Privatization, retention will be contentious issues at the table
In 2008, collective agreements for nearly 600,000 public sector workers in 240 large bargaining units of 500 and up will expire.
There is not much new for the federal government in 2008; the challenge will be the backlog of 140,000 employees whose agreements have already expired, some as far back as March 2006. Provincial civil servants in Newfoundland and Labrador will be negotiating two contracts that expire in March, and in Ontario 88,500 members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members have agreements expiring at the year-end. In addition, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will be in talks with their employees in 2008. The government of Prince Edward Island has yet to reach an agreement with its 2,400 civil servants whose agreement expired at the end of March 2007.
Just under 50,000 municipal employees in 22 units will be negotiating in 2008. Notably, Edmonton will have 5,200 inside and outside employees coming to the table in December, and Toronto will have 27,000 more in the same month. Library employees in Toronto and Ottawa will have their agreements expire, as will four police services in Ontario and one in Alberta. This is in addition to the Toronto police, who are currently in negotiations. Seven other cities in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Ontario will be sitting down with their employees this year.
Five municipal transit services in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Mississauga and Edmonton with a total of 14,100 employees will join the 6,250 employees of the Montreal service now in talks.
Just over 166,500 health sector employees covered by 36 agreements will commence negotiations in 2008. Notable negotiations will take place for contracts expiring in March in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of the civil service negotiations, in Ontario between the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and the Ontario Hospital Association for 50,000 nurses, and in Alberta for 36,000 support, paramedical and technical employees of the health regions.
The numerically largest group coming to the table in 2008 will be education workers. In the Ontario primary and secondary systems alone, where virtually all the agreements will expire, 126 collective agreements for 175,000 teachers and support workers will begin expiring at the end of August. The national total will be 166 contracts covering 257,240 employees. Other notable contracts will be four at the University of Toronto for a total of 9,140 employees, the Université du Québec à Montréal and the University of Alberta. In Ontario, 6,000 community college support staff will see their contract expire at the end of August and, in Nova Scotia, 10,000 teachers will be looking for a new collective agreement at the end of July. As part of the civil service talks in Newfoundland and Labrador, 15,130 teaching and support staff will be bargaining in 2008.
Public sector wage increases have been running ahead of private-sector, but political shifts and fear of tax increases may serve to rein them in. However, recruitment and retention concerns in the healthcare occupations continue to drive wages and working conditions.
There is not much new for the federal government in 2008; the challenge will be the backlog of 140,000 employees whose agreements have already expired, some as far back as March 2006. Provincial civil servants in Newfoundland and Labrador will be negotiating two contracts that expire in March, and in Ontario 88,500 members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members have agreements expiring at the year-end. In addition, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will be in talks with their employees in 2008. The government of Prince Edward Island has yet to reach an agreement with its 2,400 civil servants whose agreement expired at the end of March 2007.
Just under 50,000 municipal employees in 22 units will be negotiating in 2008. Notably, Edmonton will have 5,200 inside and outside employees coming to the table in December, and Toronto will have 27,000 more in the same month. Library employees in Toronto and Ottawa will have their agreements expire, as will four police services in Ontario and one in Alberta. This is in addition to the Toronto police, who are currently in negotiations. Seven other cities in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Ontario will be sitting down with their employees this year.
Five municipal transit services in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Mississauga and Edmonton with a total of 14,100 employees will join the 6,250 employees of the Montreal service now in talks.
Just over 166,500 health sector employees covered by 36 agreements will commence negotiations in 2008. Notable negotiations will take place for contracts expiring in March in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of the civil service negotiations, in Ontario between the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and the Ontario Hospital Association for 50,000 nurses, and in Alberta for 36,000 support, paramedical and technical employees of the health regions.
The numerically largest group coming to the table in 2008 will be education workers. In the Ontario primary and secondary systems alone, where virtually all the agreements will expire, 126 collective agreements for 175,000 teachers and support workers will begin expiring at the end of August. The national total will be 166 contracts covering 257,240 employees. Other notable contracts will be four at the University of Toronto for a total of 9,140 employees, the Université du Québec à Montréal and the University of Alberta. In Ontario, 6,000 community college support staff will see their contract expire at the end of August and, in Nova Scotia, 10,000 teachers will be looking for a new collective agreement at the end of July. As part of the civil service talks in Newfoundland and Labrador, 15,130 teaching and support staff will be bargaining in 2008.
Public sector wage increases have been running ahead of private-sector, but political shifts and fear of tax increases may serve to rein them in. However, recruitment and retention concerns in the healthcare occupations continue to drive wages and working conditions.
