Public servants get Christmas present
Employees union and GN sign off on collective agreement
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, November 28, 2016
IQALUIT
Public servants in Nunavut will have something to celebrate this Christmas as they receive retroactive pay dating back to 2014.
The Nunavut Employees Union and the Government of Nunavut have finally signed off on a collective agreement to replace the one that expired Sept. 30, 2014.
Nunavut Employees Union president Bill Fennell and Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Public Servant Act Keith Peterson both said it's a good agreement, signing the document Nov. 23.
"Took us a while to get there," said Fennell, adding it's a good deal all the way around.
"Not a great deal," he joked, "but next time."
The signing came after a heavy schedule of community meetings across Nunavut since September.
Peterson said he'd attended many finance meetings across Canada.
"When finance ministers get together we share information and this deal of two, one, one, and two is a very good deal compared to some of the deals some of my provincial colleagues have signed with their unions," said Peterson.
The finance minister was referring to the wage increases of two per cent, one per cent, one per cent and two per cent, as of Oct. 1 in each year of the contract, beginning in October 2014.
Other highlights of the agreement include:
- holiday closure days to replace winter bonus days;
- a memorandum of understanding to provide consistency and clarity for all employees working 12-hour shifts;
- standardized hours across all correctional facilities; and,
- new language on how employees who are consulted by telephone or e-mail after regular hours are to be compensated.
Peterson said the Christmas days were popular with the people of his hometown of Cambridge Bay.
"People were running down the hallway to my office, 'Thank you, Keith. Thank you, Keith,'" he said. "Normally at Christmas-time, you have to come in to work and not much gets done, so why not stay home and enjoy Christmas with your families. That's something workers deserve."
Peterson said retroactive pay will be delivered in installments, with the first coming on time for Christmas.
"We have accounted for it in our annual budgets. I don't have the precise numbers that it will cost us for retro pay, but I understand our officials are working on the calculations," said Peterson.
The Nunavut Employees Union negotiates more than 40 collective agreements, including agreements for hamlet employees and City of Iqaluit employees.
"We look forward to, in a few months, starting with QEC again," said Fennell.
The collective agreement between the Qulliq Energy Corporation and the GN expires in December.
