The Parks Canada Agency has announced the payment schedule for the implementation of monetary provisions in the recently signed collective agreement.
Signature
Economic increase and adjustments paycheque date
Retro paycheque
$500 lump sum paycheque
Parks Canada Workers
January 14, 2021
April 14, 2021
May 12, 2021
May 26, 2021
This schedule is tentative, and Parks Canada may still make changes. Note that Phoenix damages payments were made on March 3.
Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about the implementation of collective agreements and the Phoenix settlement.
Help us prepare for the next round of bargaining
PSAC is getting ready to negotiate your next collective agreement with Parks Canada. This next round of talks will be all about the future of work in the federal public service and you can help decide what your union bargaining team brings to the table by completing our member survey.
Please take 15 minutes to fill out the Parks Canada survey to make sure we address your workplace concerns at the table. Your input is essential. We need to hear directly from you about what has changed over the last year. And we need to know more about you so that we can make the case for a contract that equitably addresses our members’ diverse needs. The survey will be open until April 9, 2021.
PSAC has finally had the ability to assign this matter to a job content and classification analyst and had its most recent meeting regarding the Passport Officer job description on March 9, 2021.
PSAC had invited Passport Program employees, selected within UNE, to participate:
Rose Touhey, in-person Passport Officer (NCR)
Kate Hart, in-person Passport Officer (AB)
Nathalie Lynda, mail-in Passport Officer (QC)
Jonathan McMullen, in-person Passport Officer (QC)
Fred Kelih, in-person Passport Officer (BC)
Vanny Del Bianco, in-person Passport Officer (BC)
PSAC is planning on having additional meetings with Passport members selected by UNE between now and end of April 2021.
PSAC also had the chance to discuss with the Employer representative in Classification on Feb 12, 2021 , who confirmed that they are currently working on a workplace review.
If their review is in PSAC’s favour, the Passport Officer position’s classification may be adjusted through that process by the Employer.
If their review is not in PSAC’s favour, PSAC will establish its position regarding the representation of this matter.
PSAC is not putting the process on any hold while the Employer is working on their review as the classification section will be working with the members – as suggested and assigned by UNE – to prepare for a potential representation and gather as much information as possible to determine defensible arguments to support an upward classification.
The project is expected to conclude around the end of April 2021, and by then, PSAC will be able to analyse its ability to represent this matter.
We await a fulsome analysis from PSAC, and hope for positive news and will communicate further on this classification project.
March 21st has been earmarked as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and this year’s theme is “Youth standing up against racism”.
On this day, in 1960, police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire killing 69, and wounding 180 people during a peaceful demonstration against apartheid laws. This incident, in 1966, prompted the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim March 21st as the Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
More then 50 years ago, The Sharpeville massacre set the world’s spotlight on the very visible and atrocious, treatment of South African blacks not unlike the recent killing of George Floyd nearly one year ago in the United States at the hands of a police officer that resonated on a worldwide scale.
Despite these very blatant public displays of cruelty, resulting in death, of black people, governments around the world continue to allow racism to feed and grow throughout its institutions, systems and societies.
Decades have passed since Sharpeville and yet the world continues to log many incidences of racism and discrimination. For some, March 21st, simply serves as a one-day show of solidarity or allyship, and once the “smoke clears”, the status quo remains unchanged and their realities go unaffected.
Canada has shown significant progress however, much work remains to be done to create a society that is truly equal and inclusive for all. The Clerk of the Privy Council reported, “… it is not sufficient to simply equip ourselves with knowledge and tools. We must take action in ways we know will be meaningful in addressing all barriers and disadvantages. Being a leader means taking an active role in ending all forms of discrimination and oppression, consciously challenging our own biases, and creating an environment in which our employees feel empowered and safe to speak up when they witness barriers to equity and inclusion. Inaction is not an option. We must encourage and support the voices that have long been marginalized in our organizations. We must create opportunities where they have long been absent. We must take direct, practical actions to invoke change. This is a true test of leadership, and one we must meet head on. Now”. (Clerk to the Privy Council, Call to action on anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in the Federal Public Service).
In Canada, we showcase the richness of the multi-cultural mosaic and all that entails, and most entertain the idea that Canada is racist free; with every member of its citizenry enjoying equality and inclusivity. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics have shown a spike of racism towards marginalized populations. Prior to this, statistics bear witness to the underbelly of the richness of our differences and confirms that racism and discrimination is still an everyday reality for Blacks, Indigenous and other marginalized/racialized groups.
Also, let us use this platform, this internationally recognized day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to acknowledge the many achievements of those amongst us who stand marginalized, their continued struggle to achieve equality in the workplace, to combat conscious and unconscious biases within the walls of institutions and systems fraught with racist and discriminatory practices.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination provides an opportunity to renew one’s commitment to the responsibilities, both individually and collectively, for promoting and protecting the goal of the elimination of all forms of discrimination and racial oppression. This day can serve as a springboard and as activists, we must make a conscious effort to confront oppression and racial discrimination in all forms and fight for equity in our workplaces, union and our communities.
Hayley Millington UNE National Equity Representative for Racially Visible People
To celebrate the International Francophonie Day taking place on March 20, 2021, the Committee members of the Francophone Committee of the Union of National Employees (UNE), part of PSAC, wish to underscore the exceptional contribution of the allies of its component regarding the respect of the official languages.
To safeguard your rights, we recommend that you take action in your workplaces.
For more information on the activities taking place in your region, click here: https://rvf.ca/en
The pandemic has radically changed the way many PSAC members work. We have experienced the challenges of working remotely from home or having to work onsite with new protection measures; the impact of technological changes; the effect of an uncertain economy on job security; and the major inequalities that remain for women, racialized workers, and many other marginalized groups. These are some of the key issues that can be addressed in the next round of bargaining that begins this summer.
This next round of talks will be all about the future of work in the federal public service and you can help decide what your union bargaining team brings to the table by completing our member surveys.
Take 15 minutes to fill out our Parks Canada survey or CFIA survey to make sure we address your workplace concerns at the table. Your input is essential. We need to hear directly from you about what has changed over the last year. And we need to know more about you so that we can make the case for a contract that equitably addresses our members’ diverse needs.
Your participation in the Parks Canada survey or CFIA survey and the broader bargaining process is key to our success in the next round of talks.
Your component union and PSAC will review your proposals and they, along with the survey’s results, will be discussed at a bargaining conference of member delegates from across the country who will decide the bargaining priorities.
The current collective agreements expire on the following dates:
Parks: August 4, 2021 CFIA: December 31, 2021
Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive more updates as we prepare to negotiate your next contract.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNAC), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) still operate on a postcolonial-based approach.
The dramatic staffing situations and the abject lack of career progression opportunities that our Indigenous members are facing, while working in these departments, and regional development agencies, illustrate a disconnect with realities of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s public service and lack of recognition of their work.
UNE will always be there to defend their members against racism, discrimination and any form of harassment within these federal workplaces.
Promoting Indigenous voices to deliver services in Indigenous communities across the country will be a breath of fresh air within the federal public service and UNE offers to be involved in the planning process to make it happen, at all of these work locations throughout Canada; from coast to coast, to coast.
COVID-19 is the most serious public health crisis that Canada has faced. It is showing us where there are fundamental gaps in our society and shown us where it is impacting our already vulnerable and struggling populations. They are hurting and in need, many of those impacted are women and children. Women have been in the front line of this crisis, many facing job losses and many taking on more extra family responsibilities. More women are in essential jobs in this crisis, exposing them to infection and high stress. This pandemic is not over and what we need right now is just a little kindness and a little help while we see the inequality.
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
I would like to challenge us all at UNE to commit to calling out inequality when we see it. Standing up for what is right. Maya Angelou said ‘’Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” It all starts with one step and we can make a difference. If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it has shown that there is still a long way to go with fighting against gender bias and promoting equality.
As the Twister Sister song We’re Not Gonna Take It says:
We’re not gonna take it No, we ain’t gonna take it We’re not gonna take it anymore!
Diana Walker UNE National Equity Representative for Women
Retired or former employees who meet the eligibility criteria will receive financial compensation for each fiscal year in which they are eligible. However, you will not receive compensation automatically. To receive Phoenix general damages, retired or former employees will have to file a separate claim form through Treasury Board. This will include the estates of deceased employees.
Despite numerous requests by PSAC, Treasury Board has yet to set up this claims process. We are continuing to press them for information on the implementation plan and will post the information on our website and social media accounts once the form is available.
PSAC members will receive their Phoenix general damages in one lump sum payment on March 3 with their regular pay and it will be taxed at source. PSAC is deeply disappointed with the government’s decision to move ahead without a decision from CRA on taxability and continue to pursue the issue with CRA directly. We have also raised the recurring issue of not separating special payments from regular pay – as was recently the case with retro payments.
Individual details about your Phoenix general compensation payment will be available in MyGCPay (only available on the Government of Canada’s internal network).
If you have any questions about your Phoenix damages payment amount, please first contact your Human Resources specialist for the payment breakdown. If members still have concerns, they can reach out to the Client Contact Centre. For other information about Phoenix general damages, please visit our frequently asked questions.
Current PSAC members who were granted compensatory time under another union’s Phoenix settlement agreement may not receive the full amount ($2,500) on March 3 and may receive additional payments at a later date. Consult the federal government’s webpage for more information on how your Phoenix damages payment may be calculated if you were under multiple bargaining agents or an excluded employee during any of the fiscal years of the Phoenix agreement.
PSAC will monitor the situation closely to ensure that all our members receive complete and detailed information about the settlement implementation.
PSAC has been informed that the federal government plans to move forward with taxing Phoenix general damages on March 3rd and that they will not provide the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) with information they requested in order to revisit their initial opinion on taxability.
It is completely unacceptable for Treasury Board to deny CRA the information they need to provide a revised opinion before issuing the general damages payments. Their own letter to PSAC confirms that CRA is willing to work with them to revisit their opinion based on the facts raised by PSAC – information that CRA was not provided by Treasury Board originally. This is a crass attempt to interfere with the review by CRA and to expedite the claw back of the Phoenix damages settlement.
On the very week of Phoenix’s 5th anniversary, the government has found yet another way to hurt PSAC members impacted by years of pay problems.
CRA relied on information from Treasury Board when it issued an initial opinion about the tax implications of the Phoenix settlement. The opinion contained a number of errors and when these errors were pointed out by PSAC, particularly with regards to general damages for pain and suffering, CRA agreed to re-issue an opinion if Treasury Board joined us in clarifying the facts. Treasury Board has refused to cooperate, denied that they even understood this mutual agreement between the three parties, and are openly stating to members that general damages are to be taxed – despite the fact that they are blocking CRA’s ability to revisit their opinion.
If their disregard for our members continues, it could ultimately lead to thousands of unnecessary tax challenges and lengthy retroactive payments.
Next steps: Going to CRA directly
With the government refusing to cooperate, we have decided to submit our own declaration of facts to CRA directly, along with case law addressing the awarding of damages and those damages not being subject to taxation. CRA traditionally only engages with employers to provide opinions of taxability, but it is possible that they may choose to consider the new facts that we provide them.
We will report back to the membership as soon as we have an update to share on this front.
Why wasn’t taxability negotiated in the settlement itself?
The short answer is: we can’t do that.
The union and employer, the parties to the agreement, cannot dictate to CRA how it interprets tax laws. The taxability of damages is determined by what the money is intended to compensate for. The parties added specific language in the agreement to specify that the general damages were for “stress, aggravation, pain and suffering” in recognition of the impact on members lives. There is a strong precedent of damages for those purposes being deemed non-taxable.
What if CRA maintains its opinion in light of the government’s actions?
In the coming weeks, if CRA refuses to issue a new or different opinion due to the government’s inaction, members will have to force an official ruling from CRA by making individual appeals.
PSAC is doing everything we can to avoid this outcome as it puts the burden on our members to file the appeals, but if it becomes our last option, we will develop streamlined systems to support members in making the claims quickly and easily.
It is our top priority that PSAC members receive the full compensation that we negotiated, and which they deserve. We will continue to update members as we work to bring this to a conclusion.
