Arbitration Award issued for Detection Specialist Group

Employer has ninety days from date of award to pay out back pay.

After an exceedingly lengthy delay, we received on Monday the arbitration award from the Labour Board for our contract dispute with PPS. Highlights of our new agreement (including both the arbitral awards and what was negotiated):

Wages:

2020 - 1.5% Increase

2021- 1.5% Increase

2022 - 3.5% Increase + an additional 1.25% (approximately 4.8% total)

2023 - 3.0% Increase + an additional 0.5%

2024 – 2.25% all employees

(All wage adjustments are compounded to be paid retroactive to 2020)

The Board has also awarded an additional $1000.00 allowance to be paid to Detection Specialists on an annual basis, beginning this year.

All PSAC members in the bargaining unit are to receive a pensionable $2500.00 lump sum payment as part of the award.

The compensation won by our union in arbitration greatly exceeds PPS’ offer in negotiations.

Other improvements

-Weekend premium must now be paid on all hours worked on a weekend, including overtime hours.

-PPS must under certain circumstances pay each employee additional compensation if PPS does not pay retro payment within 90 days of the issuance of the award.

-PPS must now provide as much notice as is practicable of any leave restriction period.

-Employees can now once a year request to liquidate earned vacation leave in excess of 15 days.

-All service, both continuous and discontinuous, to now count for vacation accrual.

-Expanded access to bereavement leave.

-Expanded access to leave without pay for personal needs.

-All references to ‘relief assignments’ removed from the collective agreement.

Management Proposals

PPS in negotiations and in arbitration proposed to severely water down our ability to take leave for medical and dental appointments. PPS also proposed to modify scheduling bidding so that employees would bid once a year instead of twice.

We successfully fought off these concessions. The Arbitrator did not award either of these PPS demands.

Classification and Late Implementation Grievances

Issues related to classification and implementation of retro last round remain outstanding and mediation is ongoing. We continue to await our date with the Labour Board to make our case for additional compensation on these items if not resolved in meditation.