The PA team submitted their monetary package when they returned to the bargaining table with Treasury Board February 17-18.

PSAC put forward its wage proposal of 4.5 per cent per year for all Treasury Board members at the Common Issues table in November, and the PA pay proposal builds on that, calling for additional adjustments and allowances for specific classifications within the PA group.

The proposal calls for the employer to eliminate the pay gap between PA group members and comparable workers at the Canada Revenue Agency. It also proposes new allowances for case managers at Veterans Affairs in the WP classification, workers outside of Correctional Service of Canada that deal with inmates and offenders, and workers who use Indigenous languages at work.

The team also proposed provisions for parole officer caseloads that would put caps on the number of cases that Correctional Service of Canada employees working as parole officers in the WP-04 classification are responsible for.

Improvements to call centre working conditions

Throughout the pandemic, call centre workers have worked tirelessly to keep up with unprecedented call volumes. Even under normal circumstances, call centre workers are exposed to high levels of stress and risk burnout because of the nature of their work.

Our call centre proposal would provide members with microbreaks of at least 40 seconds between calls to alleviate the strain of answering non-stop calls. The concept has been studied around the world and has been shown to reduce stress, increase productivity and boost positivity. The proposal also includes new training to equip workers with the skills they need to handle difficult calls.

These workers provide essential information and services, such as supporting access to Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, veterans’ programs, and citizenship requests. To be able to continue providing the best service possible, call centre working conditions need to be improved.

Employer attempting to push shift work

Once again, Treasury Board tried to sell the bargaining team on their proposal to remove language that protects employees in the Information Services (IS) group from becoming shift workers under the guise of equity and fairness. In our informal discussions with IS employees last fall, members made it clear that they have not asked for this, nor do they want it. We will continue to push back on this problematic employer demand.

PA members have been a constant and consistent lifeline for Canadians, and your bargaining team will continue to fight for better working conditions when bargaining resumes March 22-24.

Common Issues

PSAC's Common Issues bargaining team met with Treasury Board earlier this month to discuss issues that impact members from every table, including work-life balance, wages, and new memorandums of understanding. Check out the full common issues update for more information.

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