Tourism Industry

Collective bargaining update

December 8, 2008

Parks Canada is very pleased that it has negotiated an agreement in principle on the terms of a new collective agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). The members of the employee bargaining team unanimously recommends acceptance of the tentative agreement.

The agreement is being unanimously recommended for acceptance by the employee bargaining team and details of the agreement will be presented by PSAC to Parks Canada employees for ratification. The agreement was reached while taking into consideration the current economic situation.

Parks Canada’s objective from the outset has been to obtain a fair deal for its employees while making prudent use of tax payers’ dollars. We believe we have attained both these goals.

Avoiding labour disruptions for the next several years will help reduce the level of uncertainty facing the tourism industry since Parks Canada has a network or more than 200 treasured places and is the largest provider of tourism products in Canada. The agreement in principle offers an economic increase of 2.3% for 2007/2008 and 1.5% for each subsequent year until 2010/2011.

August 20, 2008

Recent media reports have focused on the resumption of labour negotiations between Parks Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) scheduled for Sept.29--this time with a mediator.

As was publicly t reported in the media, Parks Canada has offered 2.1%, 2%, 1.5% and 1.5% over four years. This offer is being made on top of gains and other wage adjustments of as much as 22% for general services workers over the last four years who represent about a third of our workforce of 5,800.

PSAC's total wage demands for this group amount to 47% and include, in Year 1, a 5% economic increase; a 4% increment at the top of every group; 15% to close a perceived "wage gap"; 9% to eliminate pay zones, and a variable inflation increase. In Year 2, there is another 5% increase, another 4% increment at the top of every group, and another inflation increase. In Year 3, there is another 5% increase.

Parks Canada feels these demands remain outside industry norms. Union threats to disrupt operations next summer are regrettable, as they represent another potential blow to Canada's vital tourism industry, which is already suffering greatly.

The unfortunate slow progress of negotiations during the last 15 months is attributable, in part, to the parties having only met face to face for 18 hours over 31 days.

Parks Canada looks forward to resuming negotiations next month in order to secure a collective agreement that is fair to employees while making prudent use of taxpayers' money.

June 20, 2008

On May 23, Parks Canada Agency indicated on this Website that talks on a new collective agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) had stalled. The Agency also indicated that it had called on the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) to appoint a mediator. The objective is to reach a fair and just collective agreement.

The PSLRB has informed the parties that a mediator will be appointed. Mediation is an accepted practice in labour negotiations as a means of getting stalled talks moving again and achieving negotiated agreements.

The appointment process is expected to take a few weeks, after which a date for the resumption of negotiations will be determined.

Parks Canada is pleased that talks will resume in due course and looks forward to conclusion of the collective bargaining process.

May 23, 2008

Parks Canada is still in negotiation with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing Parks Canada employees. With the 2004 strike fresh in our minds, we recognize the negative impacts a possible strike would have on those Canadians who count on us to do our jobs.

Parks Canada has therefore asked the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) to appoint a mediator to assist the parties in reaching a collective agreement. Our objective is to reach a fair and just collective agreement.

Mediation is an accepted practice in labour negotiations as a means of getting stalled talks moving again and achieving negotiated agreements.

Current PSAC demands include increases of 47% over three years, not including the compounding effect and variable CPI increases, for general labourers and general services employees who make up 34% of the Parks Canada workforce. Such demands are well outside industry norms and far exceed a settlement its own members recently ratified with another federal public sector organization.

It is anticipated that bargaining will resume shortly, once a mediator is appointed by the PSLRB.