Collective bargaining sets the terms and conditions of our employment including important matters such as pay, leave entitlements and hours of work. For a union, collective bargaining is a key activity that must involve all of its members to be successful. Rank and file members, bargaining teams and senior leaders must work effectively to present the union as a serious and capable organization at the bargaining table.
In Canada, 97% of collective agreements are negotiated without the union having to resort to strike action. But to negotiate a good agreement, a union has to be well prepared for a strike – and the employer has to know it. Much of the material in this section of the website chronicles the important preparations carried out at the local level in the course of the bargaining process.
CEIU members are members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), and it is the PSAC that acts as the bargaining agent in negotiations with the employer, the Treasury Board of Canada. For recent bargaining news as well as background material from previous bargaining rounds, members are invited to review the material on this website as well as the site of the PSAC.
Getting clear about the tentative agreement
The recently announced tentative agreement for the PA group will soon be put to a vote of the PSAC membership. Before voting, we must be clear about the terms of the offer and the implications for each of us. Members are urged to review the details of the agreement and to raise questions where there is any doubt about the meaning of its provisions. September 25, 2010Supporting our bargaining team
The bargaining team for the PA contract has begun meetings with the Treasury Board to explore the possibility of reaching an early agreement. The expedited negotiation process will create new pressures for our team members and, as in the past, we must show our support for them. September 14, 2010National President writes to members regarding expedited contract negotiations
National President Jeannette Meunier-McKay is writing to members about the decision of the PSAC to enter into early and expedited negotiations with the Treasury Board. The PA agreement does not expire until June 2011, and the decision to enter these talks moves up the bargaining schedule by several months.click here for previous articles
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