City of Ottawa Bargaining Overview

December 19, 2025

Last month your negotiating committee made their first presentation to your employer. They put forward more than 40 proposals that reflect your priorities. To get to these proposals we engaged in extensive consultation, including record breaking participation in our bargaining survey and several large and smaller meetings with CIPP members. The CIPP Labour Relations team has also been busy conducting extensive research so that we have the strongest evidence-based proposals to reflect your priorities.

We are now at the bargaining table to negotiate these proposals. Negotiations will continue in January and February. From there we will either secure a tentative agreement with the City of Ottawa which would be voted on by members. Or, as in the last couple of rounds, if no agreement is reached, and we are at an impasse, we are required to go to mandatory binding arbitration.  

As you know, this round we are taking a new approach to bargaining and that is reflected in our incredibly successful CIPP Bargaining Expectations Petition. More than 70% of CIPP members signed onto this petition which sets out your expectation that the employer will meaningfully engage in collective bargaining to achieve a fair result.  

Your negotiating committee is motivated to bargain on the proposals at the table, and we expect the City to be equally motivated to work toward achieving a mutually agreeable collective agreement. Below is an overview of the improvements your CIPP Negotiating Committee is seeking for your collective agreement.

Fair Pay

  • Proposing a 13.5% pay increase over a two-year term. 
    • 7.5% in 2026 and 6% in 2027.
    • Additional 5% cost of living adjustment to repair the damage done over the last few years.
    • This agreement must repair the past erosion of your pay, protect you against future inflation, and recognize your hard work and commitment.

Benefits

  • Higher caps and more flexibility on extended health benefits
    • From $1250 to $2500 and from $1500 to $3000
  • Increase coverage for dental, orthodontics and vision
  • New Health Care Spending Account (HCSA)
    • Starting at $750
  • Retiree benefits move toward best practices
  • No medical notes for massage
  • Support for gender affirming care and fertilization/surrogacy and adoption

Performance Pay

  • Performance pay was capped at $600,000 in 2009!
    • Proposal to convert into a retention pay system where you receive a percentage based on your years of service
    • System designed not to lose ground to the increasing cost of living

Fees and Reimbursements

  • Fix kilometric reimbursement for vehicle use
    • Match Treasury Board rates (move up to .62 from .54)
  • Boost the public transit subsidy
    • From 25% to 50% and make access easier
  • Employer support for parking expenses
  • Cover more cost of required uniforms and licenses

Work life balance

  • Accessing more annual leave sooner by reducing the years of continuous employment required at each level
  • Expand special leave and reduce barriers to use
    • 30 to 45 hours and more reasons
  • Improve access to bereavement leave
    • Cover travel and broaden applicable relationships
  • Pregnancy and parental leave
    • Reflect best practices
  • Less medical certificates required for IPP

Defending hybrid work

  • Strengthen existing language in collective agreement
    • Proposing language to clarify the hybrid rights that are already in our agreement

Job security

  • Proposals include language to restrict contracting out
  • Limit use of generative AI where it would lead to eliminating CIPP positions or where that work could be performed by a CIPP member

The result of this round of bargaining needs to be fair and reflect the hard work and commitment of CIPP members. We have put all the necessary pieces on the table but how the pieces are arranged is what will happen at the bargaining table. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email us at connect@cipp.on.ca