January 2024 Bargaining Update

January 2024 Bargaining Update

CANSA and Nav Canada completed their seventh round of bargaining the week of January 29-31, 2024. Bargaining has slowed as both parties continue to deal with issues surrounding compensation and concessions. The gap between the compensation and concessions is too great at this stage of bargaining, therefore we are at an impasse. CANSA has filed a Notice of Dispute with the Minister of Labour requesting the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to assist us in resolving the remaining issues. 

What is conciliation?

The conciliation process is a concise and legal requirement of the Canada Labour Code once a notice of dispute has been filed.

The Minister has 15-days to appoint a conciliator.  Once the appointment has been made the conciliator will provide dates to commence the conciliation process and we will advise the membership. It provides a 60-day period of conciliation followed by a 21-day “cooling-off” period. Only at the end of this process would the parties be in a legal strike/lockout position. This does not mean we have to strike, only that we may take the vote to have the ability to withdraw services if we choose.

Let me be clear, this filing does not mark an end to our efforts. It is a continuation of the bargaining process with outside assistance. Still, it shows our commitment to negotiating the best possible deal for our members during these challenging times.

The Bargaining Team feels that requesting conciliation will help our union move the bargaining process along.

Why choose to file for conciliation?

Moving forward in this conciliation process is one of the tools we have as a union to increase our power at the bargaining table. It also sets firm dates with the employer and helps CANSA remain strong in our demands.

CANSA does not bargain in public, but we will update you as often as possible.

We would like to thank the membership for their continuing show of support.

Please reach out to your Regional Vice President for additional information or with questions. I am in the process of setting up calls to the membership over the next two weeks for question and answer sessions. Your continued support will be important in achieving the next collective agreement.

In Solidarity,

James Walker

President CANSA/Unifor 1016