PSAC is getting ready for the next round of bargaining for employees who work for the Yukon Government. As the first step in this process, we need to hear from you.
Amongst other changes, PSAC has automated the bargaining input process and members will now be able to submit their input directly and electronically to a central site with the Union with a deadline of July 26th.
The proposals will then be sorted by topic area. For example; hours of work, working conditions, health authority proposals, or wage and shift premium proposals.
We’ve developed this online form to help facilitate the process of gathering member input.
It will greatly assist the bargaining process if you:
- Briefly outline your proposal. You do not need to provide actual language.
- If the purpose of your proposal is to simply clarify wording, give examples of problems of misinterpretation of the current agreement.
- If this is a new proposal or a change, briefly describe the problem that prompted your proposal and provide relevant supporting rationale.
- Keep the rationale brief and to the point.
2024 Bargaining Input Form (Click Link)
Bargaining Conference In The Fall
In addition to voting on your local priorities, you will be able to elect your bargaining conference delegates for the September 13-15 bargaining conference that will be held in Whitehorse.
In this round of bargaining, there will only be one bargaining team, not two.
At the bargaining conference delegates will elect their bargaining team representatives and debate/prioritize all the submitted proposals.
Last round, the bargaining conference dealt with and debated several hundred proposals before bargaining.
What would you like to see in your next collective agreement? More certainty about the transition to a Health Authority? Better work-life balance and Fair Wages? More support for mental health?
This is your opportunity to share your ideas with us. Your participation is crucial to our strength as a union.
What makes a good proposal?
At every round of bargaining, we receive proposals asking for things that are already provided for in the collective agreement, or represent things that people would “like” to have in their collective agreements.
Please make sure your idea is not already included in the collective agreement. If there is language in the collective agreement that you want to improve on, explain why in your submission. The strongest demands come out of demonstrated workplace needs. This might include such as situations where we have filed a grievance and lost because of problems with the existing contract language or situations where normal requests are being unreasonably refused by management. Similarly, proposals could be related to significant changes in workplace conditions - the introduction of new shift schedules or a change in jobs.
If you don’t have a copy of your Collective Agreement you can view it anytime here.
General topic areas for bargaining proposals are not limited to the following items and can include the removal of an existing article or the addition of something you think is missing from our agreement; for example, paid pandemic leave for testing or the Right to Disconnect from work-issued electronics or messages.
The pending creation of a new Health Authority and Wellness Yukon will disrupt the working lives of those who work in Health and Social Services as well as those who work at the Hospital. How the transition is dealt with will be critical for many. Wages, benefits, and pensions are areas of concern as well as job security and working conditions. If you have ideas regarding what could make the upcoming transition easier include that as a bargaining proposal.
Proposals could also include the necessary supports for training and accommodating differences in the workplace. Mental Health, like physical health is critical to the wellbeing of individual workers and by extension to their families or dependents. Things like funding for mental health advocates, Employee Assistance Program improvements and ready access to other culturally appropriate supports could be considered here.
The continually increasing reliance on technology, Artificial Intelligence, will have an impact on your work and job security. You may want to submit a proposal related to the protections for workers under the general topic of technological change. Those who work from home should be able to shut work off and disconnect electronically based on the work schedule.
Work-Life Balance: This may include vacation leave improvements, cultural leaves, and other provisions like schedule enhancements.
Fair Wages: This includes shift premiums, community allowances, certifications, classification levels as well as general economic increases applied to all positions.