Tentative agreement for 3,000 public sector workers in P.E.I.

Last round of negotiations leads to breakthrough

Charlottetown (23 May 2008) - Negotiators for the province and the P.E.I. Union of Public Sector Employees (PEIUPSE/NUPGE) have reached a tentative agreement for the largest bargaining group in the province. The last contract expired March 31.

If ratified, the new agreement will affect approximately 3,000 employees of the P.E.I. Civil Service, the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission and the P.E.I. Workers’ Compensation Board.

“The teams agreed to meet once more before heading into binding arbitration and were successful in their efforts to reach a tentative agreement through negotiations," said union president Shelley Ward.

"This is always the objective of any bargaining team and we are pleased that their hard work and dedication had a positive outcome. The PEIUPSE bargaining team is recommending ratification of the proposed settlement."

Bargaining team co-chair Bill MacMillan said information on the agreement will be mailed out in the near future and explanatory meetings will be held across the province soon after that. "Further details on these meetings will be provided when available, as will the deadline date for the ratification vote,” he added.

Ward paid tribute to the efforts made by the bargaining team members.

"This was a difficult round of negotiations and there were many complex issues to deal with. But they remained united and worked together for the benefit of the membership," she noted.

Ward also acknowledged the assistance of negotiator Tom Mann, who worked with the team through the conciliation process and helped the two sides come to the proposed agreement. NUPGE