PSAC and the Parks Canada Agency have signed the new collective agreement eight weeks after it was ratified by members.
However, the employer has backtracked on discussions to ensure that members in precarious positions, including firefighters, receive the one-time pensionable lump sum blaming the wildfires as the cause.
Using wildfires as an excuse is nothing less than shameful. As the employer delayed signing — using fires in Canada’s North as an excuse — PSAC pushed for an agreement that would not leave our members, many of whom fought those same fires before their contracts ended, as victims of employer delays.
There was a rally held on October 6 at the Gallery building in Yellowknife for people to voice their support of the firefighters and seasonal workers, and to demand federal ministers Steve Guilbeault and Anita Anand to make this right.
“We pushed the employer to get this deal signed so that seasonal term workers would benefit,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “But now it’s clear. The Parks Canada Agency used wildfires as an excuse to delay, while it’s firefighters who they are shortchanging.”
Based on information from the employer, there are roughly 300 members who will not receive the lump sum payment due to the delay. This includes firefighters, who have been on the front-lines of wildfires that have ravaged communities, members in seasonal term positions at Canada’s historical sites, and students during a national housing crisis. We negotiated a collective agreement to support term and seasonal workers, not leave them further behind.
“We have seen firsthand the work of firefighters to protect our communities here in the North and we know that the work of Parks Canada employees is vital,” added Josée-Anne Spirito, PSAC North Regional Executive Vice President. “That work must be honoured, not shortchanged.”