June 1, 2006
OTTAWA - The Honourable John Baird, President of the Treasury Board,
announced today the Government of Canada has broken a four-year stalemate to
reach a tentative agreement with the bargaining agent for Canada's Correctional
Officers (CX Group) that will pave the way for the signature of a new collective
agreement.
"The Government recognizes that Correctional Officers operate in a
difficult and dangerous environment," said President Baird. "We
are confident this tentative agreement will lead to a contract that is fair and
reasonable for Correctional Officers, for the employer, and for Canadian
taxpayers."
The tentative agreement follows a series of informal discussions held
throughout April and May between Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
officials and the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers Syndicat des
Agents Correctionnels du Canada (UCCO-SACC-CSN), the bargaining agent
representing Correctional Officers.
Since his appointment as President of Treasury Board, Mr. Baird met with
representatives from the Correctional Officers' bargaining agents four times.
"I've said all along that these negotiations had been going on for too
long," said President Baird. "Canadians expect us to work
together to provide the public services that they depend on, and we've done just
that by getting this tentative deal done."
The members of UCCO-SACC-CSN have been without a contract since May 31, 2002.
The agreement provides for a number of measures to be included in a new
collective agreement that will be in effect until May 31, 2010. Members of
UCCO-SACC-CSN will be called upon to vote on the tentative agreement, with the
results of this vote expected before the end of June 2006.
The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, congratulated all
sides in the negotiations, saying, "after four years without a resolution
it is encouraging to see our government and union officials work together to a
successful agreement."
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For more information, contact:
Mike Van Soelen
Director of Communications
Office of the President of the Treasury Board
(613) 957-2666
Robert Makichuk
Media Relations
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
(613) 957-2391
If there is a discrepancy between any printed version and the
electronic version of this news release, the electronic version will prevail.
