SUBMISSION of the PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA IN THE MATTER OF THE FEDERAL PUBLIC SECTOR LABOUR RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT BOARD and a dispute affecting the PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA and HER MAJESTY IN RIGHT OF CANADA AS REPRESENTED BY THE TREASURY BOARD, in relation to the employees of the Employer in the Border Services Group To the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board Public Interest Commission: Chairperson Lorne Slotnick Representative of the interests of the Employees Joe Herbert Representative of the interests of the Employer Jacques Emond May 2021 Appearances Morgan Gay, Negotiator Darren Pacione, Research Officer PSAC Bargaining Team Members: Michael Aessie Mathew Ashworth Frances Baroutoglou Claude Bouchard Joey Dunphy Leanne Hughes Charles Khoury Jonathan Ross Ken Turner ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 The Bargaining Unit ................................................................................................ 2 Negotiations History ................................................................................................ 7 OUTSTANDING ISSUES ......................................................................... 14 NEW - PAID MEAL PERIOD ......................................................................................... 15 NEW - EARLY RETIREMENT FOR FB WORKERS ..................................................... 18 ARTICLE 2 - INTERPRETATION AND DEFINITIONS .................................................. 28 ARTICLE 14 - LEAVE WITH OR WITHOUT PAY FOR ALLIANCE BUSINESS ........... 31 ARTICLE 17 - DISCIPLINE ........................................................................................... 32 APPENDIX XX - MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA AND TREASURY BOARD FOR THE BORDER SERVICES GROUP .............................................................. 34 APPENDIX H - MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE SUSPENSIONS PENDING INVESTIGATIONS ..... 34 ARTICLE 18 - GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE .................................................................. 43 ARTICLE 20 - SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ABUSE OF AUTHORITY ...................... 45 ARTICLE 22 - HEALTH AND SAFETY ......................................................................... 50 ARTICLE 24 - TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE ................................................................ 55 ARTICLE 25 - HOURS OF WORK ................................................................................ 63 APPENDIX B - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TREASURY BOARD OF CANADA AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA WITH RESPECT TO THE VARIABLE SHIFT SCHEDULING ARRANGEMENTS ................................................................................ 71 ARTICLE 27 - SHIFT AND WEEKEND PREMIUIMS .................................................... 81 ARTICLE 28 - OVERTIME ............................................................................................ 84 ARTICLE 29 - STANDBY .............................................................................................. 87 ARTICLE 30 - DESIGNATED PAID HOLIDAYS ........................................................... 89 ARTICLE 32 - TRAVELLING TIME ............................................................................... 92 ARTICLE 34 - VACATION LEAVE WITH PAY .............................................................. 94 ARTICLE 36 & ARTICLE 39 MEDICAL APPOINTMENT FOR PREGNANT EMPLOYEES & MATERNITY-RELATED REASSIGNMENT OR LEAVE .................................................................................................. 99 ARTICLE 37 - INJURY-ON-DUTY LEAVE .................................................................. 105 ARTICLE 43 - LEAVE WITH PAY FOR FAMILY-RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES ..... 109 ARTICLE 52 & ARTICLE 33 - LEAVE WITH OR WITHOUT PAY FOR OTHER REASONS & LEAVE - GENERAL ...................................................... 111 ARTICLE 58 - WASH UP TIME ................................................................................... 115 ARTICLE 62 - PAY ADMINISTRATION ...................................................................... 118 NEW ARTICLE - PROTECTIONS AGAINST CONTRACTING OUT .......................... 119 iii APPENDIX A - RATES OF PAY AND PAY NOTES.................................................... 125 A. Employer ‘Rationale’: (In)ability to Pay ....................................................... 130 B. Economic Indicators and the Canadian Government’s Fiscal Circumstances in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic ............................ 133 1. Fairness with respect to persons in similar positions in other Canadian Law enforcement organizations ..................................... 145 2. Fairness and relativity within the federal public administration ... 151 3. Fairness in the Context of Economic and Labour Market Circumstances ..................................................................................... 156 APPENDIX C - WORKFORCE ADJUSTMENT ........................................................... 162 APPENDIX G - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TREASURY BOARD OF CANADA AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA WITH RESPECT TO THE FIREARM TRAINING PARTICIPANT SELECTION ............................................................... 168 NEW APPENDIX - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TREASURY BOARD OF CANADA AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA WITH RESPECT TO NAME TAGS ............. 173 ARTICLE 59 - ALLOWANCES – DOG HANDLERS.................................................... 176 ARTICLE 59 - NEW ALLOWANCES – PLAIN CLOTHES ........................................... 179 ARTICLE 59 - NEW ALLOWANCES – DRY CLEANING ............................................ 183 ARTICLE 59 - NEW ALLOWANCES – ESCORTED REMOVALS PREMIUM ............ 185 ARTICLE 59 - NEW ALLOWANCES – FIRING RANGE FEES REIMBURSEMENT & FIREARM PRACTICE TIME ............................................................... 189 ARTICLE 59 - ALLOWANCES – FITNESS/WELLNESS ............................................. 194 NEW - ALTERNATIVE WORK ARRANGEMENTS ..................................................... 198 APPENDIX XX - MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS ............................................................ 204 APPENDIX XX - WHISTLEBLOWING ........................................................................ 207 NEW ARTICLE - STUDENT EMPLOYMENT .............................................................. 211 DAY IS A DAY …………………………………………………………………………….215 EMPLOYER PROPOSALS .................................................................... 219 ARTICLE 10 - INFORMATION .................................................................................... 220 ARTICLE 11 - CHECK-OFF ........................................................................................ 221 ARTICLE 14 - LEAVE WITH OR WITHOUT PAY FOR ALLIANCE BUSINESS ......... 222 ARTICLE 17 - DISCIPLINE ......................................................................................... 223 ARTICLE 25 - HOURS OF WORK .............................................................................. 224 ARTICLE 30 - DESIGNATED PAID HOLIDAYS ......................................................... 227 ARTICLE 41 - LEAVE WITHOUT PAY FOR CARE OF THE FAMILY ........................ 228 ARTICLE 54 - STATEMENT OF DUTIES ................................................................... 230 APPENDIX B - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TREASURY BOARD AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA WITH RESPECT TO THE VARIABLE SHIFT SCHEDULING ARRANGEMENTS ............................................................................. 231 SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 234 iv | Page INTRODUCTION 1 | Page The Bargaining Unit The Border Services (FB) bargaining unit comprises 8,523 employees. The bargaining certificate was issued by the Public Service Staff Relations Board on February 21st, 2007. When the FB bargaining unit was created in February 20071, the primary criterion applied by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board in determining inclusion in the bargaining unit was administration and enforcement of the law in the context of both the Customs Act and Excise Act. All employees covered by the FB bargaining certificate work for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The vast majority are peace officers as defined in the Criminal Code of Canada.2 To Quote the Canada Gazette, the FB bargaining unit: includes positions that have, as their primary purpose, responsibility for one or more of the following activities: 1. determining the admissibility of people or goods entering Canada; 2. post-entry verification of people or goods that have entered Canada; 3. arresting, detaining or removing those people who may be in violation of Canada's laws; 4. investigating the illegal entry of people or goods; 5. conducting intelligence activities related to the monitoring, inspection or control of people or goods entering Canada; 6. developing Canada Border Services Agency operational directives to be followed in carrying out the above activities; and 7. the leadership of any of the above activities.3 1 Treasury Board (Canada Border Services Agency) v. Public Service Alliance of Canada, 2007, PSLRB 22 (Exhibit 1) 2 Criminal Code R.S.C., 1985 c. C-46 s.2. Online: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/page-1.html#h-115011