CAPE reaches a tentative agreement with Treasury Board at the EC table

During this week’s mediation session with Treasury Board, the CAPE EC bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the employer for the renewal of the collective agreement.

The tentative agreement includes yearly economic increases similar to those negotiated at other bargaining tables, an economic adjustment for 2016, a memorandum of agreement on supporting employee wellness, and a new clause to protect the professional integrity of employees.

“We are happy with the agreement, which we will encourage our EC members to ratify,” said CAPE President, Emmanuelle Tremblay. “We knew that when we declared the impasse in late December, we were forcing the employer’s hand. We then accepted an offer by the Employer to go to mediation, which demonstrated our willingness to reach the agreement we have today.”

“The employer has taken us seriously and has made an offer which will improve our collective agreement substantially. I would like to thank the members of our bargaining team for their restless dedication and the mediator, Tom Clairmont, who was able to help both parties reach a positive result,” concluded Tremblay.

Here are the highlights of the tentative agreement, which will be put up to a vote of all EC members starting in late February.

Economic increases and wage adjustments

Effective June 22, 2014 – increase to rates of pay : 1.25%

Effective June 22, 2015 – increase to rates of pay : 1.25%

Effective June 22, 2016 – wage adjustment: 1% increase to all rates of pay

Effective June 22, 2016 – increase to rates of pay : 1.25%

Effective June 22, 2017 – increase to rates of pay : 1.25%

Sick leave and wellness

While the current sick leave remains intact for the duration of the collective agreement, the EC bargaining team accepted a memorandum of agreement regarding supporting employee wellness. The MOA establishes a joint labour-management process to develop a program whose key principle is to contribute to a healthy workforce, through a holistic consideration of physical and mental health issues. Other key principles agreed upon by the parties include that the plan shall:

Provide full income-replacement for periods covered by the plan;

Be contained in the collective agreement with adjudication associated with the plan with the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (PSLREB);

Be administered internally, rather than by a third-party service provider;

Current sick leave banks would be grandfathered or protected and their value appropriately recognized.

A joint technical committee will work to establish income replacement parameters, eligibility conditions, case management measures, including measures to ensure successful return to work after leave for illness or injury, among other things.

These clauses are similar to what was agreed at the PSAC bargaining tables. If an agreement is not reached, even after possible mediation, the current terms and conditions of employment related to the sick leave regime will remain unchanged.

Professional integrity

The new clause on professional integrity for employees of the EC group will recognize that their work is to provide non-partisan, objective and evidence-based, analysis and advice. It will say that no employee can be forced to act against these principles. As it will be part of the collective agreement, this clause will give employees the tools to challenge instructions that would negate these principles.

More details to come - stay tuned!

For more details on improvements on leave and other articles, go to this page.

EC members will be invited shortly to information sessions about the agreement. Finally, if you have questions, please write us at: bargaining_negociations@acep-cape.ca

Negotiator for Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Richard Arulpooranam and CAPE President Emmanuelle Tremblay sign the EC tentative agreement on January 26, 2017.

The EC bargaining team poses for a photo with the Treasury Board negotiating team.