moved:
Motion No. 4
That Bill C-24, in Clause 12, be amended by replacing lines 33 to 39 on page 5 with the following:
“12. The collective agreement shall also be deemed to be amended by increasing the rates of pay in effect as of February 1, 1997 and set out in Appendix A to the collective agreement by 1.5% effective August 1, 1997, by another 1.75% effective August 1, 1998 and by another 2% effective August 1, 1999”.
Mr. Chairman, our amendment simply aims at ensuring that what is in the legislation is the best offer from management that was on the table when negotiations ended. For example, this means that the 1.5% increase would be effective February 1, 1997 instead of February 1, 1998, the 1.75% increase would be effective August 1, 1998 instead of February 1, 1999 and that the 2% increase would be effective August 1, 1999 instead of February 1, 2000.
In other words, we want to ensure that the rate increases provided for in the special legislation are those that management was willing to offer to the union. In the present government proposal, the rate increases are lower, which seems unacceptable to us and which does not demonstrate a will to create a good labour relations climate. We must understand these people. All the offers we are talking about are lower than or equal to the inflation rate, and I think, in this regard, there was some ground to be made up.
We think that, if management saw fit to put these offers on the table, they should be considered at this point. In addition, the next amendment, brought forward by the NDP, will serve as a complement to our amendment, if it is accepted, so as to ensure the rate increases provided for in this legislation are the best that could be negotiated with the consent of both parties.