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Government delaying signing of new collective agreements

PSAC has been pushing the government to sign four collective agreements by the end of May, but the employer is insisting they won’t be ready until mid-June at the earliest.  These agreements, covering over 100,000 workers, were ratified by the membership in votes that concluded in April.

PSAC still waiting for drafts of agreements

At this time, the final drafts of the agreement for the Program and Administrative Services (PA) Group and the agreement for the Education and Library Science (EB) Group are just about finalized.

PSAC has yet to receive the draft agreements covering the Technical Services (TC) and Operational Services (SV) Groups, even though the employer has had months to get the drafts ready.

We are committed to reviewing the draft agreements and replying to the employer in less than three days.

Members have waited long enough

These agreements, which took over two and a half years to negotiate, do not go into effect until they are signed. PSAC believes our members, who have also spent the last year dealing with the Phoenix pay system debacle, have waited long enough.

We are continuing to pressure the employer to make this a priority and sign these agreements signed as soon as possible.

Source: psacunion.ca

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Bargaining session with SSO in June cancelled

At the request of the employer, the SSO bargaining session scheduled from June 13 to 15, 2017, has been cancelled due to changes on the employer’s bargaining team. The next bargaining session will be scheduled for the fall. In the meantime, we will continue to organize actions and hold events to remind our employer that we are Federal Public Servants and we deserve respect. Please join us. Your support helps us all to achieve gains at the bargaining table!

We want to keep you up-to-date on negotiations with SSO. Please sign up for email updates from PSAC. Make sure you check the box for Statistical Survey Operations.

You can also visit the UNE SSO news section at http://www.une-sen.org/press/?cat=18 and the PSAC website at psacunion.ca/sso-oes. 

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May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

May 17, 2017 is a day to reflect on what makes us unique, what makes us proud, and where there is still work to be done. On international day against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, we remember the successes we have had in achieving human rights for LGBT people, as well as the struggles that remain.

The International Day Against Homophobia on May 17th is a reminder to challenge the stigma when we see it. This action helps to build solidarity with our LGBT clients, but also with coworkers, family, and friends who deserve a safe space. In an international climate of conservatism and right-wing extremism, it is now more important than ever to support those most marginalized within our communities. As employees of the federal public service, we are uniquely poised to serve as an example of inclusivity and tolerance. By fostering an environment that is accepting of sexual and gender diversity, we can demonstrate the value that a diverse population has for our Canadian heritage.

Despite inclusion in workplace protections and human rights legislation, homophobia still persists. As public servants, we must represent Canadian values in the work that we do. By serving as an example of tolerance, and refusing to be silent in the face of stigma and injustice, we can do our part to ensure that Canada continues to be a beacon of diversity for the LGBT and all communities.

For more information, visit http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/

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SSO Bargaining Update

Our bargaining team met with SSO during the week of May 1. The team started the week in caucus, where we had planned to review SSO’s proposals, but unfortunately the documents provided by our employer contained many errors and lacked clarity. This made it impossible for us to do our work of analyzing their proposals.

Tuesday, we were pleased to meet all members of the employer’s bargaining team. We communicated the problems with their proposals and the lack of professionalism this demonstrated. In response they requested the rest of the day to review their proposals, but first, SSO’s Director General Geoff Bowlby presented us with an overview of SSO operations.

Employer proposes concessions

The rest of the week, we heard from our employer about the changes proposed during this round of negotiations. The union is concerned about some of these proposals. SSO wants to restrict union leave and the participation of union representatives in solving problems in the workplace. SSO has proposed eliminating the requirement for management to provide operational justification when denying leave requests, a right we won in the last arbitration. There are also proposals to limit protections against harassment and discrimination, maternity-related job modification and leave, bereavement leave and family related leave. We have been clear with the employer that we will not negotiate concessions. We are at the table to negotiate improvements for our members.

Status as federal public servants

We need to tell you we encountered a serious underlying problem in meetings with our employer this week. During the last round of bargaining, our arbitral awards clearly stated that SSO employees are federal public servants, but throughout the week our employer repeatedly said that it does not acknowledge our status as public servants. The employer uses this argument to deny us working conditions comparable to other public servants, including those we work alongside at Statistics Canada.

Your local representatives will be contacting you soon about participating in our union’s activities to make it clear to SSO that we will not stand for this.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/

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Phoenix: Information about claiming for reimbursement of tax services costs

After pressure from PSAC, the government agreed to compensate federal public service employees, with tax problems caused by the Phoenix pay system, for up to $200 per year of tax advisory services.

The claim and release form is strictly restricted to tax advisory services for the tax years 2016 and 2017.

Where an employee has tax filing expenses related to Phoenix which have a total cost equal to, or less than, $200 per year, this claim process is the best way to claim these expenses. There need be no concern about signing the release.

Where an employee has tax filing expenses related to Phoenix which have a total cost greater than $200 in either tax year, signing the release will prevent them from seeking further reimbursement for those tax advisory services through any other means. This includes a grievance or the Phoenix general claims process.

PSAC is advising its Members with tax filing expenses related to Phoenix having a total cost greater than $200 in either tax year that they may wish to use the general claims process instead, in order to demonstrate that those expenses were justified and necessary because of Phoenix.

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May is Asian Heritage Month

By Shirley Torres

Xie Xie ( see see) – Mandarin,  Gamsahabnida ( gam-samnda) – Korean , Domo  arigatou ( doh-mo-ah-ree-gah-toh – Japanese, Camanba (gahm-un-ban)- Vietnamese, Dhanyabad ( dhan-naii-bat) Nepali, these are only a few of the numerous ways of saying Thank you in Asia.

In  Filipino, we say Salamat. In whatever Asian language we say it, we express the same gratitude  for having  an  Asian Heritage Month, an opportune time to  acknowledge and recognize the contribution of Asians to Canadian Society and to celebrate and appreciate their  culture.

A large percentage of immigrants like me are from Asia and we have made Canada our home. When we came to Canada, we were determined to strive and work hard to achieve our goals and realize our dreams and in our own little ways, we believe that we contributing to the growth and development of our workplace, our community, the society and the country. We also brought along with us our rich culture which we will always be proud of but at the same time we are also learning and appreciating the many diverse cultures in Canada.

There are many Canadians of Asian descent who have excelled in the fields of politics, economics, science, arts and service . One of them is Senator Vivienne Poy, the first senator of Asian descent. She proposed the observance of Asian Heritage Month and it was adopted by the Senate in 2001. The government of Canada signed a declaration designating May as Asian Heritage Month in May, 2002.

This month of May, I invite everyone to celebrate with us, have a taste of our various cultures and enjoy an Asian experience. Check out the various activities and festivities that have been organized by Asian Heritage Societies in your communities. This is a great opportunity to learn more and appreciate Asian culture.

Happy Asian Heritage Month!

Shirley Torres is the UNE Human Rights Representative for the B.C. and Yukon region.

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UNE Honourary Membership Award

Greetings,

At the Union of National Employees much of what we do would not be possible without the tireless work of our many volunteers. That is why I am proud to take this opportunity to extend a sincere thanks to those members who have made a significant contribution through union activism.

Honourary memberships are awarded to individuals who would otherwise not be eligible for a membership in the Union of National Employees. This can include individuals outside the organization who have contributed outstanding service through devoted efforts in the affairs of our union or members who have retired.

If your Local wishes to nominate a member, please refer to the criteria on the UNE website at  The application form can also be found on the UNE website. Please ensure that you follow the criteria carefully and complete the application form correctly.

The deadline for receipt of application is July 31, 2017. Should the recipient wish to receive his or her award at a UNE National function, please indicate clearly.

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees, PSAC

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Ratified Treasury Board agreements: What happens now?

Following the recent ratification of new agreements by the PA, SV, TC and EB Treasury Board groups, the following steps will be taken:

  • Signing of new collective agreements
  • Retro pay and implementation of wage and special monetary increases
  • Implementation of collective agreement provisions

Signing of new collective agreements

In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with the employer to sign the new collective agreements. With the exception of wages, which are retroactive, the new negotiated provisions come into effect on date of signing, unless otherwise specified.

When will back pay (retroactive pay) be paid out to employees?

The employer has 150 days from the date of signing to adjust rates of pay and issue retroactive pay.

Who will get back pay for the negotiated economic increases?

PA: The new collective agreement is retroactive to June 21, 2014, expiring June 20, 2018. This means that you are entitled to back pay for the period of time you were employed and a PA member from June 21, 2014.

EB: The new collective agreement is retroactive to July 1st, 2014, expiring June 30, 2018. This means that you are entitled to back pay for the period of time you were employed and a EB member from July 1st, 2014.

TC: The new collective agreement is retroactive to June 22, 2014, expiring June 21, 2018. This means that you are entitled to back pay for the period of time you were employed and a TC member from June 22, 2014.

SV: The new collective agreement is retroactive to August 5, 2014, expiring August 4, 2018. This means that you are entitled to back pay for the period of time you were employed and an SV member from August 5, 2014.

Are increases to allowances retroactive?

Increases to allowances are not retroactive. The employer has 150 days after the date of signing to implement the changes and issue payment of the allowances.

When will the other provisions come into effect?

The employer has 150 days from the date of signing to implement the provisions of the new collective agreement.

Will the Phoenix pay system cause delays and problems with retro pay and wage adjustments?

Public Services and Procurement Canada has said they are prepared to implement retro pay and wage adjustments. Since the employer has 150 days from signing to pay out the retro, there should be time to address other Phoenix problems so that compensation staff can be freed up for this work. PSAC will also be working closely with government officials to help solve any problems that arise. We will keep you updated on any developments related to Phoenix and the implementation of wage increases.

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Phoenix: Union meets with Minister Brison, senior government officials; PSAC members rally in Quebec

On May 1, PSAC National President Robyn Benson and National Executive Vice President Chris Aylward, along with other union leaders, attended a meeting with senior government officials regarding Phoenix. Benson and Aylward have been attending these regular meetings for months, in order to address the problems caused by the Phoenix pay system.

The President of the Treasury Board, Minister Scott Brison, briefly attended the meeting to hear directly from PSAC and the other unions. Minister Brison spoke about the new Phoenix working group of MPs and Ministers.

“If the task force of Ministers and MPs can ensure there are more resources put in place to fix this broken system and support employees who’ve been hurt, we’ll know that the government’s commitment to a solution is real,” said Benson after the meeting. “This debacle has gone on far too long, and our members need to see concrete action.”

Action needed

This meeting provided another opportunity for PSAC to reiterate its demands that the government follow up last week’s announcement with concrete action.

To get closer to a permanent fix, PSAC demands that the government:

  • Hire more staff at the pay centre in Miramichi and make sure this is stable.
  • Hire permanent, not temporary, staff at the call centres who have the training and support to help our members.
  • Make a commitment to keep the satellite pay centres open permanently.

Members rally

This past weekend, thousands of PSAC members across Quebec rallied in front of MP offices to protest the on-going problems with the Phoenix pay system.

“I am proud of our members for continuing to keep the pressure on the federal government to fix Phoenix,” said Benson.

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Emergency pay available to employees on maternity, parental or disability leave and experiencing Phoenix pay problems

 

Following the court action taken by PSAC, along with 12 other unions, the court obliged the government to provide better access to help for Phoenix affected employees on disability, maternity, and parental leave.

As a result, federal public service workers who are transitioning to maternity, parental or disability leave, and are not receiving benefit payments due to Phoenix, are entitled to a priority payment if normal wait times for processing these payments have been exceeded.

These workers are entitled to 66% of the total income they would otherwise receive, not only the top up portion.

If you are in this situation, send the following letter with the appropriate information included in an email to your manager and copy us at info@psacunion.ca.

Template email
 Click here to email your manager