PSAC has reached a tentative agreement for SV members that provides wage increases that prevent workers from falling further behind, closes wage gaps for our members, and improves job security. 

These are just a couple of the gains included in the tentative agreement. A full explanation of the new agreement, and a copy of the new language, will be provided once it has been fully translated. 

The SV bargaining team recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

SV Group wage increases

PSAC negotiated wage increases totaling 12.6% compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2025 and retroactive to June 2021 when the previous contract expired. PSAC secured an additional fourth year in the agreement that protects workers from inflation (projected by the Bank of Canada to be 2.3%), as well as a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment. This represents an additional 4.01% of salary for the average SV member.

*wage adjustment of a minimum of 0.5% for all bargaining units

With the exception of the sub-groups listed below, all SV members will receive a 0.5% pay line adjustment in the third year, as indicated above, for a compound wage increase of 12.6%. The third-year increases will be applied on August 5, 2023.

• All employees in the GL-MAM, GL-COI, GL-VHE, GL-MDO, and HP sub-groups will receive a 3% market adjustment, for a compounded wage increase of 15.39%.*
• All employees in the SC sub-group will receive a 4% market adjustment, for a compound wage increase of 16.51%.*
• All employees in the FR sub-group will receive a 6% market adjustment, for a compound wage increase of 18.75%.*

*The compounded wage increases listed above include general economic increases, wage adjustments, and market or pay line adjustments over the four-year term of the agreement. The one-time, lump sum $2,500 payment is not factored into these totals. 

Group specific allowances

• FR: Long service pay for periods of service in the public service have increased by the following amounts: 
  • For 5 to 9 years, long service pay increased from $833 to $933
  • For 10 to 14 years, long service pay increased from $956 to $1,071
  • For 15 to 19 years, long service pay increased from $1,103 to $1,236
  • For 20 to 24 years, long service pay increased from $1,249 to $1,399
  • For 25 to 29 years, long service pay increased from $1,395 to $1,563
  • For 30 years or more, long service pay increased from $1,541 to $1,726
     
• GL: Eligible GL-MAM Refrigeration HVAC Technicians will receive an increase to the existing annual allowance from $8,480 to $9,500.
   
• HS: LPNs and RPNs at the HS-PHS-07 classification and level who are permanently assigned in work locations in remote and isolated First Nations communities shall be eligible to new recruitment and retention allowances.
  • In their first month of hiring, these employees shall receive an allowance of $2,150, followed by a subsequent allowance of $3,150 at the end of their twelfth month after hiring.
  • Following their twelfth month of continuous or discontinuous work, eligible employees, as noted above, shall receive an annual allowance of $5,300 ($441.67 per month).
     
• LI: Full-time station lightkeepers in 1-and 2-employee stations will receive an increase to the supplementary allowance from $2,371 to $2,656. Full-time lightkeepers in 4-employee stations will receive an increase to the supplementary allowance from $2,032 to $2,276.
   
• SC: The rescue specialist allowance increased from $175 to $240 per month. For Ships’ Crews recipients, this allowance increase represents an additional $780 per year. 

Other improvements to the SV collective agreement include:

• An increase from $2.00 to $2.25 per hour to the weekend premium rate.
• An increase to the value of the Correctional Service Specific Duty Allowance (CSSDA), from $2,000 to $2,140, as well as an increase to its scope, as employees working at CORCAN Community Industries will now be eligible for the allowance.
• An increase to the Dangerous Goods Allowance, from a daily allowance of $3.50 to a monthly allowance of $75.
• For the Firefighter group (Appendix A), an increase of the number of designated paid holidays from 11 to match the same number available to all other members of the SV group.

Common Issues settlement 

PSAC also reached a settlement with Treasury Board regarding common issues that apply to all members in the PA, SV, TC, and EB groups. Some of the key improvements include:  

Protections against contracting out

Privatization and contracting out in the federal public service leads to higher costs, more risk, and reduced quality of services for Canadians. PSAC has negotiated language to ensure that in the event of layoffs, preference shall be given to the retention of PSAC members over outside contractors already working with the federal government. This language will protect public service jobs and reduce contracting out in the federal public service.

The government has also committed to a consultation process on the issues associated with contracting out in the federal public service. 

Seniority under Workforce Adjustment Process

PSAC and the employer have agreed to submit a joint proposal to the Public Service Commission of Canada to include seniority rights in the Workforce Adjustment process in situations where reasonable job offers can be made to some but not all surplus employees in a given work location.

New and improved remote work language

PSAC members will now be protected from arbitrary decisions about remote work. We have negotiated language in a letter of agreement that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses that will allow members and PSAC to hold the employer accountable to equitable and fair decision-making on remote work. Having all remote work requests reviewed on an individual basis will prevent future "one size fits all" type mandates like the government announced in December last year.

That means employee rights around remote work arrangements will be protected through a grievance process, and grievances that are not settled prior to the final step of the grievance process can be referred to a new joint union-management panel for review in each department to address issues related to the employer’s application of the remote work directive in the workplace.

PSAC and Treasury Board have also agreed to create a joint committee to review and update the telework policy for the government last updated in 2020 – before the pandemic began.

Safer and more inclusive workplaces

Everyone in the federal government can benefit from anti-racism and discrimination training. That’s why we’ve reached an agreement to create a joint committee to review the existing training courses related to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to ensure employees are fully aware of training opportunities available to them during their work hours. 

We also know a diverse workforce with strong Indigenous representation means a better public service for all. With the new addition of paid leave for Indigenous employees to engage in traditional Indigenous practices, including hunting, fishing and harvesting, the government will be better able to attract and retain more Indigenous workers and recognize their lived experiences.

Other gains at the bargaining table

• Further protection when the employer introduces new technological changes in the workplace.
• Official commitment from the employer to review the National Joint Council (NJC) Bilingualism Bonus Directive.
• Expansion of the types of activities for which union leave can be requested.
• Increased funding of the Joint Learning Program (JLP), including funding to train occupational health and safety committees and representatives.
• Expansion of leave provisions to include visiting a family member who is nearing the end of their life.
• Expansion of the scope for bereavement leave to include aunt and uncle.
• Creation of a joint committee to review the language in the maternity and parental leave articles for opportunities to simplify it, as well as examining the interactions between the collective agreement and the EI Program and the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan. 
• Creation of a joint committee to make collective agreement language more gender inclusive.

Full text and next steps

In the coming days PSAC members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.  

In the meantime, we’ve updated our frequently asked questions to provide further information on the tentative agreements, ratification votes, retroactive pay, and more. Bookmark the FAQ and revisit the page often, as we’ll continue to update it with new questions from members.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please update your contact information in PSAC’s member portal.