Tentative Agreement Reached with Canadian Museum of History

February 23, 2017, Gatineau — Just before 2:00 am on Thursday morning, after 12 months of negotiations, our Bargaining Team reached a Tentative Agreement with the Canadian Museum of History. Our Bargaining Team unanimously recommends ratification of our new agreement.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

Duration of Agreement

The agreement is a four-year collective agreement with an expiration date of March 31, 2020.

Wages

  • Market adjustments taking effect on April 1, 2016, to be applied to maximum of salary scale of $1,500.00 for E3, E4, E5 and E6, $1000.00 for E7 and E8 and $500.00 for E1, E2 (amounts pro-rated for 40-hour employees)
  • Increase in annual service pay to 2.5%.
  • Annual economic increases amounting to 5% over 4 years (1.25% per year).
  • Market adjustments and service pay increases implemented before annual increase.
  • All increases retroactive to April 1, 2016.
  • One-time, lump-sum signing bonus of $650.00 for all full-time employees on date of ratification, pro-rated for part time employees.
  • A joint committee to examine introduction of new wage grids for next round of negotiations.

Permanent Positions

  • Our agreement provides for the creation of 10 new permanent positions in Client Services, to be offered by seniority consistent with collective agreement.
  • Additionally, our agreement provides for the conversion of 6 part-time Client Services positions to permanent full-time.
  • Temporary employees will now have the opportunity to achieve permanency after working equivalent of 2 years with museum. Employer has agreed to no artificial break in service for employees seeking to achieve permanency.

Leave

  • One-time week of vacation for all employees with 2 years of service.
  • Employees access 4 weeks’ annual vacation at 5 years of service instead of 6 years of service.
  • Employer to reimburse costs for medical certificates.
  • All time spent in public service and with other crown corporations to count towards vacation accrual.

Job Security

  • Significant new protections against layoff, including employer must make every effort to avoid layoff, as well as seniority options for voluntary departures.
  • Longer recall list, enhanced rights for employees receiving notice.

Scheduling

  • Client Services staff to now have option of working a 40-hour week, as well as many new protections with respect to how hours are scheduled.
  • New protections against permanent reduction in regularly scheduled hours for full-time employees.

Staffing

  • All vacant jobs of more than 6 months in duration that are being filled must be publicized so that union members might apply.

Classification

  • The union must now be notified in the event that a job is being modified, re-evaluated or reclassified.

For more information about our new contract and ratification, contact a member of the Bargaining Team – Patrice Remillard, Cathy Mitchell, Eric Pallotta. A full explanation of the new agreement, and a copy of the new language, will be provided at the ratification meeting.