Public Sector Bargaining Update 3

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Dear NAPE Public Sector Member,

I hope you are getting some time to relax, unwind, and spend time with family and friends this summer.

Your union has been extremely busy over the past few months working to move the public sector bargaining process forward.

This is our third update in an ongoing series on that front.

SUMMER MARATHON MEETINGS

As per our last update, we said that we would meet throughout the summer with the employer if the employer was willing to meet with us. The good news is that the employer has made themselves available throughout the past month.

The bargaining oversight committee has met with the employer on the following dates:

Week of June 20
Week of July 4
Week of July 18
Week of July 25

Your Bargaining Oversight Committee has now met with the employer for nine days straight – during weekends and late into the evenings. For those who have been involved in bargaining before, you will understand that this is an exceptional amount of work in a very short period of time.

TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED

I am very pleased to tell you today that we have reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government following these marathon meetings.

I want to thank the members of the Bargaining Oversight Committee – Trevor King, Chris Henley, Elaine Price, and Vina Gould for their tireless efforts over the past number of weeks to get us to this point.

This is good news.

The deal covers the following bargaining units:

Air Services

CNA Faculty

CNA Support Staff

Correctional Officers

General Service

Group Homes

Health Professionals

Hospital Support Staff

Laboratory X-ray

Marine Services

MOS

NLC

School Boards

Student Assistants

Ushers

WorkplaceNL

We are currently at the table for MUNL and Marine Institute.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We are in the process of bringing your 16 Bargaining Teams in to go through the packages in person.

Ultimately, it is you – the members of NAPE – who will have the final say via a democratically held secret ballot voting process.

Details of the agreements will be released to members following the Bargaining Team meetings during the ratification vote process.

I can say, with some sense of relief, that this is a massive departure from where we were – and where we were headed – up until only a few short weeks ago. Your Oversight Committee and Teams have done a tremendous job.

Credit where credit is due, the provincial government has been a willing and committed partner in this round of bargaining. Their determination to have frank, open, tough, and consistent dialogue was a big part of reaching this tentative agreement. Their recognition of the vital role that public sector workers have played over the past two years was a key contributor to this fruitful round of bargaining.

We will update members again after our Teams have had a chance to go over the packages, which we anticipate will happen in the next few weeks.

Thank you all for your solidarity and trust. Your Bargaining Oversight Committee and Teams have been able to bargain from a position of strength, knowing they had your support.

There is strength in the union!

In Solidarity,

Jerry
President