Tentative deal struck between NAV Canada, PSAC / CN, Teamsters union implement new conflict management mechanism
Tentative deal struck between NAV Canada, PSAC
OTTAWA — On Nov. 4, the union representing employees at NAV Canada, which operates the country’s civil air navigation system, penned a new tentative collective agreement.
The contract, which expires Dec. 31, 2016, is being unanimously recommended by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
Should the collective agreement be ratified by members, employees will have the choice of either choosing a two per cent retroactive wage increase for 2014 or a $2,000 lump sum payment. For each 2015 and 2016, employees will get a two per cent wage hike.
Other bargaining units at NAV Canada are undergoing changes to their pension plans, and this agreement will follow the same scheme. That means that employees hired after the ratification date will be enrolled in a defined benefit plan of 1.1 per cent per year of service — the employer will bear the full cost of the contributions. All new ongoing employees on this plan will be given a $2,000 lump sum payment upon completion of their probationary period.
For current employees, there are no major changes to their pension. However, in the event that a member terminates employment before retirement, benefits would not be indexed to inflation for the years going forward, between the date of termination and the retirement date.
As well, the deal includes improvements to overtime, bereavement leave, travel premiums and the union’s social justice fund.
CN, Teamsters union implement new conflict management mechanism
OTTAWA — The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) union and the Canadian National Railway are implementing a new mechanism for conflict management in an effort to avoid strikes and lockouts.
Under the new mechanism, both parties will pay predetermined amount to charities instead of imposing a lockout or strike. The amounts will be paid as long as the parties have not reached an agreement.
The TCRC negotiations committee — representing 1,700 CN railway workers — met with the rail carrier’s management team on Oct. 28. The union executives proposed the new negotiating process in order to reach an agreement that does not include a work stoppage or service interruption.
"It is time to change the negotiation template, as the tense atmosphere that hung over the previous talks did not serve anyone’s interests," said TCRC president Rex Beatty. "And if we fail to come to an agreement, my union proposes a new mechanism for resolving conflicts without a work stoppage."
Meanwhile, according to the union, normal negotiation procedures are continuing to go smoothly.
CN served its negotiation notice and the union has acted upon it. The parties are expected to file a notice of dispute and request the intervention of the federal mediation and conciliation services to aid in the conclusion of negotiations.
The current contract expires on Jan. 1. The parties are expected to discuss the use of video surveillance in trains, the grievances management process, the right to refuse work and compliance with provisions of the current collective agreement.
