Most Government of Nunavut employees can expect a bump in their pay this fall when a newly announced nine per cent salary increase takes effect.
David Akeeagok, Nunavut’s Minister of Human Resources, announced the increase Friday in the legislative assembly.
GN employees represented by the Nunavut Employees Union, senior management, and excluded employees will see a nine per cent increase that comes into effect Sept. 30.
Teachers and Qulliq Energy Corp. employees are not included, as they work under separate collective agreements from the rest of the public service.
Positions that are more senior or specialized will get an 11 per cent pay bump, according to a joint news release put out by the GN and the union Friday.
The extra two per cent allows for “role progression and incentives for employees to take on added responsibilities,” the release said.
A recent job ad for a community health nurse includes a salary range that starts at $109,029. A nurse hired today at that rate would see their pay go up to 118,841.60 when the raise comes into effect. That brings in an extra $377.41 to a biweekly pay cheque, before deductions.
The total annual cost to the GN of the wage increases will be $33 million, according to Irma Arkus, communications manager for the Department of Human Resources
The pay bump follows an independent review that compared GN salaries to those of similar positions across Canada, Akeeagok said.
A May 2023 request for proposals for the salary review indicates the GN had not conducted such a review since 2000.
At the time, the GN’s employee vacancy rate was 37 per cent.
Akeeagok said in the legislative assembly that the mass raise is intended to ensure the GN remains an “employer of choice.”
“I cannot emphasize strongly enough that our employees are this government’s most valuable resource,” Akeeagok said.
“Ensuring that they are well compensated is crucial to retaining current staff and attracting new employees to Nunavut’s public service.”
His statement was met with applause from MLAs on both sides of the chamber.
After legislative proceedings wrapped up Friday, Akeeagok said in an interview he’s happy with the salary increase and hopeful that upcoming contract negotiations will be positive.
The GN and the NEU will be negotiating a new collective agreement when the current one expires Oct. 1.
“The end goal is that we need good staff in our public servants, and in order to do that one of the big factors is to have good pay and good benefits,” Akeeagok said.
The Nunavut Employees Union is “delighted” that the GN is addressing wage gaps, said union president Jason Rochon in Friday’s joint news release.
“We look forward to working with the GN in future negotiations to avoid falling behind again,” he said.
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
