Collective Bargaining for PA, SV, TC, and EB groups

March 21, 2023 - Defence Stories

Collective Bargaining

As you know, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) declared an impasse for the Program and Administrative Services (PA), Operational Services (SV), Technical Services (TC), and Education and Library Sciences (EB) groups which represents approximately 60% of the Department of National Defence (DND) public service workforce in May 2022. Since that time, the negotiations process has continued without an agreement being reached. The Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) as the Employer and PSAC have agreed to return to the bargaining table in early April 2023.

Presently, PSAC is holding a strike vote for their members from February 22, 2023 to April 11, 2023. Based on the timelines associated with the various conditions that must be met before a strike can be declared, we estimate PSAC will be in a legal strike position as of April 12, 2023.

Of interest, we are aware that PSAC requires its members to attend a virtual or in-person session before they are able to vote. Managers may consider approving vacation leave if employees want to partake in a session or exercise their right to vote during work hours, subject to the standard operational requirements. Alternatively, PSAC is offering these sessions outside of working hours.

Strike Readiness

Strike training for military managers as well as excluded and unrepresented civilian managers is ongoing. If you have not already attended this training and you are in one of the target groups, we ask that you contact the National Strike Committee. 

As mentioned during the training sessions and in a separate message shared this week, it is time for Bases and Wings to form Strike Committees as well as Strike Operations Centres. Your Labour Relations Team (accessible only on the National Defence network) is readily available to provide advice and guidance as well as necessary tools and resources developed by the Director General Workplace Management (DGWM) Team to support the formation of strike committees, contingency planning, as well as inform on important considerations and activities related to a possible public service strike. 

Additional training can be expected by early April 2023 for those who will be actively engaged in picket line management which will be communicated through strike committees.

Information regarding how pay will be managed during a strike, and on daily strike activity reporting requirements will be shared with you as soon as it becomes available.

We would also like to remind you that employees occupying essential services positions cannot be notified until TBS has authorized us to do so. Labour Relations Officers (LROs) will work closely with managers in delivering these notices once we are authorized to do so.

We must all keep in mind that employees in a legal strike position have a right to engage in legal strike activities and effective working relationships amongst our workforce must be maintained.

If you have any additional questions, please contact the National Strike Committee and, as always, your Labour Relations Team (accessible only on the National Defence network) remains available to you.