PSAC and UNE members showed up in droves to the rally in downtown Ottawa. Thank you to to all members for your hard work and the important services you provide to all Canadians.
Happy Labour Day!
PSAC scores legal victory in fight to reverse federal telework mandate
The Federal Court will hold a full hearing to review PSAC’s application to quash the federal government’s decision to force federal public service workers back into ill-equipped offices three days a week beginning September 9.
This is an important victory for workers and unions who have been pushing back against the government’s unilateral decision announced in May that has had sweeping impacts on federal workers and led to mass protests, legal challenges and a wave of individual grievances.
“The Federal Court’s decision to hear our case is an important win for federal workers fighting for a fair and transparent approach to telework,” said PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa. “Remote work is the future of work, and we won’t let the government off the hook for breaking their commitments and ignoring the voices of federal public service workers.”
The government attempted to have the case thrown out or delayed by the Court until existing legal challenges – including several policy grievances and unfair labour practice complaints disputing the mandate – are heard by a federal board.
But the Federal Court judge ruled that Treasury Board failed to deliver the “knock-out punch” to the grounds for PSAC’s application to warrant dismissal.
The hearing will be a major step for unions and workers looking for transparency around its decision to bring workers back into the office three days a week, as the government will now need to make their case and present their reasoning for making the decision to bring workers back to the office.
Although this does not mean that the Federal Court endorses PSAC’s position, it will allow us to fully argue our case in court. This is part of PSAC’s broader effort to demonstrate that telework is the way of the future and hold the government accountable for its misguided mandate.
What members can do
This is just one of several ways PSAC is continuing the fight for fair telework. Members can take action by:
- Filing an individual grievance on remote work;
- Signing our petition;
- Answering our brief mobilization survey;
- Getting involved with your local.
This fall, PSAC will be launching a national joint telework campaign alongside other unions. But to win this fight, we will need the support of members from coast to coast to coast organizing and making noise in their workplaces. Together, we will show the government, decision-makers and the public that #RemoteWorks.
Dismantle the Lies – Royal Assent Slavery in Canada
By Alisha Kang
Before I speak or write, you may see me hold the tobacco pouches gifted to me by elders I wear around my neck. I pray, “Great Spirit and Ancestors, help me always seek and speak or write the truth, or may another truth bringer correct my ignorance so we may all live in an honest community.”
As a Black Indigenous woman, whose Ancestors were enslaved by Europeans’ Royal Assent, this means…
That the monarchy’s hands are drenched in the blood of my Ancestors. It means that the Royal Family had to approve of my Ancestors’ freedom. It means that the French and British benefitted from our subjugation.
The centuries of slavery are the reason my African Ancestors are made up of people from Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian, Siera Leonean, Senegambian, Guinean, Congolese, and Angolan descent — stolen people taken to stolen lands. As breeding stock, they forced the strongest to make more.
Then Royal Assent went somewhat as follows; all children under six were freed in 1834 but others were retained for four to six years as apprentices. People in the British Caribbean finally gained their freedom at midnight on July 31, 1838 – a full two years before some in Canada. Canada loves to downplay its hand in slavery.
This means that in Canada those enslaved could have remained so as late as 1840. The spin of history paints those in lights that harm as the heroes even when not exactly factual. I will not uphold their fantastical stories. We cannot deal in truth if we continue to repeat lies.
Twenty million English pounds (£20,000,000) were made available by the British government to pay for damages suffered by owners of registered slaves, but none was sent to slaveholders in British North America.
Not a single cent was ever paid to any generation of the Ancestors for damages or payment for their labour (work) of those enslaved.
So, though I observe Emancipation Day, it is with an understanding that it is a day to mark when European Canadians decided they should no longer own people of Indigenous and African origin.
A day to remind me never to exploit others.
Never convince myself that the ends justify the means.
I will absolutely never use the very ideals that oppressed my Ancestors.
I reaffirm my dedication to dismantle the system of oppressors and their lies.
Join PSAC NCR and the Ottawa Area Council at Ottawa Labour Day 2024!
September 2, 2024, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
233 Gilmour St, Ottawa
The PSAC-NCR Ottawa Area Council (OAC) is excited to announce our participation in the 2024 Ottawa Labour Day March! The march, put on by the Ottawa District Labour Council, will be on Monday, September 2 starting at 12 PM,with a picnic from 12:45 – 4 PM.
Join us as we show solidarity to all who are fighting to make life fairer for all workers and their families. Following the march, PSAC NCR will also have a booth at the picnic taking place at McNabb Park.
Want to join the PSAC-NCR delegation? Register and let us know you’ll be there!
Members are encouraged to bring friends, family or members of the community who wish to participate.
The day’s schedule will be:
9:30 – 11:30: The PSAC delegation will meet at PSAC Headquarters (233 Gilmour Street). Members will be able to create banners using provided supplies. Refreshments and light snacks will be available and an ice cream truck will be on site.
11:30 – 12:00: The PSAC delegation will walk from 233 Gilmour to Ottawa City Hall (750 m).
12:00: The march will begin at Ottawa City Hall (Lisgar Street side). The march will then take the following route (3 km):
– West on Lisgar Street to Elgin Street
– South on Elgin Street to Gladstone Avenue
– West on Gladstone Avenue ending at McNabb Park (corner of Bronson and Gladstone)
12:45: A family-friendly picnic at McNabb Park will start when the march arrives.
Accessibility
- Attendees should stay home if they are feeling unwell for any reason.
- There will be seats in a vehicle that will drive along the length of the march route. These seats will be available on a first-come, first served basis. The vehicle will leave from 233 Gilmour to Ottawa City Hall at 11 AM. If you have any questions relating to this or other issues of accessibility, please email oac-cro@psac-afpc.com.
- Masks are encouraged but not required.
- Attendees should dress for the weather and bring water and sunscreen.
- Please avoid fragranced products such as perfume, cologne, or lotion out of consideration for our community members with chemical injuries or sensitivities.
- Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.
- Parking is available as follows:
- Free parking is available at 233 Gilmour starting at 10:00am on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Paid parking is available at Ottawa City Hall and at McNabb Park.
- OC Transpo routes are available as follows:
- Routes that stop near 233 Gilmour: 6, 7, 11, 14
- Routes that stop near McNabb Park: 10, 14
- Routes that stop near Ottawa City Hall: 5, 11, 14, 16, 19
- For further questions about transit access to the event locations, please refer to the OC Transpo Travel Planner or Para Transpo website.
- Public washrooms are available at 233 Gilmour prior to departing at 11:30 AM, Ottawa City Hall, and McNabb Park Community Centre
Celebrating a milestone!
August 24th, 2024 marks a significant milestone: the one-year anniversary of Union of National Employees (UNE) siblings making history by electing two groundbreaking leaders within the PSAC. Pictured left, we have a Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQA+ woman with disabilities as President of a component – Alisha Kang (nee Campbell).
On the right, Ms. Hayley Millington, a Black (Trinidadian) woman, as our National Executive Vice President.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) only handed over the reins to us on March 6, 2024, and yet we are already a third of the way through our mandate. We have gigantic feats to accomplish in the next two years, but do not despair. As workers, we are accustomed to having the odds stacked against us and making the impossible, possible. Together, UNE siblings, will build a new structure that upholds members as never before.
We must not fear the difficult discussions ahead of us and the collective work it shall take us to get there. The only constant is change and we are in a time of great evolution. I cannot wait to see what we build together.
Scrap the Mandate: Calling all UNE members in the National Capital Region!
Calling all UNE members in the National Capital Region!
Location: Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 ET
Please aim to arrive to the rally 15 minutes early if possible (11:45) and feel free to bring your UNE, PSAC and other union-related flags. Please also distribute this notice as widely as possible.
Following brief speeches at 12:00 at the main entrance of Les Terrasses de la Chaudière, we will be operating an information picket, passing out RT(N)O buttons and leaflets about the negative effects of return to office.
The goal is to broaden the discussion, and everyone is welcome. We would like to cover as many doors as possible to hand out buttons and literature.
Context: On May 1, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat mandated that all federal public service employees must be at the physical work site a minimum of 3 days per week, starting in September 2024. This generic policy continues to lack nuance in terms of an individual’s work realities and ignores the widely used technological innovations already in place.
Like many public service employees across Canada, members of PSAC-NCR successfully demonstrated their ability to conduct their duties remotely throughout the pandemic. We’ve seen how federal public service employees continue to deliver for Canadians with a hybrid work arrangement.
Numerous studies have proven the benefits of working remotely, including a more dynamic workforce, less time wasted commuting to the work site, a safer work environment and a smaller carbon footprint with fewer cars on the road.
Studies also show that many employees are more productive at home without office distractions and regularly work more hours because they have greater flexibility.
Since 2022, PSAC-NCR along with the PSAC National, the individual Components of PSAC, and our ally unions in the public service (CAPE, PIPSC, and ACFO, amongst many others) have strongly opposed the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s uniform approach to mandating employee presence at work site.
At this rally, we will show our dissatisfaction with the unexplained, uncosted and unplanned return to office. Detrimental effects include offices that often fail to meet safety requirements on air quality, mould, rodent and insect infestation. In addition, the employer has burdened tax payers and public service employees (who also pay taxes nationally, provincially and locally) with the cost to reinvigorate the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau, as well as their transit systems. We say this is unacceptable!
PSAC-NCR is willing to have a discussion of rejuvenation of the city, but there must be a reason for it. Further enriching landlords and business owners while city services continue to collapse under the stress of underfunding are not the solution.
We hope to see you on the August 8 at Les Terrasses de la Chaudière !
PSAC-NCR Union Basics Summer School
We are pleased to extend an invitation to apply to the upcoming NCR Union Basics Summer School. If you are interested in learning more about your Union or interested in support your local members, this is the perfect way to learn the basics of the union!
This comprehensive training program aims to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively fulfill your role as a newly engaged member, a local steward, a local health and safety representative, or newly elected local officer within our union. Through interactive workshops, discussions, and practical exercises, you will gain insights into various aspects of union leadership, advocacy, and member engagement.
Who Can Apply
This event is open to all members of the NCR in good standing, please share this invitation with the members in your local.
Attendance is free, and selected participants will receive rooming accommodations, loss of salary coverage, meals, family care, and mileage coverage, as per the NRC education policy.
Time & Location
The courses will be delivered in person at the Hilton at Lac-Leamy in Gatineau (3 boul. du Casino, Gatineau, QC, J8Y 6X4). Selected participants will be provided rooming accommodations on site for the entire duration of the event and are expected to attend training on all days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sessions start on August 26, at 9 a.m. and end on August 30, at 5 p.m. Participants can choose a course option from the curriculum for Part 1 of the union school which runs from August 26, 9 a.m. to August 28, 12 p.m. and for Part 2 runs from August 28, 1 p.m. to August 30, 5 p.m.
Curriculum
Part 1 (August 26, 9 a.m. – August 28, 12 p.m.)
Option 1 – Talking Union Basics
The TUB is the “cornerstone” of our PSAC Education Program and a prerequisite for most of our other courses. This course will introduce you to the PSAC, its structure, how to become involved and the fundamentals of trade union action. Emphasis is put on members’ rights in the workplace and in the union; on understanding and using the collective agreement and on union mechanisms to obtain and protect rights.
Option 2 – Union Basics for Stewards
The union basics for stewards’ session brings together a total of 5 basic modules. This option will provide stewards with a space to connect with stewards from other locals. Emphasis is put on the role of stewards within their local and the union as a whole.
- Module1: Role of the Steward
- Module 2: Stewards’ Union Representative Immunity
- Module 3: Stewards as Problem Solvers
- Module 4: Human Rights in the Workplace for Stewards
- Module 5: Basic Duty to Accommodate for Stewards
Part 2 (August 28, 1 p.m. – August 30, 5 p.m.)
Option 1 – Grievance Handling
This course will develop your knowledge, skills and confidence in effectively handling grievances at the workplace. You will spend time on the technical aspects of grievance handling such as identifying, investigating, drafting, and presenting grievances.
Option 2 – Health and Safety Basics
Participants will examine why workplace health and safety is a union issue and explore the historical efforts made by unions for healthy and safe workplaces. Members will also be able to familiarize themselves with union perspectives on healthy and safe workplaces, with the internal responsibility system and increase their knowledge on the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
Option 3 – New Local Officer Training
New local officers, who have been an executive for less than two years, will develop the knowledge, skills and confidence in order to provide an effective union leadership in their local. Participants will learn more about the responsibilities and the work of the Local; know how to implement strategies to increase member participation in the life of their union and increase their familiarity to union structures, decision-making and how these connect to the Local.
Application deadline is Sunday August 4, at 11:59 p.m. Once we have completed the selection process, selected participant will receive confirmation by August 6.
Click here for more information and to register today.
If you’re not in the National Capital Region, check out the other courses offered by your PSAC Regional Office.
Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day!
The members of the UNE Francophone Committee wish Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Quebec’s national holiday, to all Quebec UNE members and those celebrating it across the country!
Check out the celebrations at Fête nationale Québec!
Arbitration Award issued for House of Commons Operational/Postal Group
After an exceedingly lengthy delay, the bargaining agent received on Wednesday the arbitration award from the Labour Board for our contract dispute with the House of Commons.
Highlights of the new agreement include wage increases and a pensionable lump sum payment as part of the award. The compensation won by the union in arbitration greatly exceeds the House of Commons’ offer in negotiations.
The employer has ninety days from the date of award to pay out back pay.
Other improvements include:
- Weekend premium must now be paid on all hours worked on a weekend, including overtime hours.
- Expanded access to Family-Related Responsibility Leave.
- Employees can now carry-over more vacation leave per year.
In addition, the House must under certain circumstances pay each employee additional compensation if the employer does not pay retro payment within 90 days of the issuance of the award.
The House of Commons, in negotiations and in arbitration, proposed to limit members’ ability to take leave for medical and dental appointments. They also proposed to shorten shift change notice. With the decision, we have protected our ability to access leave for all medical and dental appointments, and we have protected the notice period for shift changes.
If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Bargaining Team: Gilles Lavigne, Claude Boilard, Charles Joanisse and Ktrishia Letendre.
National Indigenous Peoples Day
For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on June 21 or around that time of year because of the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.
National Aboriginal Day, now National Indigenous Peoples Day, was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day.
But one day is not enough. There is a lot of work to do towards reconciliation. Today, celebrate Canada’s Indigenous cultures.