OPSEU and Canadian Blood Services wrap up Pay Equity negotiations - approximate retroactive payout of $8 million

January 29, 2010

Canadian Blood Services and OPSEU have completed and signed Pay Equity Plans for OPSEU-represented employees.

Pay Equity negotiations began in 2003 for each of the four bargaining units OPSEU represents; Provincial Support Unit (Locals 160, 210, 477 and 5103), Lab Services Unit (Locals 210 and 5101), Plasma Unit (Local 716)  and the NCC (Local 619) in Sudbury. A gender-neutral job evaluation process was used to evaluate nearly 100 different jobs. It was a long and tedious process taking several years to complete.

Each Pay Equity Plan covers a different period of time; collectively they cover from 1998 to 2009 with a provision for lump-sum payment.  Retroactive payouts will be paid out in two allocations, March 31, 2010 and the second by December 31, 2010. Both male and female incumbents, past and present, are entitled to retroactive payouts if they worked in any previously underpaid female jobs as described in the Pay Equity Plans.

Representatives from each of the four bargaining units worked as a joint committee with employer representatives to complete the pay equity process. They are: Brenda Thompson (L210), Sara LeClair (L.619), Allison McTaggart (L.619), Shirley Johnny (L.210), Katherine Zan-Payne (L.160), Gwen Rosenfield (L.5101), Nancy Moffat (L.210), Sean Allen (L.477), Janet Seymour (L.5103), Corine Magnusson (L.5103), Susan Fuchihara (L.716), Jenni Hartviksen (L.716), and Pay Equity Negotiator Ann Wallace.

A copy of the Pay Equity Plans, noting wage gap amounts and pay rate increases, can be found on the following web link. http://www.opseu.org/bps/health/cbs/pay-equity-february-2-2010.htm  after February 1, 2010.