ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ (GN) ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ (NEU) ᐊᑎᓕᐅᕆᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᑖᖑᔪᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ−6−ᓄᑦ ᐊᑕᖏᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᖓᓐᓂᑦ ᐋᒍᔅᑎ 8−ᒥ.
ᓄᑖᖑᔪᑦ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑎᑦ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᕿᑲᓚᐅᑲᖕᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒥ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂ ᐊᕿᓕᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᑕᐅᙱᑦᑐᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᕿᑲᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖓᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᕆᓂᐅᔪᒥ. ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒫᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓᓄᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐃᓇᖏᖅᓯᔪᒥ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥ, ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓂᕿᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᕿᑲᓚᐅᑲᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᑭᓕᐅᑕᐅᔪᒥ $3,500−ᓂ ᐅᕘᓇ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑖᕈᑕᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᓄᑦ ᐃᓱᓕᕝᕕᖃᙱᑦᑐᓄᑦ, ᑭᒡᓕᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓚᐅᑲᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᔭᐅᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᓂ 30−ᓂ ᐊᖏᕈᑕᐅᓂᑯᓂ, ᐅᖓᕙᕆᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᔪᒧᑦ ᕿᒃᑲᓚᐅᑲᖕᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑮᓇᐅᔾᔭᒃᓴᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᖏᒡᓕᒋᐊᖅᑐᒥ 9 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᖏᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑭᖑᓂᖓᒍᑦ ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆ, 1, 2018−ᒥ ᓯᑎᐱᕆ 30, 2024−ᒧᑦ, ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᓪᓗ ᓄᑖᖑᔪᓂ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ.
“ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦᑎᐊᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ 23−ᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᖃᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑎᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᒪᓕᒃᑐᒥ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᒍᓂ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖓ ᔭᐃᓴᓐ ᕉᓵᓐ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᕆᓂᐅᔪᒥ.
“ᑎᑭᐅᑎᓇᔭᓚᐅᙱᓚᒍᑦ ᑕᒪᐅᙵ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᙱᓐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ PSAC (ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ) ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᒃᑎᐅᔪᓂ ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᓂ. ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᒪᐅᙵᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᕗᑦ.”
ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᖓ ᒫᒡᒍᓕ ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᓇ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᓯᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓱᖏᐅᔾᔨᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ-19 ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ.
“ᐅᓇ ᐊᖏᕈᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕗᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐊᖏᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖁᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᐊᖏᕈᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᖁᑦᑎᓛᖓᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖓᓂ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᓂᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᖁᔭᐅᔪᓂ ᐅᕘᓇ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᓗᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂ.”
ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᕗᖅ 4,000 ᐅᖓᑖᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᓕᒫᖅᓯᐅᑎᓂ ᓇᓕᒧᑦᑐᓂ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐸᖅᑭᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᖑᔪᓂ, ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᓂ, ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᓂᑦ, ᓄᑖᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐅᔪᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᓂ, ᐊᓄᓪᓚᒃᓰᕕᖕᓂ ᓴᓇᔨᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᔨᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ.
ᕉᓵᓐ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ ᓴᙱᓂᖅᓴᒻᒪᕆᐅᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂᒃᑲᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ “ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᓂ, ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ ᐱᖓᓱᓂᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖄᖏᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥ.”
ᑭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᒫᓐᓇᓕᓴᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᖏᒡᓕᒋᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐊᑭᑦᑐᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᓐᓂ, ᐃᓚᒋᐊᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᓕᒃᑐᒥ ᐃᓯᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᕕᖓᓄᑦ ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ, “ᐊᒥᓱᐊᓗᖕᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᕌᓂᒃᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂ.”
“ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑕᑯᓂᖃᓚᐅᙱᓚᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖁᑎᓕᖕᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᔫᓂᐊᖓᓂ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐊᑭᑦᑐᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂ ᖁᕝᕙᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓂ. ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᑕᑯᓚᐅᙱᑦᑐᑦ.”
The Government of Nunavut (GN) and Nunavut Employees Union (NEU) signed a new six-year collective agreement on August 8.
New benefits include family abuse leave, which allows for five paid and five unpaid days of leave in the case of domestic violence. Two paid days per year for Inuit Cultural Pursuits, which replaces the Hunting, Fishing and Harvesting Leave, a lump sum payment of $3,500 under the Nunavut Northern Allowance for all indeterminate, term and casual employees on strength within 30 days of ratification, extended parental leave and a salary increase of nine per cent over the term of the agreement, which is retroactive to October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2024, among other new benefits for GN employees.
“Also most importantly, the GN for the first time in 23 years has agreed to letting us help them fix and make sure that we’ll get back to the table in the next round of negotiations that the formula is fixed,” said NEU president Jason Rochon at the signing.
“We wouldn’t have reached this point without the hard work, dedication and selflessness of the members of the NEU and PSAC (Public Service Alliance of Canada) Bargaining Team. Citizens of Nunavut who have helped get us to this point.”
Nunavut Human Resources Minister Margaret Nakashuk said this helps recognize all the hard work done by those who are employed under the Government of Nunavut, as well as a public service who has had to adapt to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This agreement shows the Government of Nunavut is committed to its employees. The agreement will help ensure the public service is optimally structured, staffed and supported to deliver on our priorities under the Katujjiluta Mandate.”
The NEU represents over 4,000 full-time equivalent positions which include healthcare professionals, social workers, wildlife officers, technicians, corrections officers and support staff.
Rochon said the NEU is stronger than they’ve been before saying “we’re stronger now than we were a year, two years or three years ago and we’re ready to negotiate.”
Addressing recent increases in inflation, he added following his entry into office last October, “a lot of things were already settled on.”
“Nobody saw on the employer or the union side inflation rising in the way it did. Nobody saw that.”
