority of team members come from the SP Executive (http://www.pipsc.ca/groups/sp/bylaws) and therefore, given the number of Executive seats up for election this spring, the decision by the SP Executive was to form the new team only after these elections. Meantime, the mandate of the existing team has been extended in order to start bargaining preparations now. (FYI There will be an update in the spring to provide more information about the process of forming the new bargaining team)
A critical step in bargaining prep is the members survey. In order to be as representative as possible, the Bargaining Team decided to involve more of the members in the drafting of the survey. We have solicited feedback from the SP Executive, Stewards, Sub-Group Presidents, on the list of priorities that the members will be ranking in the bargaining survey.
Thank to all of you who took the time to provide feedback. We will be analysing it and working on the survey in January. We are working towards sending the survey to the members by mid-February.
We would also like to remind members that a number of topics are not negotiable by legislation (staffing, classification). Other topics not discussed at the bargaining table when we renew the collective agreement because they are formally addressed elsewhere: pension, Public health Care Plan, Dental Plan, NJC policies. Therefore, the survey will not mention these topics.
Finally the “sick leave regime” is being discussed at a central bargaining table. Waheed Khan is the SP representative sitting on this Advisory Team (See: http://www.pipsc.ca/news-issues/sick-leave). PIPSC will be surveying the members on improvement to the Public health Care Plan in early 2018.
Thank you for your support. We wish you all a good and healthy 2018.
Your Bargaining Team
January 15, 2018