After well over a year at the bargaining table, the Civil Service Bargaining Committee reached a tentative agreement with the employer on December 30, 2015.
"It was a long and frustrating round of negotiations," said MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky. "This Bargaining Committee worked so hard to get the employer back to the table with a fair offer, and now that the employer has offered some real improvements it's time to take it back to our membership for a vote."
Last July, because Civil Service members were not offered the general wage increases offered to other public sector workers in the first two years of the agreement, the Committee filed for arbitration. An arbitration panel was agreed upon and dates for a hearing have been scheduled for late May and early June, 2016.
"But over the past several months, we kept the pressure on through advertising, rallies and demonstrations, and meetings with politicians," Gawronsky said, "and eventually, they responded."
The employer invited the Committee to return to the bargaining table on December 11, 2015 to present a revised offer. On December 17, the Committee countered and on December 30, they returned to the table with their best and final offer.
The improved offer is a five-year deal with employment security in a time of potential uncertainty, and contains no concessions. The employer, however, did not change the wage offer in the first two years of the agreement.
"The Committee felt this offer was improved enough to take it back to the members for consideration," Gawronsky said.
If the offer is rejected, the Committee will proceed to arbitration on the dates scheduled, with a decision expected no earlier than fall/winter 2016. If the offer is accepted, the employer has agreed to prepare it for sign-off as quickly as possible so that agreed to changes can be implemented.
Voting will take place in meeting locations across the province in the last two weeks of January, and through mail-in ballot. Members will not be issued another ballot, other than the one they are mailed. All ballots must be received at the MGEU Head Office in Winnipeg before 4pm on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 to be counted.
View complete voting schedule with dates and locations
Civil Service Tentative Agreement HIGHLIGHTS
DURATION
Five year Collective Agreement: March 22, 2014 – March 30, 2019.
WAGES
General Pay Increase
Effective March 22, 2014 1%
Effective March 21, 2015 1%
Effective March 19, 2016 2%
Effective April 1, 2017 2%
Effective March 31, 2018 / Sept. 29, 2018 1% / 1%
Above increases to be applied to Remoteness Allowance and Northern Premium.
Nurses to maintain wage parity with MNU nurses.
Medical Technologists to achieve hourly wage parity with those in health field (effective first pay period after date of signing).
EMPLOYMENT SECURITY
No lay-off of regular employees hired on or before April 1, 2015 for the duration of the Collective Agreement.
SPECIAL WAGE ADJUSTMENTS
Approximately 1% of payroll ($6.8M) for special wage adjustments to be allocated over 2016, 2017 and 2018.
DRUG PLAN
Implementation of pay direct prescription drug plan (Blue Net Card). Target date April 1, 2016.
HEALTH SPENDING ACCOUNT
Increase maximum from $600 FT / $300 PT per year to $700 FT / $350 PT, effective January 1, 2016.
PRIVATE VEHICLE KILOMETER RATES
Mileage formula to be reinstated (April 2016) and entrenched in Collective Agreement:
Gas = $1/litre
Review April / October
For every 10¢ increase / decrease = +/- 1¢/km
PARKING FEES
No increase to parking fees during the life of the Collective Agreement.
SICK LEAVE
Use of sick leave to attend medical appointments to be expanded to include physiotherapists, chiropractors and nurse practitioners.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
Employees to be paid for all hours worked, including overtime, in relation to Daylight Savings Time.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Employee’s right to Union representation at investigation and disciplinary meetings strengthened.
BANKING OF REGULAR TIME
At an employee’s request, an employee may bank regular time in exchange for time off. Such requests will not be unreasonably denied.
ENHANCING PUBLIC SERVICES
Language confirming the employer’s commitment to the provision of public services and to working with the Union to improve and enhance public services.
Language expanding Union rights related to privatization.
View document containing the provisions of the tentative agreement
Civil Service Tentative Agreement Q&A
Why are we voting on this offer if we filed for arbitration?
Since we filed for arbitration last spring, we have kept the pressure on government to return to the table with a fair offer. Through advertising, rallies and demonstrations, and meetings with politicians, we made it clear that civil service workers should not have to go to a third-party arbitrator to achieve a fair and respectful agreement with their employer.
On December 11, the employer returned to the negotiating table with a revised offer, and on December 17, we countered that offer. On December 30, they made us their best and final offer. We felt this offer was improved enough to take it back to the membership for a vote.
What’s better about the new offer?
The improved offer includes:
a) a five-year deal with a general wage increase in each year;
b) expanded employment security;
c) special wage adjustments of 1% of payroll or $6.8 million (classifications which put forward proposals will be considered);
d) no concessions (all current benefits remain in place).
If the agreement is ratified, will we receive retroactive pay?
Yes. The agreement includes general pay increases that go back to March 2014 and continue through the life of the agreement. This means that if you worked during the retroactivity period, you will automatically receive the applicable general pay increases on all hours worked.
If you have left the Civil Service, you will automatically receive any retroactive increases owed to you by mail (see Article 10 - Retroactive Wages).
Why did we file for arbitration?
When we filed for arbitration, the offer before us was insufficient. At the time, many comparable public service settlements had included 2% increases in each year over four years. We believed this was a strong argument to take before an arbitrator.
Why is the recommendation a “neutral” one?
The revised offer and our prospects at arbitration are quite different. There are pros and cons to each.
The employer’s latest offer is substantially improved from where we were at last spring. It provides us with stability and security until 2019, as well as wage increases and some additional benefits.
However, there is a possibility we could achieve more through a settlement imposed by the arbitrator. There is also the possibility that some gains we’ve achieved would not be included, such as a longer collective agreement with job security and special wage adjustments. While we still believe we have a strong case to put forward, the outcome of any arbitration is not certain.
What if we vote “no”?
If the offer is rejected by the membership, we will proceed to arbitration, which is scheduled for late spring 2016. We would not expect a result until fall/winter 2016.
What if we vote “yes”?
If the membership votes in favour of the revised offer, it will form the basis of a new five-year collective agreement for the Civil Service. If the offer is accepted, the employer has agreed to prepare it for sign-off as quickly as possible so that agreed to changes can be implemented.
If the offer is ratified, could a new government change it?
NO. The collective agreement, once entered into, would be binding on any future government for the duration of the agreement. If a government attempted to unilaterally change the agreement, the MGEU would go to court alleging a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Supreme Court of Canada has clearly ruled that attempts by governments to alter a collective agreement, previously entered into, violate the Charter.