As mentioned in our previous message, we met with the Employer and the mediator on February 7 and 8, and for an additional half day on the 9th.
A new participant had been invited to this meeting, which was intended to be a last chance before arbitration: the new CEO of the Translation Bureau, Mr. Dominic Laporte.
The discussions took on a more positive tone. Mr. Laporte had the opportunity to hear directly from TR representatives about the situation that interpreters are experiencing. Let's face it, in almost a year, we had not yet seen an openness to naming the problems or clearly stating solutions to the injuries caused by remote simultaneous interpretation. We have submitted a proposal with justifications to the Employer, for which we are awaiting a response.
With respect to wages, Treasury Board seems to be wondering what it would take for us to reach an agreement at the table. Our response never seems to meet their expectations. We are simply trying to prevent the impoverishment of our members. We have put forward a proposal that would allow both parties to achieve the essence of their objectives and we are waiting for a response from the Employer. However, it appears that Treasury Board's expectations are somewhat unrealistic. Is it reasonable to think that you would accept a decrease in your purchasing power from the current inflation?
Our work will continue mediation on March 14, 15, and 16. Let's hope that the light we see at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion... or a train.
