Persons with disabilities are some of the most resilient and strong-willed people that I know. They seem to take bumps and hiccups all in stride; something of a challenge, yet still achievable. Not insurmountable. To some, those bumps and hiccups look all-consuming, or even life-crippling. But to a person with a disability, there is a way to manage.
There has to be.
There is no other choice.
It just needs to be found.
And find it we do.
But for some, that strength and resilience is only a façade that is held tightly as if a display for the public. In some strange way they believe that that strength and resilience is what the public wants to see, even needs to see so that they can go about their day and their business without giving a second thought, and for some without giving even an initial thought, as to the actual well-being of another.
Because, let’s face it, why would they?
Everything seems ok.
Everything looks ok.
What do you mean “Things may not be as they seem?”
Out of some sense of self preservation, some insular sense of self-protectionism, the public gets the façade while behind the façade is not what the public would be lead to believe.
The truth of the matter is that living with a disability is exhausting and isolating. It’s those little things that seem so insignificant that add up to a mountain of extra load. It’s those missed opportunities or the avoidance of situations that further deepens the sense of isolation. Persons with disabilities sometimes do things for all the right reasons yet achieve all the wrong results.
Don’t forget to remember.
Check in with people, all people; persons with a disability or not.
Establish, or deepen a connection on a heart-to-heart level.
Respect the façade but also look through it; let wellness be your guide.
Be a part of the lives of the exhausted and isolated. Help them to remain resilient and strong.
By Michael Freeman
UNE National Equity Representative for Persons with Disabilities
The 2020 UNE Triennial Convention has been rescheduled to July 12-16, 2021.
If you have already registered, you will be contacted with updated information as it becomes available. Please note the new deadlines below if your Local has not yet elected delegates, alternates or observers.
Locals are encouraged to hold elections through virtual membership meetings.
NEW DATE – March 12, 2021 is the deadline for resolutions, delegate registration and for your Local to be in conformance.
Make sure your Local is in Conformance You can only attend Convention if your Local is in conformance. For a complete list of documents needed from your Local, see the Convention section of the UNE website.
Elect Delegates and their Alternates Delegates and alternates are elected during general Local meetings. The number of delegates per Local is determined by the number of members in good standing six months before the start of Convention as per UNE Bylaw 6, Section 11:
Four to 100 members = one delegate;
One delegate for each 100 members or portion thereof to a maximum of five delegates for any given Local.
Observers Locals in conformance can also send observers to Convention at the Local’s expense. These members can attend Convention, but they cannot participate in debate or vote.
Submit Credential Forms Credential forms for each delegate, alternate and observer must be submitted to UNE. Credential forms for delegates and alternates must include a copy of the general Local meeting minutes showing the election of those members. The credentials forms are available for download on the Convention section of the UNE website.
Registration Deadline
To be recognized as a delegate to Convention, members must complete the online registration
and submit the following documents by March 12, 2021 at 4pm Eastern Standard Time:
Credential forms, including meeting minutes showing election of delegates and alternates;
Local financial documents in conformance with UNE Bylaws and Policies.
Members who miss the deadline will not be able to participate on Convention committees and are considered late delegates. Late delegates are seated at Convention by way of procedural motion during the early stages of the opening of our Convention.
Questions about Convention Logistics and Registration? We hope you will find all the answers on the Convention section of our website.
If you require additional information, please contact Suzanne Boucher, Convention Coordinator, at events@une-sen.org or at 613-560-4359 or 1-800-663-6685.
RESOLUTIONS
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. If you do not have internet access, you can submit your resolutions by mail or fax.
Submit Supporting Documentation
The resolutions you submit online must also be supported by hardcopy versions of either the signed minutes verifying that the resolution was adopted during a general membership meeting or the resolutions form co-signed by five other members in good standing. You can download the resolution template on our Convention page here.
Please send these hard copies to the attention of Ateau Zola by email at resolutions@une-sen.org.
You can also submit by fax at 613-560-5208, or by mail at: Union of National Employees 900-150 Isabella St. Ottawa, ON K1S 1V7.
Resolutions received after March 12, 2021 at 4pm Eastern Standard Time will be deemed late and will be dealt with after all other resolutions.
Questions about resolutions? Please contact Ateau Zola at resolutions@une-sen.org or at 613-560-4343 or 1-800-663-6685.
In Solidarity,
Kevin King National President Union of National Employees
PSAC welcomes new research from the Centre for Future Work that spells out how universal, affordable and accessible child care can drive Canada’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The study shows that the economic benefits of building a national early learning and child care (ELCC) system far outweigh the costs.
The study bolsters PSAC’s calls for a Canada-wide ELCC system and strongly supports the Trudeau government’s recent commitment to “make a significant, long-term, sustained investment” towards a Canada-wide ELCC as part of a post-pandemic economic recovery plan.
The study shows that a universal ELCC program phased in over 10 years would:
create over 200,000 jobs in regulated child care centres;
produce an additional 80,000 jobs in industries that would support expanded child care, such as construction and renovation;
increase Canadian GDP by between $63 and $107 billion;
generate an additional $17 to $29 billion in tax revenues for federal and provincial governments—more than enough to cover the costs of publicly-funded universal child care.
Expanded child care would realize these massive economic benefits in part by creating a ramp for up to 725,000 more women to join the paid labour force.
The report also notes the lifetime health and economic well-being of children who participate in ELCC programs. There is significant evidence that high quality early childhood education can improve cognitive and social skills, and lead to better health, which in turn can reduce government spending on health care and social support systems. Research shows that access to high quality child care is particularly beneficial for children from lower-income and racialized families who now have less access to programs.
“Our union has been at the forefront of the struggle for a universal child care system for decades, and it’s encouraging to see that the stars finally seem to be lining up,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “In short, what we’ve always said — and what this new study confirms — is that a national early learning and child care system will more than pay for itself.”
“Canada has a lot of ground to make up when it comes to child care,” added Aylward. “Investing in a universal, affordable child care system is the best way to ensure an equitable economic recovery after the pandemic.”
November 25, 2020 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Why is this important, many will ask? Here are just a few facts provided by the United Nations.
Alarming Figures 1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner
Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use, and health care
Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday, while 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM)
1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family in 2017, while only 1 out of 20 men were killed under similar circumstances
71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 of these women and girls are sexually exploited
Violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined
We are in 2020 and these are facts that women are still facing daily. We all have a role to play in ending gender-based violence against women, girls and LGBTQ2+ individuals. It is time to join the uncomfortable conversations around what is violence towards women and how to be part of the solution.
Becoming an Ally to Women!
Listening: be open to learning from the experiences of others
Believing: support survivors and those affected by violence
Speaking out: add your voice to call out violence
Intervening: find a safe way to help when you see acts of gender-based violence
Acting: give your time to organizations working to end violence
We need to start somewhere, and this is the one place I am passionate about – Not only because I am a woman, BECAUSE I am a woman. No woman should feel powerless, EVER! We are not the weaker sex. We are just as powerful as men in different ways!
EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN!
No woman should ever feel powerless! I grew up being told I was strong, smart, beautiful and I could be anything I wanted, and I only owned my body. Listen to your gut, it never lies to you. I have been lucky. I am sure I have put myself in places I should not have. I have never been a survivor of violence; here I have been blessed.
I have, like all other women, had attention and things said to me that should never have been said to me growing up. Not knowing how to handle it or what to say or do. Being told it is just the times or just part of the job. I worked as a waitress in bar, all was part of getting tips.
Awhile ago, a friend of mine showed me a picture of a woman holding a sign and on it was a sentence crossed out and below was another. The one below was powerful and true!
She was raped.
He raped her.
This sign changed how I looked at the words we say and how we view them. What they say are powerful tools to fight against violence towards women. I went searching for more examples and found many others.
We have all heard the saying” Stick and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” This is so not true. When these statements are what you see and what you hear, society believes them and passed on and it becomes the norm. Let us start by breaking that cycle.
Here are a few more things we need to change:
Educate our sons
Will fight for our safety until we get it!
No such thing, an underage woman is a child. Children cannot give consent. They are RAPED, rape victims, sexual assault victims, sexual assault SURVIVORS!
This is a polite weasel word for RAPE and rapists do not deserve politeness. Victims deserve validations for what they have been through.
Will be held accountable for their actions. This is not an excuse! (Just like girls are).
Clothes are just clothes; they do not talk! No girl, woman or LGBTQ2+ individuals asks to be RAPED!
I am not naïve to know that violence towards women, girls and LGBTQ2+ individuals will stop over night just by changing a few sentences though it is a great first conversation. It is a step forward in understanding how we look at women, blame them for the violence against them, and how we usually victimize the victim in the crime. This is a necessary element to highlight in the elimination process of violence against women. It is a step in the right direction to stop this preventable epidemic.
Today, we mourn trans, two-spirit, non-binary and gender non-conforming people who have lost their lives to transphobia. November 20th is Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) which began in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was murdered in 1998. On this day, PSAC mourns the loss of those who were loving partners, parents, family members, friends and community members.
Although there have been many recent gains in trans inclusion in Canada, trans people, especially racialized trans feminine people, continue to be disproportionality affected by gender-based violence. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the discrimination and inequities these individuals face.
A survey conducted prior to COVID-19 indicated that 12% of respondents avoided going to the emergency room because they were trans or non-binary. Discrimination and these pre-existing health barriers have been heightened due to COVID-19.
Trans and non-binary people have also faced an increase in the impacts of domestic violence in their homes in times of isolation. Furthermore, social distancing measures have had a detrimental impact on the mental health of many.
Racialized Trans & Non-Binary People
Reports show that racialized trans and non-binary people in Canada experience additional challenges and discrimination. In 2019, Trans Pulse Canada conducted a survey with 2873 trans and non-binary people across the country. Racialized respondents reported higher levels of discrimination, violence and assault than their non-racialized counterparts. 73% of respondents expressed fear towards police and expected unfair treatment by the legal system. Nearly 3 in 4 respondents reported being verbally harassed within the last 5 years.
Many Black trans people report feeling disproportionately targeted and harassed by police. The recent death of Coco, a 30-year-old Black trans woman living in Toronto, while she was in the custody of the Toronto Police Services, is another stark reminder of the dangers racialized trans women face regularly.
What can you do commemorate TDOR?
You can participate in TDOR by attending and/or organizing a vigil on November 20th to honor trans and gender non-conforming people whose lives were lost due to transphobia. We encourage you to participate in a digital vigil taking place online. If you are attending a vigil in person, we remind all members to take appropriate COVID-19 safety precautions (wear a mask, physical distancing, wash hands, etc.)
You can also encourage your Member of Parliament to pass the Conversion Therapy Bill (Bill C-6) once and for all. Conversion therapy is the damaging practice of denying LGBTQ2+ people their dignity and trying to coerce individuals to change their identity. It hurts children, adults and tears families apart. You can read more information on the legislative action against conversion therapy, endorsed by PSAC.
What can you do beyond TDOR?
There are ways you can support trans and gender non-conforming people every day:
Demonstrate your trans allyship through respecting the trans people in your life.
Never assume another person’s pronouns, and always use the ones you are asked to.
Upon meeting someone new, share your pronouns with them to demonstrate your solidarity.
Include your pronouns in your email signature, business cards or in your displayed name during video conference calls.
The Public Service Pay Center has restarted its work to recover new overpayments caused by the Phoenix pay system. Back in April, due to the pandemic, the Pay Centre announced it would pause the recovery process for new overpayment cases to help alleviate financial hardship caused by the spread of COVID-19. Members who already had a repayment plan in place were unaffected.
In addition to restarting the recovery of new overpayments, the government will also start collecting pension arrears. When the Phoenix pay system first launched in 2016, it delayed pension plan enrolment for numerous employees. The Pay Centre was unable to process pension arrears until spring 2020, however the spread of COVID-19 delayed the recovery process until now.
PSAC has fought for a clear and fair policy that determines when the government can recover any overpayments from public service workers. The government can only recover payments when all three of the following conditions are met:
all monies owed to the member have been paid;
the member has received 3 consecutive correct pay cheques;
a recovery agreement has been established with the member.
All public service workers have the option to pay the outstanding amount in one lump sum if they do not wish to implement a payment plan. Any member experiencing financial hardship can also request an overpayment recovery plan that is less than 10% of their gross bi-weekly pay.
All overpayments will continue to be taxable, therefore members who have an overpayment identified by the Phoenix pay system will be issued a new tax slip for the corresponding year. Please note, PSAC’s victory to ensure that members only have to reimburse the net pay, rather than the gross amount, still stands.
If you are experiencing Phoenix pay issues, please follow our step-by-step guide to access help available to you from both the union and your employer.
In light of the election turmoil that has been unfolding south of the border, it is legitimate to ask ourselves if a similar situation could happen here. The simple answer is no or very unlikely because of the way the Canadian electoral system works and because of the Westminster parliamentary system.
Elections Canada, an independent and non-partisan federal agency, created a century ago, oversees federal elections in all provinces and territories. All Canadian voters gets the same experience at the polling station wherever they reside.
Tweet from Elections Canada
We are fortunate that all of Canada has Elections Canada, as an organization, as compared to state-run voting organizations in the United States that are prone to political partisan influences.
Our union is proud to represent Elections Canada workers with their unbiased professionalism, and their total respect for the Canada Elections Act.
PSAC and Treasury Board today signed new collective agreements for the Education and Library Sciences (EB) and Operations Services (SV) groups that were ratified by members on September 29 and October 5, respectively. The two bargaining units account for over 10,000 federal public service workers. PSAC has now signed collective agreements for around 120,000 federal public service workers.
Implementation period begins
The formal signing of the agreements today means that with the exception of monetary provisions, which are retroactive, new contract terms are in effect. Treasury Board now has 180 days to implement wage increases, wage adjustments and allowances. As explained in the contract ratification kits, in view of this extended implementation timeline which is normally 90 days, PSAC negotiated a $500 lump sum payment for members into these new contracts.
Members in the Parks and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) groups also recently ratified their tentative agreements. PSAC is working with both agencies to finalize the text and pay grids of the new agreements and expects to sign the new deals in the coming weeks.
* * *
Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about implementation of collective agreements and the Phoenix settlement.
PSAC members in the Parks Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) bargaining units have voted in favour of their respective tentative agreements. The two units represent over 10,000 federal public service workers who have gone above and beyond to support Canadians during this pandemic. PSAC has now concluded collective agreements for nearly 130,000 federal public service workers.
The new collective agreement for Parks covers the 2018-2021 period, while the new collective agreement for CFIA members covers the 2019-2021 period. All agreements provide for fair wages, no concessions and improved working conditions.
“I am proud of the elected members of our bargaining teams for their unwavering dedication during this round of talks,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC National President. “Thanks to their hard work and the solidarity shown by thousands of members across the country, we were able to negotiate a fair deal. We’re now in a strong position to build on these improvements in the next round of bargaining.”
Next Steps
In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with Parks and CFIA representatives to sign the new collective agreements. With the exception of monetary provisions, which are retroactive, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.
Both employers have 180 days from the signing of the contracts to implement wage increases, wage adjustments and allowances. As explained in the ratification kits, in view of this extended implementation timeline, PSAC negotiated a $500 lump sum payment into all contracts.
PSAC will update members when contracts are signed. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal.
In order to reduce the pressure on the Phoenix pay system and allow compensation advisors to focus on fixing outstanding pay issues, PSAC and Treasury Board have agreed to suspend the automatic cash-out of vacation and compensatory leave for public service workers until March 31, 2022.
In most cases, compensatory leave that is earned in a fiscal year and remains outstanding on September 30 of the following fiscal year is subject to an automatic cash-out provision.
The extended moratorium will prevent the normally automatic transactions from causing additional pay issues for members. Members will still be able to request a cash-out of their leave. PSAC is aware that many members value time off over money and when consulted by Treasury Board, we agreed to the change in policy. We believe this is a prudent decision, allowing members to use compensatory time over a longer period of time while alleviating some of the pressure around Phoenix pay-related matters.
The overtime articles in PSAC’s five Treasury Board collective agreements (PA, TC, EB, SV and FB groups) provide employees with the option for overtime to be paid by compensatory leave rather than pay in a fiscal year.
Where automatic cash-out provisions currently exist in the collective agreement, Treasury Board will be directing departments to suspend the automatic cash-out for all hours earned during the 2021/2022 fiscal year, unless the cash-out is specifically requested by the employee.
The next cash-out date of excess hours will follow the provisions stipulated in the relevant collective agreement.
