September 13, 2007 TC Bargaining Bulletin - No. 1

To: All members of CATCA CAW Local 5454 at Transport Canada

PREPARATIONS FOR NEGOTIATIONS

As you all know, your collective agreement with Treasury Board expired June 30. Prior to that, as a result of our unsuccessful experiment with the arbitration route in 2005, the Union advised the Public Service Labour Relations Board of our intent to return to the “normal” route of free collective bargaining in the current round.

We have now been in contact with the Treasury Board negotiator assigned to our bargaining and will be looking for meeting dates in the New Year. The delay is deliberate on our part, given that PSAC is in the very initial stages of bargaining, and it is unrealistic to expect that Treasury Board will give us their best economic offers for 2007-2008 and beyond in advance of the larger unions.

In preparation for those meetings, we have three immediate tasks:

1. You, the members, are requested to elect one delegate as your representative on the bargaining committee – bearing in mind that meetings traditionally take place in Ottawa.

2. Please begin to prepare bargaining proposals in the usual fashion. We will announce a deadline for receipt of demands at a later date.

3. Under the new law (2004), we will need to meet the government and determine which “essential services” must be maintained during any potential strike. Your elected delegate will assist in that process.

Regional Vice-President Rob Allan will assist you through this process. Please channel any questions or concerns you may have through him.

In solidarity,

Greg Myles Doug Best

President Executive Vice President

Abe Rosner Rob Allan

National Representative Regional Vice President, Atlantic