YG Bargaining

December 13, 2024

December: Third Update

Your bargaining team met with the YG team the week of December 8.

Unfortunately, to the team’s disappointment, not much progress was made over the past few days, and negotiations sputtered.

We expected to be able to continue discussions with a full agenda planned for the week – namely on Conflict Management Services (formerly Respectful Workplace), Community Nursing, and the Health Authority if a presentation was to be made available. We also wanted to continue further discussions on what had been previously tabled on several topics – but that was not the case.

Beyond a presentation and general discussion regarding Community Nursing and a brief discussion on EMS, there was not much else to report.

The Conflict Management Services (formerly Respectful Workplace) discussion has been postponed until our next session in February.

The YG team again indicated (see our last bulletin), that despite the fact we are months into negotiations and the Health Authority has been in the planning for years, the Employer team was still not in a position to provide the team with concrete information on the timetable, and their workplace plan for the Health Authority.

So, imagine the team’s surprise when during an all-staff HSS meeting on December 12, one Deputy Minister and five Assistant Deputy Ministers shared a high-level, notional work plan with estimated timelines. This presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session where it seems assurances regarding pensions, job security, and the terms and conditions of the collective agreement being inherited by the new Authority were made to staff by the Employer.

This is news to us, and we wonder why that wasn’t explained at the bargaining table as we’ve been asking for information since the start of negotiations.

We can only conclude that the Employer is not engaged enough to share or communicate between departments to support fair and transparent negotiations.

Given the apparent inability of the Employer team to provide the Union team with requested the information, the Union team will proceed with bargaining the Health Authority transition when we next meet in February. As reported in previous bulletins we have assembled an updated general chronology on Health Authority bargaining below.

Additional dates have been agreed to for February 3-7, March 24-28, and April 14-17.

This was our last bargaining session before the Collective Agreement expires on December 31, 2024. 

Stay tuned for more information and in the meantime, we’d like to extend our wishes to you and your families for a safe and peaceful holiday season.   


Timeline on Health Authority Bargaining

Union’s request for information:
  • In preparation for bargaining our bargaining team sent an information request to the Employer on September 23 which included a specific request for the “tally of positions and classifications to be transferred to Wellness Yukon.”
  • The Employer responded on November 7, indicating they did not have that information related to the Health Authority.
Bargaining table discussions:
  • Week of October 8-11, 2024
    • The Union tabled its package of proposals which included “The status of Health and Wellness Yukon and implementation plan” as a discussion item.
    • In response, the Employer committed to arrange a presentation on the Health Authority for the next session of bargaining in November.
  • Week of November 19-22, 2024
    • At the beginning of the week, the YG team advised our bargaining team that the Health Authority presentation was not ready and would not be on the agenda.
    • At the end of the week, the Employer reiterated that they were still unable to advise when they would be in a position to present on the Health Authority.
  • Week of December 10-13, 2024
    • The YG team informed our bargaining team that they were not sure they would have any information to present on the Health Authority by the time of the next bargaining session in February 2025.
    • Our union team indicated they will table proposals on the topic of the Health Authority even if no information is forthcoming from the Employer.

If you have any questions, please email: [email protected] 

In solidarity with your bargaining team,

Amie Angel 

Laurel Cole 

Rosa Barraco 

Tammi Johnson 

Ian MacDonald 

Erik Miller 

Matt Murphy 

Ted Klassen 

Erna Post   


November 27, 2024

November: Second Update

The bargaining team met with the employer November 18-22, for our second meeting.

This month’s meetings focused on classification, the current sick leave provisions, and the provision of online training.

We had planned to discuss the Health Authority, Respectful Workplace changes and the new independent investigation process. However, Yukon Government (YG) did not provide us with the information we requested. This means we’re pushing these items to a future meeting.

Our next set of bargaining dates are scheduled for the week of December 9-13. 

The Union team made three classification proposals in November based on discussions at the bargaining table: 

  • The first proposal under Article 29 addresses classification request and appeal process, eliminate chokepoints, and allows for representation if requested, as well as timelines for each step.  
  • The second proposal is to commence a joint labour management review of classification benchmarks. Benchmarks are key to the assessment of a job and how a job is rated. Benchmarks have not been updated in over fifteen years.  
  • Lastly, the Union team is proposing that YG provide online classification training and make it available to all employees. We are looking for training that will simplify the classification system for all members. 

We are awaiting YG’s response to our tabled proposals. 

If you have any questions, please email: [email protected] 


Bolded words are new proposals

ARTICLE 29 – STATEMENT OF DUTIES CLASSIFICATION AND RECLASSIFICATION

29.01 Within one month of receiving an employee's written request, the Employer shall provide the employee with a current statement containing the duties and responsibilities including factor point rating assigned to the position they occupy.

29.02 Should the Employer create a new position; the Public Service Commission shall provide a job description and inform the Union within twenty (20) calendar days of the classification and rate of pay assigned.

29.03 (a) In the event an employee believes there is a substantial change to the duties and responsibilities of their position and that the position is no longer appropriately classified, the employee in the affected position may submit a written request for a classification review to the Public Service Commission.

(b) The employee's written request pursuant to paragraph (a) above must specify the reasons and/or change in duties as to why the employee considers the affected position as no longer being appropriately classified. The employee may elect to have a union representative present for any meetings related to the request.

(c) The Department responsible for the position in question will provide the Public Service Commission a copy of the current job description within twenty-one (21) calendar days of the Public Service Commission receiving the initial employee request.

(d) The Public Service Commission referred to in paragraph (a) above shall provide a written decision to the employee within ninety (90) calendar days of receipt of the employee's written request under paragraph (a) above. This deadline may only be extended by mutual agreement.

(e) Where the affected employee is dissatisfied with the classification review decision under paragraph (d) above, the employee may within twenty (20) working days give written notice of appeal, pursuant to their rights under the Public Service Act. This deadline may be extended by mutual agreement.

(f) In the event the position is reclassified, such reclassification will be retroactive to the date of the classification review request and Article 17.07 will apply.


NEW

Letter of Understanding Between the Government of Yukon and the Public Service Alliance of Canada with Respect to Classification Benchmark Review

This letter of Understanding is to give effect to the agreement reached between the Employer and the Public Service Alliance of Canada in respect of employees in the bargaining unit.

Notwithstanding that classification is an exclusive Employer authority as recognized in the Public Service Act, and there is a current classification plan in place (Willis Plan), the parties agree to establish a joint Evaluation Committee to review and update the benchmark positions or create new benchmark positions as applicable. Any consequential changes to the pay lines would be updated in the subsequent Collective Agreement.


NEW

Letter of Understanding Between the Government of Yukon and the Public Service Alliance of Canada with Respect to Classification Training

The parties agree there is a mutual benefit to be derived from the provision of training pertaining to the classification system.

To that end, the Employer agrees to develop and implement an online Classification training course within six months of the ratification of this Collective Agreement. This online classification training will be a core offering made available to all employees.

Prior to the implementation of the online course, the final draft of the course will be reviewed by the Union and Employer at a Joint Union Management Committee.

In solidarity with your bargaining team,

Amie Angel 

Laurel Cole 

Rosa Barraco 

Tammi Johnson 

Ian MacDonald 

Erik Miller 

Matt Murphy 

Ted Klassen 

Erna Post   


October 11, 2024

Bargaining has begun

We met with the YG bargaining team at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse on October 7-11.

Here is the bargaining proposals given to the employer by your bargaining team this past week.

These proposals came from membership input this past spring and summer and were further explored at the more recent Bargaining Conference in September.

Bargaining Process

Normally, we begin with non-monetary items and resolve them before proceeding to wages, premiums, and benefits. If the language is bolded, it is new, if the language has strike-throughs the proposal is to delete. RESERVE means we need more information from the employer or that it will be a monetary proposal.

Questions?

We will be providing you with periodic updates on the bargaining process and our bargaining proposals. If you have any questions that you cannot see answered on the website, email here: [email protected]

Our next set of bargaining dates will be Nov 18-22 in Whitehorse.

  • The bargaining agenda for that week will be a number of the discussion items from page 17 of the proposals: status of Conflict Management Services, the Investigation Office and RWO procedures, grievances, etc.
  • Current classification system and classification appeals process.
  • The status of Community Health Nursing.
  • The status of Health and Wellness Yukon and the implementation plan going forward.

In solidarity with your bargaining team,

Amie Angel 

Laurel Cole 

Rosa Barraco 

Tammi Johnson 

Ian MacDonald 

Erik Miller 

Matt Murphy 

Ted Klassen 

Erna Post   


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