Bargaining status - Yukon government employees

 

Mid-March 2010

Gaby Levesque BARGAINING UPDATE #1

On February 24th, your bargaining team met with the Employer to exchange bargaining demands. This first meeting officially launched this round of collective bargaining for employees of the Yukon Territorial Government.


Your bargaining team was elected at the Bargaining Conference held in Whitehorse back in September, 2009. The members who are representing you at the main bargaining table are Kathy Burns, Kathy Donnelly, Loralee Kesler, Tony Thomas, Steve Geick and Jack Bourassa. Julie Docherty was elected as the alternate. Also at the table are Laurie Butterworth, YEU President, and Gaby Levesque, the PSAC Negotiator.


After exchanging bargaining demands on February 24th, we met again on February 25th to further clarify the Union’s position and receive a first response from the Employer. John Gordon, the National President of the PSAC, came to the table to present the Union’s demand on the Social Justice Fund. Jean-François Des Lauriers, the PSAC’s Regional Executive Vice-President for the North, was also present for the discussion.


Four more days of bargaining are scheduled from March 29th to April 1st. Unlike the last round of bargaining in 2007, the Employer did not table a weighty package of concessions. This means that we can focus on making the improvements that members would like to see to their working conditions, while knowing that we are also able to preserve the agreement that expired in December, 2009.


The bargaining team expects to be at the table for long hours in March, and both sides would like to conclude an agreement in this session. Whether or not we are able to do so will depend entirely on how the Employer responds to the Union’s demands. By April 1st, however, we will certainly have a sense of how things are going, and be able to report on progress to date.


Thank you to all for your continued support of your bargaining team as they work hard to build, protect, and improve your collective agreement.

February 2010

The pre-bargaining process relating to non-monetary issues is in full swing for members working for the Yukon government – representatives for both sides met on January 20 and 22.

The first round of negotiations at the main table is scheduled for February 24 and 25. At this time the union and the employer will exchange proposals. The second round is scheduled for March 29 to April 1, 2010.

November 2009

The Bargaining Input Committee for Yukon government employees met in September, at which time the negotiating team was elected.

 

No further input will be accepted for this round of negotiations. However, no proposals submitted by members will be rejected. They will be held for negotiations following the expiry of the collective agreement now being negotiated.

 

Pre-Bargaining for non-monetary items will begin in January. We anticipate that the main negotiating tables will meet on February 24-25.

 

Once proposals are exchanged, we will post updates on this site to keep our members informed of bargaining progress.

March 2009

Yukon government employees begin 2009 bargaining process

The member-input phase of the collective bargaining process for workers employed by the Yukon government has begun. The current collective agreement with the government expires on December 31, 2009. Yukon legislation allows the formal negotiating process to start at the beginning of October this year.

Well before your union representatives meet face-to-face with the employer, a process takes place designed to ensure that individual union members have the opportunity to have a say about the position presented at the bargaining table.


Your input into the union's bargaining position will help ensure that the final package presented to the employer accurately addresses your concerns. The printable Bargaining Input Form allows members to directly inform your their Bargaining Input Committee (BIC) about your concerns and suggestions for the coming negotiations. Our members’ collective input influences the priorities set by the Bargaining Input Team team.


The union accepts any and all proposals. Following the close of the input period, the BIC (comprised of members elected or appointed for all worksites) meets to review the submissions. They then develop our package for presentation to the employer.


The nomination period for seats on Bargaining Input Committee is now open. Our goal is to have each and every Yukon government worksite represented. The link to the Bargaining Input Form above also includes three copies of a Bargaining Input Committee Nomination Form. If you wish to participate or to nominate another member from your worksite, complete and return one or more of these forms.
Notices of election for contested positions on the BIC will be posted on your workplace bulletin board. The six members of your Negotiating Team will be elected from this committee.


Successful collective bargaining requires the par-ticipation and support of the union's members. Please take the time to speak with your co-workers and review your workplace concerns. Identify, either collectively or as an individual, changes to the Collective Agreement that you would like to see introduced. Fill in the Bargaining
Input Form
, or simply write your requests on a sheet of paper. Fax or mail (see Contact page) your input to the Yukon Employees' Union, or send your input by  e-mail to adminsec@yeu.ca. If you require any further information call YEU at 667-2331, or toll free at 1-888-YEU-2331.

February 1, 2008

Hospital workers ratify agreement           

The tentative agreement reached by PSAC (negotiating on behalf of YEU Local Y025) and the Whitehorse General Hospital (Yukon Hospital Corporation) has been ratified by the members.

See News Release.

The ratification package is available as a pdf by clicking the following link: WGH Ratification.

For more information, please contact the Yukon Employees’ Union at 667-2331.

 

January 30, 2008

Hospital ratification package now online

The ratification package for members of WGH Local Y025 is available as a pdf by clicking the following link: WGH Ratification.

 

January 15, 2008

Union negotiators – hospital reach tentative deal

A tentative agreement has been reached by PSAC (negotiating on behalf of YEU Local Y025) and the Whitehorse General Hospital (Yukon Hospital Corporation).

Details of the tentative deal will be released to union members at ratification meetings scheduled for the end of January. Ratification packages are now in preparation.

The ratification meetings will be held at the Whitehorse General Hospital at the following times:

Jaunary 30 – 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

January 31 –8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact the Yukon Employees' Union at 667-2331.

November 15, 2007

First round of negotiations for Whitehorse General Hospital workers ends

The bargaining team representing Whitehorse General Hospital Local Y025 met with the employer for the first time on Monday, November 5, 2007. For information on the results of this meeting, view the pdf document: Bulletin #1.

YTG employees vote in favour of tentative agreement

Employees of the Government of Yukon have ratified the tentative agreement reached between YEU/PSAC and the Yukon government.

See Press Release.

Tentative YTG-PSAC Agreement Ratification Package

 

Collective Bargaining - Yukon government employees

March 30, 2007

Highlights of YTG agreement

The Yukon Employees' Union and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, negotiating on behalf of our members, reached a tentative agreement with the Yukon government on March 28, 2007. Details of the agreement will be
presented at information sessions to be held across the Yukon.

Highlights include:
• a 3 year term;
• a 9% wage increase over the term of the agreement, payable at a rate of 1.8% January 1 and 1.2% June 1 of each year (the same terms agreed to by Yukon teachers);
• a significant number of other financial gains that extend across the workforce, thereby benefiting all Yukon government employees;
• a substantial number of nonmonetary
operational changes that will improve the day-to-day worklife of our members.

The agreement will be submitted to the membership for ratification as soon as the information sessions are complete. Detailed packages with the full terms of the tentative agreement will be delivered by mail. All YEU members in good standing who are employed by the Yukon government will be eligible
to vote.

The dates and times of the information
sessions were being arranged as this newsletter went to press.

YEU members can get further information from the YEU website at www.yeu.ca. You may also contact the YEU office at 667- 2331 (collect outside Whitehorse).

March 29, 2007

NEWS RELEASE

YEU and Yukon Government Reach Tentative Agreement.

Read News Release.

February 2007

Joint Statement from President Butterworth and PSAC Negotiator Gaby Lévesque.

Your bargaining team met for the first time with the employer on February 12 in Whitehorse. The Union's proposals, which were presented to the employer at the start of bargaining, are a combination of issues brought forward from pre-bargaining, and proposals selected by the Bargaining Committee last November.

The employer indicated that they anticipate a productive and co-operative round of negotiations, but presented the Union with a challenging package of demands. Your team is well prepared and committed to defending the rights of all of our members, however, and determined to negotiate a fair agreement for all.

After two days of face-to-face negotiations, we next meet the employer on March 26. We are scheduled to be at the table for four days, and hope to conclude most non-monetary issues at that time.

Your bargaining team thanks you for your continued encouragement and support.

January 2007

The first set of pre-bargaining meetings for employees of the Yukon government began early this month.

Representatives of the Union and the employer met to exchange proposals and make administrative changes to the existing collective agreement. PSAC negotiator Jim Brohman led the YEU team during the discussion which were held on Monday, January 8 through Wednesday, January 10.

YEU President Laurie Butterworth expressed satisfaction with the
meetings, and is optimistic that agreement can be achieved.

The Union spent several months researching and finalizing its bargaining position. Proposals from YEU members were first solicited in June, 2006. The Union’s elected Bargaining Input Committee met in September to review all material submitted and set priorities for the bargaining table.

At the first pre-bargaining session, agreement was achieved on 28 items. Six items were withdrawn by mutual agreement (3 by the Union; 3 by the employer).

During pre-bargaining, a separate table addresses specific proposals on behalf of Yukon nurses. One item was referred to this table for consideration.

The pre-bargaining sessions are designed to deal with less controversial issues prior to the opening of full-table bargaining.

YEU will release progress reports throughout negotiations. Bulletins will be posted on the Yukon Employees’ Union website at www.yeu.ca, and on bulletin boards in work sites. Questions about the progress of negotiations can be directed to the YEU office at 667-2331.

The team members are:

Laurie Butterworth, YEU President

Gaby Levesque, PSAC Negotiator

Jim Brohman, PSAC Regional Representative

Kathy Burns

Sharleen Patterson

Loralee Kesler

Kyle Keenan

Kevin Easton

Steve Geick

Pre-bargaining team members are:

Russ Carpenter

Anthony Thomas

Sue Christianson

Chris Meyer

 

 

 

We will be working to keep you up to date on all developments.

Please contact the YEU office for additional information.  

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