Pay Zones
What's New?
October 22, 2007
Help eliminate pay zones
The 2006 PSAC Triennial Convention made the elimination of the pay zones a key collective bargaining priority for this round of bargaining. Email your MP and help end the discriminatory treatment of workers who are paid regional rates of pay based on where they work and not for the work they perform. »
May 28, 2007
No More Zones!
PSAC members who are paid based on where they live, not for the work they do, are speaking out against zone rates of pay and in support of our union's fight to eliminate the zones. Check out our video or read the text in the video.
May 14, 2007
PSAC launches national campaign to end pay zones
The PSAC is starting another round of bargaining with the federal government for over 100,000 of its members. The big issue for operational workers is the fight to gain national rates of pay.
While 93% of federal government workers are paid national rates of pay, most operational workers are paid based on where they work, not what they do. PSAC members want this to change and are starting a campaign of lobbying, demonstrations and other actions to finally eliminate regional pay zones. Read the No More Pay Zones! leaflet.
October 3, 2006
Fulfill the mandate of the PSAC Convention and eliminate regional pay zones
The members of the National Pay Zone Committee met in Ottawa on September 14 to discuss how to achieve the goal set by the PSAC Triennial Convention in May 2006, which made the elimination of the pay zones a top collective bargaining priority of the union.
This group doesn’t like the zones…
From left to right: Bill Osborne (USGE), Glenn Miller (Agriculture), Brian Molsberry (UNDE), Robyn Benson PSAC REVP-Prairies, David Orfald (PSAC staff), Elizabeth McCormick (GSU), Geoff Fortier (UCTE), Liam McCarthy (PSAC staff), Yvan Thauvette (UVAE), Steve Van Opstal (Agriculture) and Pat Davis (PSAC staff).
In order to fulfill the mandate of the Convention, the members of the National Pay Zone Committee will set up a network of PSAC members who are affected by the regional pay zones. Comprised of representatives of Locals who have members under the regional pay structure, this network will help identify the members affected by regional pay and disseminate the information about the unfairness of the regional zone system in preparation of the next round of bargaining at Treasury Board and government’s agencies.
According to Robyn Benson, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President, Prairies and chair of the committee, “our members have told us many times that this is a fairness issue. Their comments can be summarized simply: Same job, same employer equals same pay. The PSAC Convention gave us the mandate to eliminate the regional zones during the next round and we will achieve that goal if all PSAC members are united behind us.”
In addition to the setting up of a network, the National Pay Zone Committee will inform the delegates to the different bargaining conferences about the issue and the importance to tackle it definitively during the next round of bargaining.
Of the 370,606 employees of the broader federal public sector, only 14,653 workers - or 4% of the workforce - are affected by regional rates of pay. PSAC members at Treasury Board’s Tables 2 and 5, Parks Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency comprise 80% of that group.
(photo)
August 4, 2006
Pay zones: it’s time for them to go!
The upcoming round of Treasury Board and Agency bargaining will provide us with an opportunity to eliminate this antiquated and unfair pay zone system. PSAC members must make this a priority in the next round of bargaining. Details.
July 5 , 2006
PSAC National Pay Zone Committee advocates conciliation-strike route
The National Pay Zone Committee has taken the position that conciliation with the right to strike is our best chance at eliminating pay zones.
The Committee recently met and discussed the two possible dispute settlement routes in the next round of bargaining with Treasury Board. We agreed that the concilation-strike route is our best tool for putting collective pressure on the employer to eliminate pay zones. The arbitration route would mean handing over decisions on important issues such as eliminating pay zones to a third party. An arbitration board’s decision is binding, which means our members will not be able to vote on the board’s decision, whether it eliminates them or not, nor have a say on what the rate would be if an arbitration board were to decide to set a national rate. The conciliation route keeps decision making in the hands of the members.
The Committee members remain committed to the fight to eliminate regional rates of pay and continue their activities toward this goal, with plans to lobby Members of Parliament over the summer and throughout the upcoming round of bargaining.
The National Pay Zone Committee members:
Chair:
Robyn Benson, Regional Executive Vice President, Prairies
Members:
Geoff Fortier, Union of Canadian Transportation Employees
Elizabeth McCormick, Government Services Union
Glenn Miller, Agriculture Union
Brian Molsberry, Union of National Defense Employees
Bill Osborne, Union of Solicitor General Employees
Yvan Thauvette, Union of Veteran Affairs’ Employees
Steve Van Opstal, Agriculture Union
Staff:
Pat Davis
Pierre Lebel
Liam McCarthy
David Orfald
Committee Liaisons (Components with less than 300 members affected by regional rates of pay):
Daryl Hoelke, Union of Environment Workers
Denis Lalancette, Union of Taxation Employees
December 22, 2005
National campaign established to eliminate regional rates of pay
The PSAC National Zone Committee that was struck to campaign towards the elimination of regional rates of pay met on December 19th to strategize around the Federal election and future bargaining. Read the details
March 8, 2006
National Pay Zone Committee
Conference Call Monday December 19, 2005. Minutes.
Date Modified : 2010/01/29
