RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Yukon Employees’ Union 201-2285 2nd Avenue Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 1C9
Yukon Employees’ Union Jan/Feb 2023
NEWS
YG Contract Negotiations Have Stalled. Now What?
N
egotiations began in late 2021, and the parties (union and management) have worked with a federally appointed conciliator since June, 2022. On January 12th 2023, the conciliator concluded that mediation was not successful in bringing the parties to an agreement. Therefore, we’re now at impasse and will be moving forward with a conciliation board.
At Impasse
The government is not listening to us or taking our issues seriously. Key demands remain outstanding including those related to fair pay, adequate recruitment and retention measures, and the health and safety of both government workers and the public. And the government still wants to take away members’ severance.
They can enlist the assistance of an independent mediator/ con-ciliator, who attempts to work with both sides and bring them closer to agreement. This step is required before proceeding to a conciliation board.
We may be forced into a position where we need to show the employer just how strong and united we are, and that includes preparing for potential strike action.
If the union and the employer can’t reach a tentative agreement, they can declare an impasse. This means they’ve gone as far as they can with no resolution in sight. At this stage, the union has options:
• Requesting a Conciliator (mediator)
• Binding Arbitration
The union and management sides can proceed with binding arbitration, where a third party imposes a decision on the unset-tled issues.
• Request a Conciliation Board
We thought we’d provide a step-by-step explanation of the YG The union can request a conciliation board consisting of a Bargaining Process showing where we are now and what’s next. three-person panel – one person chosen by the union, one chosen by the employer, and a mutually chosen chairperson. Continued on Page 8