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Collective Bargaining
PSAC Strike Action
To: FS Group Bargaining Unit Employees
From: R. Cochrane, PAFSO Executive Director
Re: PSAC Strike Action
Date: August 25, 2004
The Public Service Alliance of Canada’s (PSAC) major bargaining units will soon be in a legal strike position. The PSAC Table 2 group which is composed of the operational groups in the Public Service is now at the conciliation board stage. The conciliation board is meeting with the parties this week. The PSAC Table 3 group which is composed of the Technical groups in the Public Service and the Table 1 group which represents the CR, ST, AS, PM, PG, IS and WP occupational groups all have conciliation boards established which will soon be meeting with the parties. If a tentative agreement is not reached there is a real possibility that picket lines will begin appearing soon after the labour day weekend.
I know that I can say without fear of contradiction that this would not be the first time that a strike has occurred in the Public Service and it wouldn’t be the first time that striking employees put up a picket line, as a strategy to place pressure on the employer to reach a reasonable settlement. The Treasury Board, Departments and Bargaining Agents have all had to deal with this issue in the past and I think it is fair to say that all Public Service employees can empathize with the need for reasonable settlements. Picket lines are a means (a tactic) to achieve this end.
I would suggest that you keep in mind that ideally a picket line is there to disrupt the flow of business. Unions expect other union/Association members to honour the picket line by not crossing it. Over the years a compromise has been worked out to resolve the potential clash between competing interests. The compromise is based on the reality that unions/Associations can really only expect to delay an employee from reporting for work, and the employer in the past has agreed that it would not dock the employee’s pay for the delay caused in reporting for work.
If you encounter a picket line, for your own safety and others, you should not cross it. The Departments will have representatives at the picket line to provide assistance. If there is no one there to provide that assistance, you should find a phone away from the building that is being picketed and call your supervisor. The Departments will issue instructions concerning the procedures that they want you to follow. However, both the Departments and PAFSO agree that you are not to force your way across a picket line and you must not panic. You will not lose any money if you follow the Departments' instructions on how to get to work.
We would discourage any employee from forcing his or her way across a picket line, either in a car or on foot because it encourages a negative reaction from the picketers that sometimes has led to violent behavior. At the end of the strike you will resume working with these same persons which is worth keeping in mind. When you encounter a picket line keeping your cool in these trying times is really important. While calling your supervisors to request an escort may seem trivial to some of you, it is a gesture of support that all of us would want if we were placed in that position and it doesn’t cost anything except the time it takes to make the call and meet your supervisor.
Everyone can walk away a winner without creating hard feelings or provoking the picketers.
We have had inquiries from people whose substantive position is in a bargaining unit where a strike action is inevitable. This is to confirm that in discussions with the TB secretariat employees acting in FS positions are members of the FS bargaining unit and not part of their substantive position’s bargaining unit. Unless the acting assignment is terminated they remain members of the FS bargaining unit during any strike action. Should the FS bargaining unit go on strike while these employees are acting in FS positions and are not designated, they would be eligible to take job actions as determined by the PAFSO Executive.
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