March 22 2024 Bargaining Update

March 2024 Bargaining Update

On March 20 to 22, 2024, the CANSA bargaining committee met with Nav Canada with the assistance of the FMCS Conciliator for a second time. This round of bargaining has stalled as Nav Canada continues to devalue the work of our members. Nav Canada continues to claim they value CANSA members and their contributions, but fails to follow through on that with an acceptable offer.

Nav Canada told your bargaining team in no uncertain terms that CANSA will not get the pattern set by the other two Unifor unions. They also stated that if they were to give us the current Unifor pattern that it would be the third settlement with significant gains with four other bargaining agents still negotiating.

The bargaining committee is dedicated to the collective bargaining process, however, Nav Canada has significant concessions on the table in order to meet their five-year training plans. CANSA is trying to work with Nav Canada to find solutions, but we find Nav Canada’s approach is disappointing and disrespectful, considering those concessions are significant and provide ample value to the Company, which supports the wage package we are seeking.

Next Step

We are at an impasse.

Nav Canada has requested more dates for conciliation. As conciliation ends on April 12, 2024, we have secured dates for the next round of meetings on April 10 and 11, 2024 to continue with the process. Since negotiations with Nav Canada have stalled, the committee has made the decision to seek a strike mandate from our members to demonstrate to the Company that we are to be taken seriously. A strong strike mandate from the membership will support the bargaining committee in achieving the right wage package for our members.

We will be conducting strike vote meetings across the country from March 25 to 28, 2024. We will explain the process and answer any questions you might have. Further information on the offers to date and the concessions will be explained during these meetings. Your support of the bargaining committee is crucial for a successful negotiated resolution.  CANSA, as always, is open to negotiate, but we are also committed to using all the tools we have, including job action, should the conciliation process fail to produce the right deal for our members.

Strike Vote

We will be running a strike vote to get your support moving forward in letting Nav Canada know that the CANSA membership deserves better. Once we have a strike mandate for the membership, we will be in legal strike position starting on May 4, 2024 at 12:01AM.

The vote will take place Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 9AM EST to Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 9AM EST via the Simply Voting website.

Please reach out to your Regional Vice President for additional information or questions.

Your continued support will be important in achieving the next collective agreement.

In Solidarity,

James Walker

President CANSA/Unifor 1016