Bargaining for a new PG collective agreement has broken off. Your bargaining team was not satisfied with the last pay offer put forward by NRC. This offer included the following provisions:
1. May 1, 2002 – Increase all rates of pay by 1.6%.
2. May 1, 2002 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.5%.
3. May 1, 2003 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.5%.
4. May 1, 2004 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.5%.
NRC has made this offer to “achieve parity with the Public Service PG Group”. They contend that this is what your bargaining team asked for during bargaining. It is not. While we have raised the issue of parity with the Public Service, we have also raised the issue of CCRA PG rates, of compression with the AD Group and of the need to provide an increment, at the very least, to the top of all PG levels. We have also made it clear that the PG–1 level also deserved particular consideration given that a so-called promotion from the AD-3 level to the PG-1 level is, in fact, no promotion at all. This is just not a good enough offer.
In the interests of reaching an agreement, your bargaining team reduced its demands and proposed the following:
1. May 1, 2002 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.6%.
2. May 1, 2002 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.5%.
3. May 1, 2003 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.5%.
4. May 1, 2004 – Increase all rates of pay by 2.5%.
This means that we were asking for 1% more than NRC put on the table. This amounts to $13,677 more than NRC was prepared to pay. AND THEY SAID NO. They also accused the RCEA of treating bargaining for pay as though it were a “moving target”. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Your bargaining team has been very consistent in what kind of deal they were attempting to achieve for the group. Our move away from an increment at the top of each range and special treatment at the PG-1 level is a considerable jump. We were prepared to make a deal. APPARENTLY THEY ARE NOT!!!
Your bargaining team believes that now is the time to send the message that the PG Group will not settle for just anything, that the Group has issues to address and will fight to address them.
The next step is for the RCEA to ask the Public Service Staff Relations Board to appoint a conciliator to help the parties reach an agreement. This request will be made today. This will mean more delays in getting a settlement, but your team feels that the delay is worth it. If we cannot reach a deal, we would then ask for the establishment of an Arbitration Board. We hope that this step will not be necessary and that NRC will decide that it wants to send a positive message to the PG Group. But if we have to go to arbitration, we will. We are satisfied that we can make the case before an Arbitration Board that the Group deserves more than NRC is offering.
It is time for the PG Group to stand up and be counted. Your support is needed at this time. Your comments, as always, are welcome. It is now more important than ever that we speak with one voice.
Members of the PG Bargaining Committee:
Marc Bédard
John Lockwood
Gerry Kennedy
Joan Van Den Bergh – RCEA Negotiator