In May, PSAC introduced a system allowing members to report any discrepancies in their strike pay. Any outstanding issues are being investigated and resolved, and all PSAC members who took part in the strike action have now received their strike pay.
In August, PSAC also introduced a system to compensate members who incurred loss of salary on May 1st or May 4th as a result of delays in returning to work following the conclusion of the strike.
As the sixth month since the end of the strike approaches, PSAC has set October 31, 2023 as the deadline for both strike pay error reports and the May 1st / May 4th compensation requests to be received by PSAC.
Members who have not yet reported errors in their strike pay or who incurred a financial loss upon returning to work are requested to make a report prior to the deadline.
Please contact us at info@une-sen.org for further information regarding any strike pay top-ups, where applicable.
Develop your leadership skills to build union power! Apply for the Union Leadership Development Program.
Deadline for applications: Friday, October 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.
Are you an elected union leader or an informal leader who has the trust and respect of fellow union members?
Are you committed to fighting for workers’ rights, human rights and social justice?
Do you want to develop a sustainable, collaborative leadership practice?
Do you want to know how to lead from an anti-oppressive perspective?
Do you want to learn skills that will help transform PSAC into a stronger, more effective, inclusive, better-organized, membership-based union?
Can you to commit to a year-long, intensive education program and to applying what you learn to your union leadership in the years to come?
The PSAC’s Union Leadership Development Program (ULDP) is an advanced, year-long leadership course for members who are ready to expand their leadership roles within the union.
For more than 35 years, the ULDP has been recognized as among the best comprehensive union leadership training programs in Canada. Many current national and regional PSAC leaders are graduates of the ULDP and can attest to the learning opportunities the program provides.
This program provides training for both formal union leaders in elected positions as well as informal union leaders who are respected in the workplace. Ideal candidates for the ULDP are leaders who demonstrate that they are in a position to work with others in our union and make meaningful change, and those who have the respect and trust of members.
The ULDP provides leaders at PSAC with training, tools and shared space to develop their individual and collective capacity to transform PSAC into a stronger, more effective, inclusive, better-organized, membership-based union.
The ULDP is delivered once every three years in each of the 7 PSAC Regions. Francophones from the NCR and Atlantic Regions will join the Quebec Region while Anglophones from the Quebec Region will join the NCR Region. The program has six mandatory steps which include three face-to-face gatherings and three remote steps.
Here are the dates and locations of each step of ULDP in each region.
Step 2 – in person – April 10 to April14, 2024 – Québec
Step 3 – remote – April 15 to June 4, 2024
Step 4 – in person – June 5 to June 9 2024 – Orford
Step 5 – remote – June 10 to December 3 – 2024
Step 6 – in person – December 4 to December 8 2024 –Brossard
Course prerequisites
Talking Union Basics (TUB)
or Introduction to PSAC for Indigenous Members
or equivalent experience through activism within PSAC and/or their community
PSAC is committed to ensuring that participants in the ULDP represent the diversity of our union membership. We encourage applications from members who are Indigenous, racially visible members, members with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ members and members under the age of 36.
For the first time in its history, the Union of National Employees (UNE) – representing nearly 24,000 workers in workplaces across the country – has elected two Black women to its national leadership team.
Alisha Campbell, a Parks Canada member, was elected National President, and Hayley Millington, from Employment and Social Development Canada’s Learning Branch, was elected National Executive Vice-President at UNE’s National Triennial Convention, held August 21-25 in Toronto.
“This is the dawn of a new era for UNE members and the Labour movement at large,” said Campbell. “The future is bright, and our members led the charge. I am a Black and Cherokee francophone woman, and a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I am pansexual and a person with disabilities, and I’m here to represent all members.”
Campbell and Millington bring a lot of activist experience to their roles on the UNE’s National Executive. Millington was the National Equity Representative for Women, National Equity Representative for racialized persons, Assistant Human Rights Vice-President and held numerous terms in her Local as a Local Human Rights representative.
“What we have achieved here today is truly historic,” said Millington. “Members voted for this, and together, workers made history.”
“I am a black, single mother of a son, Malachi, and I know all too well that sense of being excluded, of not being able to have a voice in spaces where decisions are made. We are ready to place the needs of all our members at the centre of our decision-making.”
Campbell and Millington will connect with as many members as possible to build a strong base. As agents of change, we foresee new ways forward through a review of our structure as voted in by members. We have a clear mandate to invest in our young workers and all members, and this aligns with UNE’s core belief of unity in diversity.
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Media inquiries:
UNE media relations team 613-298-7892
The Union of National Employees is a component union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, representing members working in 70 different workplaces in the public, private and non-profit sectors, in all corners of our great country and around the world.
We are teachers and mechanics, librarians and foreign service officers, plumbers and researchers, clerical workers and program administrators, passport officers and investigators —and more.
After the first Credentials Committee report, delegates got right back to business with the Finance Committee. The following resolutions were presented, debated and voted on:
FIN 1 – Removal of UNE Local Financial Review or Audit for calendar year end
FIN 2 – Modification to Policy FIN 1
Delegates listened to a fantastic panel monitored by the 2023 Convention Chair Sharon De Sousa on health and safety in the workplace with panelists Uppala Chandresekara, Director of Public Health at Toronto Public Health, Fatima Gardaad, National Coordinator on Anti-Racism and Human Rights at the Canadian Labour Congress, and Andrea Peart, National Health and Safety Officer with the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
It was back to Convention proceedings for the first part of the afternoon with the Bylaws & Constitution Resolutions Committee and the General Resolutions Committee. Four resolutions were debated and voted on:
CS 10 – Relocation of Full Time National President and Vice-President
CS 4 – Increase Number of Allotted Delegates to UNE Triennial Conventions
Amended CS 7 – Structural Review of UNE
GEN 17 – Search the Landfill
GEN 17 was an emergency resolution about launching national Search the Landfill campaign by the UNE Human Rights Committee. As stated in the resolution’s rationale, “[i]ndigenous women and girls are not disposable and deserve dignity, and the families deserve closure.” The resolution passed unanimously.
The all-candidates debate took place in the second part of the afternoon to allow delegates to discover the respective candidates’ platforms for tomorrow’s national elections.
On day two of Convention, the delegates debated Resolution GEN 12. The committee recommended that members be compensated $75 per day on weekends or outside working hours when attending a PSAC or CLC sanctioned educational event.
What stood out during the discussion however, was that members didn’t realize they already had access to compensation of $50 per day, as per a resolution of record from 2021. The convention floor passed GEN 12 so now that amount has been increased to $75.
It’s important for activists to know about the opportunities they have available to them as members of UNE.
To claim the $75, simply fill out a UNE expense form and provide proof of participation. You can then submit your claim to Christine.Sanders@une-sen.org.
With Convention just a few days away, we hope you have your travel booked, your suitcase dug out of the attic and your devices charged and ready to go. Hopefully you have time to cut the lawn one more time too.
In preparation for next week, we highly recommend you go through the documents so you are ready to go from the outset.
Convention Information
This section includes important information on subjects such as the Convention agenda, UNE’s Attendance Policy, Environmental Sensitivities Policy, Statement on Harassment and some nice light reading on the Acronyms used by our Union. We also have a policy about bringing in outside food. Some members life threatening allergic reactions to scents and some foods, so please read this section carefully.
Convention Procedures
Documents that outline the rules and procedures for Convention, such as the PSAC Rules of Order, Tiling Guidelines and the PSAC Constitution are also available on the website. We encourage you to read them in advance. Be sure to join us on Sunday for Delegate training for a “Convention 101” presentation where you will have the opportunity to find answers to your questions.
Reports and Accompanying Documents
During Convention business, delegates will be presented with resolutions from the reports of the three Convention Committees. The reports are available on the website for you to look at in advance.
We can’t wait to see you in Toronto! If you have any last minute questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at events@une-sen.org.
A call for nominations was sent out to participants of last year’s Human Rights Conference on May 17, 2023 for the UNE National Equity Representative positions.
Results of the elections are as follows:
National equity representative for indigenous members Lenora Maracle 1st Alternate: Janette Husak
National equity representative for members with disabilities Prabir Roy
National equity representative for racialized members Yun-Csang Ghimn 1st Alternate: Michael Ho
National equity representative for 2SLGBTQ+ Danielle Palmer
National equity representative for women Mireille Jaillet
The collective agreement for PSAC members in the PA bargaining unit is now available. The agreement was ratified by members on June 16 2023 and signed on June 27 2023. We anticipate the TC, SV, and EB agreements will be available soon.
All Convention documentation will be available and updated electronically on the UNE website. As such, you should bring your laptop and/or tablet to follow along when discussing resolutions and Convention business. Should you require an electronic device be provided to you, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Members who require a paper copy of Convention documents may make a request to be accommodated.
TRAVEL
You should plan to arrive at the Sheraton Center Hotel, in Toronto by the evening of Saturday August 19, 2023.
Delegates travelling by air are required to make their arrangements with WE Travel for all air travel bookings. The toll-free number for WE travel Ottawa is 1-888-676-7747 and WE Travel Vancouver is 1-800-663-4703. They have been instructed to have you travel to Toronto on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Your return flight should have you depart Toronto after 6 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023. Should you be unable to arrive home before 10 p.m. that evening, you can choose to stay overnight at the hotel and depart Saturday morning. Should there be any requirement to modify air travel arrangements from the proposed schedule, such arrangements must be approved in advance by the UNE office. Please contact Suzanne Boucher at Suzanne.boucher@une-sen.org or at 613-560-4359 to coordinate your travel requirements.
If you are not traveling by air, in order to be reimbursed, delegates must keep all receipts for transportation such as taxis, buses, and parking.
**Delegates in the GTA using their personal automobile will be reimbursed for mileage and parking at the hotel.
ACCOMMODATION
Reservations will be made for you to arrive at the Sheraton Center Hotel, in Toronto on the evening of August 19, 2023 and depart the evening of August 25, 2023.
FAMILY CARE
The Union of National Employees reimburses family care expenses in an effort to encourage full participation in union activities by members whom, in light of their family responsibilities, may otherwise be unable to do so. When you send your expense claim, please provide a receipt signed by the person providing the service. The receipt must clearly indicate the hours and dates of service. Please see the Family Care Forms for further information. In addition, on-site childcare will be provided during Convention activities. Please indicate whether you require on-site childcare when you register online or send the attached Family Care Form. Last-minute registrations may not be accommodated.
FINANCIAL ALLOWANCES
Delegates will be reimbursed travel costs in accordance with regular UNE Policy. With respect to accommodation, delegate accommodation will be prepaid by the component (room and tax only). Incidental expenses are the delegate’s responsibility. During registration, you will receive an expense claim to be completed for all expenses and loss of salary. Please submit your claim for reimbursement to the UNE convention office at the hotel or mail the claim to the UNE office in Ottawa, following the convention.
USE OF YOUR PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION
As a delegate, you have the right and responsibility to make informed decisions on issues which will be presented to you, including the election of your UNE Officers. Similarly, members who run for elected office within the UNE (candidates) have the right and responsibility to communicate with convention delegates. As a result, upon request, candidates are entitled to receive your personal contact information from the UNE. Personal contact information includes your name, address, phone number and email address. Your personal contact information will be shared on a need-to-know basis only. Therefore, candidates may only obtain personal contact information from members who are entitled to vote on the position for which they are seeking elected office (e.g. candidates who run for National positions, or candidates who run for Regional Vice-President in your region only). Candidates may only use this information to communicate with you about their candidacy. They are also required to safeguard your personal contact information in accordance with UNE Privacy policies (Refer to Policy CE1).
Should you have any further questions, please contact Suzanne Boucher at 613-560-4359 or by email at events@une-sen.org.
