Negotiation of Local Issues Agreements Under MOA #1

Memorandum of Agreement #1 Re: Local Issues states that if either the union or employer wishes to renegotiate local issues, the union or employer must serve notice to amend the local issues and include with the notice the specific proposals for changes sought to existing MOA’s by September 15, 2024. Should the notice and proposals not be tabled by September 15, the unaddressed provisions of the local issues MOA will automatically be renewed and will continue to apply during the term of the next collective agreement.

Timelines and Procedures for Negotiating Local Issues

1. Notice plus proposals must be provided to the union by September 15, 2024. You may use this Local Issues Notification Template Letter and send it with your proposals to your Union Area Representative (not the shop steward) with a copy to your HRLR Advocate/Consultant.
2. Negotiations will take place until December 15, 2024. Negotiations occur with your Union Area Representative and may occur with or without the assistance of CSSEA based on employer preference. If you wish CSSEA to represent you, please contact your HRLR Advocate/Consultant early in the process so that we may schedule negotiations in a timely manner with all employers participating.
3. Local issues must be approved and signed by CSSEA and the Union before they are finalized. As a result, it is recommended you keep your HRLR Advocate/Consultant informed on all developments, including the drafting of proposals and counterproposals prior to you tabling them.
4. Local issues that are not concluded between the parties by December 15, 2024 are subject to an interest arbitration process to finalize outstanding provisions.
5. All negotiations, including interest arbitrations, must be concluded by January 31, 2025. The aim is to have all local issues negotiations concluded by January 31, leaving CSSEA and the CSSBA with two months prior to the expiration of the collective agreements to address in provincial bargaining any issues of common concern amongst employers and unions that may have emerged in the local issues negotiations process.

Automatic Renewal

If the notice plus proposals are not served by either party by September 15, 2024, your agency’s previous local issues will be renewed automatically and remain in effect until the expiration of the 2025 collective agreements (still to be negotiated). For clarity, proposals must accompany the notice otherwise your agency’s previous local issues agreement will be renewed automatically. Also, any items not addressed in the notice plus proposal letter will be renewed automatically. Employers and their union(s) may also agree to renew (or “roll over") their current local issues agreement(s). These will still need to be dated and signed by all parties, including CSSEA.
Next Steps

If you are generally satisfied with the terms of your current local issues agreement, there is no requirement for you to serve notice to renegotiate. If you are not sure whether it would be beneficial to renegotiate its terms, please discuss this with your HRLR Advocate/Consultant. If you do not serve notice, the union may still wish to re-open the local issues agreement and negotiate changes. If the union provides you with written notice plus proposals, please ensure that you forward a copy of the notice plus proposals to your HRLR Advocate/Consultant.

CSSEA strongly recommends working with your HRLR Advocate/Consultant to finalize your proposals for tabling well in advance of September 15.

Please contact your HRLR Advocate/Consultant if you have any questions.