Pa Collective Agreement Ratified

On September 15, 2021, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) announced that the tentative collective agreement reached with the federal government has been ratified by its members who are part of the Program and Administrative Services (PA) bargaining unit. This ratification ends a long and arduous negotiation process that began in June 2018.

The PA collective agreement covers approximately 84,000 federal public service workers and includes provisions related to pay increases, job security, and mental health support. Some of the highlights of the agreement include:

Pay increases: PA employees will see wage increases of 2% in 2018, 2% in 2019, 1.5% in 2020, and 1.5% in 2021. This will help these workers keep up with the rising cost of living and ensure they are fairly compensated for their work.

Job security: The agreement includes measures to protect employees` job security, including provisions related to contracting out of work and job security provisions for term workers.

Mental health support: The agreement includes new provisions to support employees` mental health, including access to mental health resources and improved access to leave for employees dealing with mental health issues.

PSAC`s National President, Chris Aylward, expressed satisfaction with the ratification, saying that “our members have stood strong throughout this lengthy process, and their commitment to achieving a fair agreement has finally paid off.” He added that the new agreement “offers stability and security to our members and their families, as well as to the services they provide to Canadians.”

The ratification of the PA collective agreement is an important step forward for public service workers in Canada. It shows that, despite the challenges of negotiating with the federal government, it is possible for workers to come together and fight for fair working conditions and better wages. This agreement sets an important precedent for future negotiations and demonstrates the power of collective bargaining in ensuring workers are treated fairly.