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How many days off do you get?

How many days off do Canadians get? Turns out, we don’t get many!

Let’s say you’re entering a new job in the private sector; you get 10 days of annual leave and you have 5 national public holidays (ahem, that don’t fall on a weekend!). Depending on your province or territory, maybe you get another holiday or two.

According to a recent study by Hotels.com, Canadians only get 15 days of paid leave. When it comes to time away from work, Canada ranks 29th among 30 other countries.

Topping the list are Russia, Italy and Sweden, where workers get between 36 and 40 paid days off per year. Even our friends south of the border get 5 more paid days off than we do!

For a look at the greener grass on the other side of the Atlantic, we turned to Heather Brooker, regional vice-president for the Outside Canada region.

Brooker, who works in Moscow, said there’s nothing unusual about the amount of paid days off Russians get, especially compared to other European countries.

“They have a heck of a lot more stat holidays than we do here in Canada,” said Brooker.

For our members working in Canadian embassies abroad, national public holidays present a different problem.

“Our stat holidays are a combination of Canadian and Russian holidays,” explained Brooker. “So we have to give up some Canadian holidays in order to embrace the Russians.”

Likewise, Russians working as local employees in the same embassy don’t get as many holidays – and they’re stuck with holidays (such as Canada Day!) that don’t have any meaning to them.

Given the lack of access to paid time off in Canada, there’s a clear advantage to being unionized. According to the Canadian Labour Congress, most unionized workers start off with three weeks of paid vacation time. Four years later, 70% will benefit from four weeks off.

And, in this day and age, that time away from work is becoming all the more precious.

“I think that many of us aren’t easily detached from our mobile tools, whether or not you’re sitting at home,” said Brooker. “Can we really find anyone chilling out during a statutory holiday the way we were meant to 20 or 30 years ago?”

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Earth Day – April 22

Spring has finally arrived and with it, the chance to once again witness nature at its best: sprouting! What better time to celebrate our planet and reflect on the many ways we can better the environment. This Earth Day, take the time to rethink old habits and take action! The following helpful hints can get you started:

Give up your love-affair with the printer
Not everything needs to be printed! The first step towards doing away with piles of paper on your desk is to adapt an organized and intuitive way of filing your electronic documents. Also, check your printer settings. Is your printer set to print double-sided by default? This alone could cut your paper consumption in half!

Think green… procurement!
Are you in charge of ordering supplies and printed documents? Choose products that come with minimal packaging. Ask your supplier about products made from recycled materials. When ordering printed material, opt for paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council; they are a widely respected non-profit organization that certifies certain types of paper as being both environmentally and socially responsible choices. They also play an important role in protecting old growth forests.

Rethink your lunchbox
Waste reduction can start in the very lunchbox you bring to work. Bring beverages from home in a reusable stainless steel bottle instead of purchasing plastic water bottles or juice boxes. Bring cutlery from home instead of using disposable plastic cutlery from the cafeteria. Get inspired by the University of Victoria who banned plastic cutlery in an effort to reach zero waste; they now provide biodegradable cutlery made from bamboo! Finally, give up the ready-made meals from your store’s freezer section; a homemade meal in a reusable plastic container will have less of an impact on the environment and will, most likely, taste much better too!

Go vegetarian once a week!
You may have heard Dr. David Suzuki mention this concept before. Meat-production has a very serious impact on the environment. A United Nations report from 2006 found that raising livestock creates more carbon emissions than the world’s transportation put together1. In fact, the meat industry accounts for 18 per cent of global emissions.2 Try going vegetarian or vegan once per week – get your family and coworkers involved! You’ll reduce your carbon footprint dramatically and feel healthier. Who knows, you may even discover a new favourite recipe!

There are many ways to reduce our impact on the environment. This Earth Day, take a moment to reflect on a few ways you can do your part. For more information on earth day events across Canada and ways to take action, please visit the Earth Day Canada Web site: http://www.earthday.ca

[1] Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns. (2006) UN News Centre.

[2] Livestock’s Long Shadow (2006). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

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Human Rights Award

The Union of National Employees is strongly committed to the promotion of human rights. While all unions have a rich history of advocating for human rights, our members are especially proud of this cause.

The award is meant to recognize a member’s exceptional work promoting human rights. The Union of National Employees is looking for nominations – the due date is August 1. More information is available here.

The last member to receive the award was Cheryl Aucoin, in 2007.

Aucoin remembers her work trying to get people with disabilities, as well as gays and lesbians recognized as equity-seeking groups within the PSAC.

“It was a struggle at the very beginning,” said Aucoin. “They certainly weren’t jumping up and down for people who were gay and lesbian.”

Aucoin says it was easier for her to advocate on behalf of her gay brothers and lesbian sisters because she was straight.

“I was very happy to take some of that stuff on,” said Aucoin, quite proudly. “I was safe as a church! But for some other folks, that wasn’t the case at all. For some, it was really quite painful.”

The PSAC finally adopted a policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 1994. According to Aucoin, it was in large part due to the progressive leadership in our union.

“I think of all the components, we were the forerunner,” said Aucoin.

“In retrospect, it was probably some of the best times of my life.”

For those of you who may recognize Cheryl Aucoin’s name, she says hello! She says that while she is indeed retired, she still keeps in contact with all the PSAC members in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She still gets invited to local union events – and goes!

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Update on Pay Equity (OAG and SSHRC)

It’s mind-blowing, but it’s true; we’re still still fighting the employer on pay equity issues… in 2013!

Recently, six federal organizations arrived at a settlement on the question of pay equity. Among these are the Office of the Auditor General and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The important thing to note is that eligible current employees do not need to apply to receive the payment. Former employees, however, have between 12 and 18 months, depending on the employer, to apply for their payments.

If you receive a payment that you feel is incorrect, you must contact the PSAC if you wish to dispute it. In most cases, you only have 60 days to do so.

For more information consult this page on the PSAC website.

“To quote Catherine Swift of the Globe and Mail, ‘pay equity is getting older and not better,’” said Heather Sams, the UNE national equity representative for women.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canadian women who work full-time still earn about 19% less than men.1

[1] Closing the Gap. 2012. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

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SSO Bargaining Update

Last time we reported on bargaining at Statistical Survey Operations, the negotiations had reached an impasse. Since then, members have only become more passionate about having their issues addressed.

“The members are getting impatient and frustrated,” said Réjean Amyotte, a member of the bargaining team. “The more time goes by, the more solid we become.”

After the PSAC filed for arbitration, the employer filed almost 20 pages of objections. Their position is that many issues, including wage and scheduling rights, simply can’t be addressed in arbitration. In response, the Labour Board scheduled a hearing for the end of March to address the employer’s 131 objections.

“This delay is really starting to build solidarity.”

Members working for Statistical Survey Operations fall under two categories; those who go door to door conducting surveys and those who do it from a call centre. Both groups have filed for arbitration.

Last month, members at the regional office in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, participated in lunch-hour pickets in the days leading up to the Labour Board hearing. Once the hearing started, members mobilized even more.

“On the first day that we picketed, I got a call from the assistant director asking what was going on,” said Amyotte. “So, we certainly have their attention.”

Among the demands is the issue of seniority; our members want the employer to recognize seniority when assigning work hours. As things stand currently, the employer has no obligation to provide a minimum amount of hours.

“During our discussions at the negotiating table, we always presented scenarios on how this could be put into practice,” said Géraldine Fortin, a member of the bargaining team for field employees.

“They make us talk, they make us talk – but they never come back with anything. We’re basically talking to ourselves – there’s no exchange.”

In a recent demonstration in Sherbrooke, Quebec, SSO members sported t-shirts with the slogan, “We believe in seniority”.

Fortin, who has been working for Statistical Survey Operations for 22 years, says she’s been promised the moon since Day 1, and she’s still waiting.

“Why do we stay there?” Fortin asked herself. “It’s not for the salary. It’s not for the work conditions – there aren’t any….”

“We stay there because of the contact with respondants. There’s a social side to our work that is very rewarding.”

For additional information, please consult the SSO bargaining section of the PSAC website.

Psst! If you go to our Flickr page, you’ll find a bunch of photos related to SSO Bargaining! Keep up the good fight!

**One last thing: A big thanks to Krystle Harvey from Local 00383 for some last-minute help with this article! 😉

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Update from the National Executive

The National Executive met last week, immediately following the All Presidents Conference. That’s a long time to be living out of a suitcase! But, despite a rather busy (but nonetheless enjoyable!) weekend, our leaders didn’t waste any time getting right to work.

“It really was a busy weekend,” said Assistant Regional Vice-President Paulette Gaudet of Saskatchewan, who volunteered her help wherever she could: the registration desk, the swag table and the hospitality suite. From working the registration desk alone, Gaudet said she got to meet 90% of the members attending the conference.

“It was awesome to see so many faces and being able to put names to faces!”

The national executive meeting was also the occasion to give a warm welcome to our union’s newest assistant regional vice-president, Bill Bennett.

“If I sound nervous, it’s because I am nervous,” joked Bennett during the introductions. Bennett will be the Atlantic’s assistant regional vice-president in charge of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has been working at Parks Canada since 1988.

One of the first items on the agenda was the attack on the Rand formula. If the Conservatives succeed at eliminating the formula, employees in a unionized workplace would have the option to decide whether or not they wish to pay union dues. We’re not sure of any other service that gives you the option to decide “you know, I don’t feel like paying for this today!”

“Why should only some of the people in a workplace pay for something everyone in that workplace benefits from?” asked PSAC National President Robyn Benson, recently, in the Financial Post.

Members of the national executive agreed that the union needs to engage members. During the meeting, they voted in favour of setting a goal asking local, regional and national leaders to engage with every member, one on one, by the end of 2013. The motion also allocates $40,000 to the regions to support this activity.

Unfortunately, workforce adjustment has become a regular item on the agenda. As previously reported, the National Capital Commission and the National Gallery were two organizations where members were recently told that they’d be out of a job. And with the recent announcement of the Canadian International Development Agency being folded into the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, our members working in development are worried about their future.

Sadly, workforce adjustment is the reason why Regional Assistant Vice-President Benoit Dubeau will no longer be part of the Union of National Employees. Dubeau just recently found a new job.

“Benoit was a very great assistant. He had a lot of potential,” said Regional Vice-President Jean Pierre Naud.

Despite the sad news, Naud says he’s encouraged by the fact that many members are interested in stepping up to the plate.

“I was worried I would have to convince people to step into the position, but it seems like we’ll be having elections shortly,” said Naud.

At the end of a 3-day national executive meeting, the standard item before the adjournment is a roundtable goodbye. By the end of the meeting, we’re pretty sure that Bill Bennett had gotten over his initial nervousness.

“It’s been a busy week and I’ve learned a lot,” he concluded.

“He’s quick on the uptake so he’ll get the hang of it quickly,” joked his fellow regional team member, Angela Decker.

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2013 Bursaries

At the Union of National Employees, we know that education is a key ingredient of personal growth. We also recognize that there are countless barriers to continuing education. That’s partly why we award three bursaries each year – to make it a little bit easier for our members and their family to access quality education.

For our members, union education ensures that the work we do on behalf of our brothers and sisters is of the highest quality.

You can apply for the following bursaries right now:

The Laurier Auger Bursary awards $2,000 to a UNE member – or their partner or child – who is entering the first year of post-secondary education. The application must be received by June 30. For more information and to find out how to apply, click here.

The Bursary for an Adult Member attending an Institute of Higher Learning awards $1,000 to a member who wishes to attend a union-related course. The application must be received by July 31. For more information and to find out how to apply, click here.

The Alfred Papineau Bursary applies $500 towards the tuition of a part-time course that will help a member participate more fully in union activities. The application must be received by August 31. For more information and to find out how to apply, click here.

The terms of reference for our bursaries are also found on the Annual Bursaries section of our website.

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Conference news you can use!

The All Presidents’ Conference is well under way. Our members’ brains are overflowing with synaptic action from all the great presentations and discussions we’ve had so far.

You can download the newsletters by using the following links:

Issue 1 (currently unavailable – sorry!)
Issue 2

This newsletter was made possible by the tremendous work of UNE volunteers: René Coignaud, Stephanie Kale and Mathieu Laurin.

There are also tons more pictures on Flickr and great discussions happening on Twitter thanks to this hashtag: #UNE2013.

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The Strike That Rocked Canada!

Can you imagine having to work twelve hours a day, six days a week? We’re not talking about being a workaholic; we’re talking about life before trade unions!

It was around this time in 1872 that the workers in Hamilton and Toronto began demanding nine-hour workdays. Among them were printers who worked for the Toronto Globe and the Toronto Mail.

On March 25, 1872, members of the Toronto Typographical Union walked off the job. Other city labourers joined them in a show of solidarity. The Toronto printers’ strike culminated on April 15 when 10,000 supporters joined a rally at Queens Park.1

Good old George Brown, a Father of Confederation and owner of the Toronto Globe, wasn’t too fond of all that ruckus. In fact, the last time his workers had gone on strike, in 1854, Brown had some union activists successfully prosecuted for “conspiracy to combine” (which we assume is a synonym for “standing up to the man”!).2

In fact, as good old Mr. Brown reminded folks, Canadian law didn’t offer any protections to trade unions. 3

And so Mr. Brown had 13 Toronto Typographical Union members arrested and charged on yet another ‘standing up to the man’ conspiracy charge. Trade union leaders were having none of that; they met with Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and demanded an end to all that nonsense. (note: the fact that Brown and Macdonald were political rivals… it helped a little!)

And so the Trade Labour Act was enacted in 1872. And since picketing is kind of important if you’re a union, in 1876, a British law that made picketing illegal was repealed.4

Once unions were protected under the law, the 54-hour workweek became a common demand in unionized workplaces. 5

And good old Mr. Brown?

Well, in 1884, he and Christopher Bunting of the Toronto Mail got together with other Toronto publishers to impose a 10% wage reduction on printers. The strike that followed wasn’t very successful, but the printers made it their business to oppose all municipal candidates supported by the Mail. 6

They even created tens of thousands of flyers urging people to vote against the paper’s favoured candidate for mayor, Mr. Manning.7

After poor Mr. Manning lost the election, newspaper owners learned not to mess with printers (because, you know, they can make flyers!).8

[1] Hébert, G. Strikes and Lockouts. The Canadian Encyclopedia

[2] Kealey, G. (1980). Toronto Workers Respond to Industrial Capitalism, 1867-1892. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.

[3] Idem

[4] Guest, D. (1997) The Emergence of Social Security in Canada. 3rd ed. UBC Press, Vancouver, Canada.

[5] Marsh, J. The Origins of Labour Day. The Canadian Encyclopedia

[6] Kealey, G. (1980). Toronto Workers Respond to Industrial Capitalism, 1867-1892. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.

[7] Idem

[8] Idem

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"Too ethnic"!?

Imagine finding out that your resume ended up in the recycle bin because your name sounded “too ethnic”. It’s the kind of blatant discrimination you’d hope wouldn’t happen in this day and age, but according to one study, this sort of thing happens all too often.

In 2009, University of Toronto Professor Philip Oreopoulos conducted a study in which 6000 mock resumes were sent to recruiters in Toronto. In each resume, the level of education and experience was comparable; the only striking difference was that some applicants’ names were English-sounding while others sounded more Indian, Pakistani or Chinese. A further chunk of resumes featured experience and education acquired outside Canada.1

An applicant with an English-sounding name who was educated in Canada had a 16% chance of getting called for an interview; an equally-qualified applicant with a more ethnic-sounding name and whose experience and education was acquired outside Canada only received a call 5% of the time.2

When only the applicants’ names were in play, “Alison Johnson” was still 40% more likely to get a call than “Tao Wang”.3

The study points to name-based discrimination being a key factor that could explain why immigrants often struggle in the Canadian job market despite their qualifications.

Oreopoulos conducted a similar study again in 2010, this time expanding the research to include Vancouver and Montreal. When the researchers later interviewed recruiters, they discovered that snap decisions are frequently being made; they end up assuming that a foreign name is synonymous with language difficulties or a lack of critical social skills, despite the resume suggesting otherwise. In other words, it’s a form of subconscious discrimination.4

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. We thought we’d share this study with our members as a reminder that racism can take many forms.

We mustn’t forget that affirmative action programs are currently on the chopping block. These programs aim to reverse the pattern of earlier discrimination by giving priority to individuals who are socially disadvantaged.

Affirmative action is often a contentious issue. Conservatives such as Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney, for example, are of the opinion that merit alone should be considered when hiring public servants.5 But that approach fails to take into account institutional racism.

If “Tao Wang” is passed over for a job early in his working life because of his name alone, then isn’t he starting the race a few seconds after everyone else?

[1] Oreopoulos, P. (2009) Why Do Skilled Immigrants Struggle In The Labor Market? A Field Experiment With Six Thousand Resumes. National Bureau of Economic Research.

[2] Idem

[3] Idem

[4] Oreopoulos, P., Dechief, D. (2012) Why Do Some Employers Prefer to Interview Matthew, but Not Samir? New Evidence from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Canadian Labour Market and Skills Researcher Network.

[5] Rennie, Steve. (2010) Ottawa orders affirmative-action overhaul. Ottawa Citizen.