Over the past two weeks our bargaining teams have been back at the table with the assistance of third-party mediators to secure a fair contract for workers.
This is a critical time in the bargaining process, and it’s encouraging that talks are continuing into the weekend. PSAC will be holding a press conference on Monday, April 17 at 9 a.m. ET to provide an update on the status of negotiations with Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency on behalf of more than 155,000 federal government workers.
Members can watch the livestream of the press conference on our PSAC national Facebook page, and we’ll continue to keep you up to date on the status of negotiations on our website, social media, and by email.
Our priority remains to secure a fair contract for PSAC members that addresses our key issues, including decent wages that prevent workers from falling further behind, a more inclusive federal public service, remote work enshrined in our collective agreements, and good secure jobs.
More than 155,000 PSAC members across Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency are now in a legal strike position. A strike by PSAC’s federal public service workers would be the largest strike against a single employer in Canada’s history.
This is the government’s last opportunity to show workers the respect they deserve. Workers can’t wait, and we’re ready to take strike action.
Check your email regularly for more information about strike pay, PSAC’s picket line finder, and other strike-related information in the coming days as we prepare for potential strike action.
Last weekend, members in the TB and CRA bargaining units received an email asking them to sign up to register for e-transfer for strike pay. Here’s what you should know about registering for Interact e-transfer.
Q: I received an email with the subject line: Strike pay: sign up for e-transfer. Is this an official email from PSAC?
Yes. This is an official email from PSAC, to ask you to register for strike pay to be transferred securely through e-transfer with your personal e-mail address. The email is unique to each member and linked to their individual PSAC ID. It cannot be forwarded to other members.
Q: If I do not provide an e-mail address for an e-transfer, will I continue to receive strike pay?
Yes, you will still receive strike pay. If we do not have your consent and preferred e-mail address, your strike pay will be processed by cheque and distributed to the PSAC region you are in to pay you when you are on the picket line with PSAC members.
Q: I deleted the email by accident, what should I do?
Nothing. If you received the email, that means you are already in our membership database, and we will be re-issuing the email on Thursday, April 13 for members who have not yet signed up.
Q: I did not receive this email, what do I do?
This means we may not have your personal e-mail address to communicate with you. You can add your email through PSAC’s member portal. You will not be able to use an email that was forwarded to you by another member because the original email is unique to each member and linked to their individual PSAC ID.
Q: Can my regional office re-send the e-mail directly to me?
Yes, Regional Office staff can re-send emails directly. We strongly encourage members to have updated contact information through the member portal.
“The cost of living has hit highs we haven’t seen in 40 years, and people are struggling. Every day, we see that our dollar doesn’t go as far at the grocery store or at the gas pump,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “Today, PSAC members are sending a clear message that they won’t be taken for granted, they won’t fall further behind, and they’re ready to fight for better.”
The strike mandate follows nationwide strike votes that took place from February 22 to April 11, and comes on the heels of the strike vote mandate announced last week for 35,000 PSAC-UTE members working at the Canada Revenue Agency. A strike by PSAC members working for the federal government would be the largest against any single employer in Canada’s history.
“Our members won’t take the decision to strike lightly. They know that a strike will be difficult for them and for the Canadians who depend on the services they provide,” said Aylward. “But they’re exercising their bargaining power because they just can’t wait any longer. Their bills can’t wait. Their families can’t wait. None of us can.”
PSAC is the largest federal union representing federal public service workers, including workers who got vital new financial aid programs like CERB and emergency business loans up and running for Canadians in record time during the pandemic. They’re also cleaners and cooks on military bases, clerks and maintenance workers, tradespeople, Coast Guard search and rescue teams, teachers, firefighters and the people Canadians rely on to help process employment insurance, passport applications and immigration documents.
Negotiations between PSAC and Treasury Board began in June 2021, but reached impasse in May 2022. The two sides met again during mediation in September and Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings in December before a PIC report was issued in February with non-binding recommendations.
In 2020, PSAC negotiated Phoenix general damages for approximately 165,000 PSAC members to compensate for the stress, aggravation and pain and suffering they endured because of the broken pay system.
Treasury Board treated Phoenix general damages as taxable income – deducting tax from the payment PSAC members received – but the Union maintains that these damages should be tax-free like just like other damages agreements.
Initially, despite numerous appeals by PSAC, Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) refused to revisit the taxability of Phoenix general damages. That has changed, however, and the Minister of National Revenue has agreed to PSAC’s request to put a test case before the Tax Court to determine this issue. The joint reference was filed last week.
In the event that the damages payments are declared non-taxable, the CRA can re-assess the taxes of impacted individuals that make a claim at that time and reimburse them. However, we cannot guarantee at this time that they will do so.
In order to guarantee your right to the reassessment, as we recommended in our previous updates, we urge all those who received general damages for Phoenix to file an objectionbefore the end of April 2023. If for whatever reason you cannot do so in time, we will send further updates in May on how you can request an extension to the time period to object.
It is not possible to determine the length of time the Tax Court will take to render their decision, but PSAC will provide an update to all members as soon as possible. For future Phoenix updates make sure to subscribe to PSAC’s e-newsletter and visit psacunion.ca/phoenix.
This is a reminder to all UNE members that we are less than three weeks away from the deadline to submit resolutions. The Convention Committees, where resolutions will be discussed, are scheduled to take place in Ottawa June 12-15.
How Can You Get Your Resolutions To Us?
Option 1
Locals should appoint a Convention resolutions committee; these are normally made up of three to five members. Some Locals may prefer to appoint a committee for each resolution topic: constitution and bylaws, finance, and general resolutions. Your Local should issue a notice asking members to submit resolutions to your Convention resolutions committee. Allow plenty of time for the committee to prepare a report. Members of the committee should also be encouraged to submit their own resolutions. Each committee’s report and additional resolutions should be presented during a general membership meeting. This meeting should provide ample time to debate resolutions before members cast a vote.
Option 2
Any member in good standing can submit a resolution to Convention by having it co-signed by five other members in good standing.
Submit Your Resolution Online
You should submit your resolutions electronically on our website. Completing this process significantly reduces the time required to prepare resolutions for committee review in June.
After more than two years of negotiations began for workers at Statistical Survey Operations (SSO), and five months since an arbitration victory, PSAC and the employer have signed a new contract including key gains for workers that we will continue to build on.
The collective agreement for more than 1,300 federal public service workers was signed on March 13 and covers the period from 2018 to 2023, expiring on November 30, 2023.
The new rates of pay, including the five per cent market adjustment, have already been processed and retroactive pay has been issued to members. The $500 implementation payment will be added to members’ March 29 pay. All other changes are effective as of the March 13 signing.
This new collective agreement closes a long round of negotiations that took place during a merger of two SSO units (field and regional offices) as well as the transfer of senior interviewers into the core public administration. The new contract replaces two previous contracts for SSO members and ensures consistency with the terms and conditions of employment for all PSAC members at SSO.
What’s next?
With this new agreement, we will begin preparing for the next round of negotiations, which should begin by the end of 2023.
Information on the input call and the national bargaining conference will be released soon. Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest bargaining updates.
The Black Class Action Secretariat and several major unions are renewing calls to settle the lawsuit on behalf of tens of thousands of Black federal public service workers in the wake of the government’s admission the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) discriminated against its Black and racialized employees.
“It is inconceivable that the federal government would spend millions of dollars fighting Black public service workers in court, when the government itself has concluded that the very institution designed to address discrimination, is discriminatory,” said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, executive director of the Black Class Action Secretariat.
The recent ruling by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBCS) is a scathing admission that the CHRC – the government’s own human rights watchdog mandated to fight racism and discrimination – is itself plagued by anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination.
The federal government has been trying to dismiss the Black Class Action since it was launched in December 2020, arguing that the workers should pursue other avenues for redress such as filing a human rights complaint with the CHRC. This recent revelation puts the CHRC’s credibility into question as the appropriate avenue to achieve justice for Black public sector workers.
“Enough is enough. Our members deserve justice, they deserve respect, and they deserve to be made whole,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “It’s time for this government to make things right so we can move forward in creating a more equitable and diverse federal public service, free of anti-Black racism.”
In the 2022 federal budget, the government committed $3.7 million over four years to create a mental health program to address racial trauma and discrimination experienced by Black workers in the federal public service. However, the government has been accused of discriminating against Black workers developing the Black Mental Health Action Plan. Earlier this year, Treasury Board terminated the employees it hired to work on the plan after they raised serious concerns about experiencing anti-Black racism. PSAC has also filed grievances on behalf of those workers and has requested transparency from Treasury Board on how the Action Plan is being developed.
The Black Class Action Secretariat and Canada’s unions are calling for the government to cease its efforts in dismissing the lawsuit, and instead actively work towards redress for the workers who have been harmed and end systemic discrimination within its ranks.
“This important legal action shines a light on systemic racism and discrimination within our workplaces, and it is a vital step towards fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment for all employees,” said Jennifer Carr, national president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every individual is treated with fairness, respect, and dignity, and we must address the root causes of inequality in order to build a more just and compassionate society. We demand the government end its delay tactics and work with Black Class Action to bring equity and justice to public service workers.”
“The CLC stands in solidarity with Black workers and against all forms of racial discrimination,” said Larry Rousseau, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress. “We support Black workers pursuing equity, equality, and full, fair participation in the labour market. We strongly urge the federal government to uphold the human rights of its workers and redress the injustices faced by Black federal public service employees.”
The Parks Canada bargaining team had more than 5,000 members across the country top of mind when they made the tough decision to declare an impasse late last week. This decision follows nearly a year of bargaining with the employer, who has come to the table with no mandate to bargain, no monetary proposal, and no serious engagement on important issues our team has at the table. While the Parks Canada continues to stall, we continue to fight for a fair contract.
Parks Canada workers are tired of waiting
We have key issues on the table to improve the day-to-day lives and working conditions of Parks members, but the only response we’ve received from the employer has been about grammar and acronyms in the collective agreement. The employer gave no response to our team’s monetary package that would raise the bar for Parks workers from forestry technicians and park wardens to workers in physical sciences and architecture and general labourers. Parks Canada members deserve better.
Declaring impasse means our bargaining decided that we’ve gone as far as we can in the bargaining process with no resolution in sight. We have been working hard to secure a deal, but without a counter-proposal on the table from the employer, we are forced to take action.
We expect the employer to take our proposals seriously and engage in meaningful negotiations.
Our team is looking for a fair contract that provides wage increases that keep up with inflation as members try to balance household budgets and recognizes workers never stopped coming into the workplace throughout the pandemic. Parks members in term and seasonal contracts have been hit especially hard.
What’s next?
Already, tens of thousands of PSAC members have registered for strike votes that will start this month for federal public service workers. We know that our union’s real power lies with workers, including Parks Canada members.
Our Parks Canada bargaining team will be ramping up plans to mobilize members for upcoming actions and events in the months ahead.
We will keep you updated when we have more information from the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment about our declaration of impasse.
Stay involved
Make sure you receive all the latest news about bargaining with the Parks Canada Agency by keeping your contact information up to date
Have you filled out our mobilization survey? Tell how you want to help reach a fair contract for members across the country
A diverse group of UNE Local activists gathered in Victoria from March 2-5 for their annual Regional Seminar. Shirley Torres, UNE Deputy Trustee for the BC & Yukon Territory Region opened the event with a powerful message for all the delegates : ‘’Your commitment to the union is a commitment to yourself’’. UNE Trustee Sharon De Souza gave an update on the ongoing trusteeship and answered questions.
It was the first time attending a UNE event for many members and learning about Local finances and the grievance process provided by UNE staff was the perfect opportunity for them to dig into what a UNE Local representative does as a volunteer. Denis St-Onge (Local 20088) explained the basics of bargaining and gave a brief update on the Parks Canada ongoing negotiations. James Little, from the BC PSAC Regional Office, went through strike mobilization.
During the second day of the event, Johanne Labine, from PSAC, held an interactive and energetic session on governance. The all-day session called UNE: Empowering our Future was the opportunity for the delegates to brainstorm, engage and learn about good union governance and sound leadership.
Youth Delegates Elections for Convention also took place. Congratulations to Sterling James (Local 20278, Delegate), Jonathan Shivam Jeet (Local 20278, Delegate), Oscar Rodriguez, (Local 20214 , 1st Alternate), Alexandra Lausanne (Local 20280, 2nd Alternate), and Carina McDonald (Local 29266, 3rd Alternate)!
The last day, Ann Birnie (Local 20278) gave a practical presentation on how to engage with members at the Local level, with plenty of useful examples for the delegates to take back to their respective Locals.
With four UNE Regions coming together at the Hilton Lac-Leamy from February 16-19 (NCR-Separate Employers, Gatineau-TB, Ottawa-TB, and Outside Canada), it was a great opportunity for activists to come together to discuss, learn and share ideas.
“The pandemic has changed the way people work and how we, as a Union, engage with the membership. An event like this is the perfect opportunity to reconnect, meet new activists and learn new tools to assist our members in the workplace through an intersectional lens,” said UNE Deputy Trustee Chris Little-Gagné.
Throughout the seminar, members had a refresher on Local finances and grievance handling. Chris gave a great presentation on pronouns and the importance of language. February is Black History Month, and an excellent presentation was given by Gwen Madiba, founder of Equal Chance.
Jesus Adrian Napoles, PSAC Regional Education Officer, gave an inspiring training session called UNE: Empowering our Future. Members had a chance to dig into governance and the importance of interaction in a respectful and constructive manner in a Union context where workplace issues can be overwhelming for the member and for the Local executive.
Youth elections for the upcoming Convention were held. Congratulations to the elected Youth delegates!
Fae Johnstone, Executive Director and Co-Owner of Wisdom2Action (W2A), provided the delegates basic and concrete tools to engage with members in a digital world.
