http://www.ottawacitizen.com/touch/story.html?id=8927809
Foreign service officers would suspend strike if bargaining resumes
SEPTEMBER 18, 2013
Foreign service officers are willing to temporarily suspend their targeted strike if the federal government returns to the bargaining table to negotiate a new collective agreement.
Tim Edwards, president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers made the offer in an interview with the Citizen Wednesday during a noon-hour picket by about 250 PAFSO members outside the Sussex Drive headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).
PAFSO staged a mass walkout of its 700 members in the National Capital Region to protest the federal government’s decision to seek judicial review of a ruling last week that it had acted in bad faith in the ongoing contract dispute.
The Public Service Labour Relations Board found that Treasury Board President Tony Clement imposed “unreasonable” conditions before he would agree to binding arbitration, as the union had proposed.
Edwards said Wednesday’s walkout signalled PAFSO’s “extreme disappointment” at the government’s decision to challenge the PSLRB finding of bad faith, which he called “a very worrying precedent that should concern all Canadians.
“We see this as an unnecessary prolongation of our strike, a very damaging strike that has had serious impacts on the Canadian economy,” Edwards said. It’s now time for the government to “change course” and return to the negotiating table, he said.
The 1,388 foreign service officers — who work for DFATD, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency — have been without a contract since June 2011.
The main issue is PAFSO’s demand for wage parity between foreign service officers and other government professionals doing essentially the same work. During Wednesday’s protest, picketing foreign service officers, many nattily dressed in suits, toted signs reading, “same work, same pay.”
PAFSO’s strike began six months ago and escalated after bargaining broke down in early June. Since then, foreign services officers at 15 of Canada’s largest visa processing centres around the world have withdrawn their services, causing long delays in issuing visas.
Edwards said PAFSO has now started to “ramp up” job action to disrupt Canada’s foreign affairs and trade efforts, as well. “We believe that’s having a very serious impact on the delivery of Canada’s international political and trade priorities,” he said, adding: “This posture will continue for the foreseeable future.”
PAFSO’s service withdrawals have targeted the government’s political priorities in foreign affairs, trade and immigration, Edwards said, because Treasury Board’s refusal to revise its offer during the June negotiations was a “political-level decision.”
While Edwards said there are no plans to resume negotiations at this point, “we are certainly open to any offer to come back to the table and engage meaningfully and in good faith.
“Let’s settle this,” he said. “It’s time for the government to realize that we are unbowed, our determination is strong. We’re going to take this to the end. The best way out of this for Canada and Canadians is to come back to the table.”
Edwards said PAFSO is willing to return to the bargaining table at any time, “as long as there is a meaningful attempt at engaging with us and seeking a solution.”
If the parties are at the table, he said, “service withdrawals would be temporarily suspended as a gesture of good will to demonstrate our commitment to seeking a compromise solution.”
PAFSO would also suspend its targeted strike if the government accepts binding arbitration without conditions, Edwards said.
“The ball is in Treasury Board’s court. We hope they will do the responsible thing.”
Matthew Conway, spokesman for Clement, said in an email Wednesday the government is reviewing the PSLRB decision and “will determine our next steps accordingly.” The government filed for judicial review by the Federal Court “to preserve all available options,” he said.
Asked if a return to bargaining or acceptance of unconditional binding arbitration are among the options the government is weighing, Conway replied: “Our commitment to finding a fair and reasonable settlement for both employees and Canadian taxpayers remains unchanged.”
