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Legislative Update: Bill C-262, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

Daniel Toutant, MP Romeo Saganash and Ruby Langan

 

Bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is a fundamental piece of legislation. Bill C-262 ensures that the laws of Canada respect the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This bill addresses an essential issue, Indigenous human rights. The sponsor of the bill, MP Romeo Saganash, worked with the United Nations for 23 years, negotiating the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples:

“Bill C-262 […] also allow[s] us to begin to redress the past wrongs, the past injustices that were inflicted on indigenous people. This is the main objective of Bill C-262, to recognize that on one hand they are human rights but on the other hand that we begin to redress the past injustices that were inflicted on the first peoples of this country.”

“The long journey of reconciliation involves recognizing fundamental Indigenous human rights and Bill C-262 shows us why we need to implement these international standards” explains National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples Ruby Langan.

Ruby has been promoting this bill across the country and coordinated three rallies in late 2017, two of which were in Ottawa as well as one in Vancouver. She had the opportunity to attend the debate in the House of Commons on December 5, 2017 and listened to Romeo Saganash’s speech on this important issue. “Being invited by the Office of MP Romeo Saganash to attend the debate on this bill was an honour and a moment of pride for all the work aboriginal activists and allies put into the awareness of this fundamental issue”.

“Bill C-262 is about human rights. Bill C-262 is about justice. Bill C-262 is about reconciliation”, explains MP Saganash. The government supports the bill. Committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the Prime Minister established a working group of Ministers to study laws regarding Indigenous peoples. The bill has gone through three readings in the House of Commons and is scheduled for the Senate. Bill C-262 is a long-term commitment to improve Canada’s Indigenous human rights legislation.

Ruby has demonstrated her tireless commitment to not just indigenous peoples, but her hope to educate union leadership, and the general public as well. Her accomplishments are to be well recognized by all of us at UNE.

 

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National Indigenous Peoples Day

This should be a national holiday. The whole country should use June 21 to celebrate and honour the original peoples of this land. There is much to learn, whether historical or current events, and much to do. For many Canadians, the history of Indigenous peoples was not taught in school. I offer some suggestions.

Learn the history

  • Indigenous peoples as allies, treaty making
  • Indigenous peoples as wards of the state, Indian Act, apartheid, genocide, residential school barbarity, Metis scrip, Inuit relocation

Monitor current events

  • Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Inquiry
  • United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
  • Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP)
  • 60’s Scoop
  • Pipelines and resources, duty to consult
  • Indigenous chapter in North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Activate

There is so much we need to accomplish. Learn. Feel. Heal. Eat bannock. Attend a pow wow. Read a book by an Indigenous author. Change laws and attitudes. Open eyes. Human rights equality in Canada depends on what we are willing to do.

All my relations,

Ruby Langan

UNE National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples

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New financial losses covered by claims process: what you need to know

Employees who earned salary in 2016, but were not paid a portion of this salary until 2017, may have incurred financial losses due to:

  • Paying a higher rate of income tax
  • Reduced government benefits and credits

If you paid a higher rate of income tax due to receiving a portion of your 2016 salary in 2017, you can now submit a claim for the difference between what you paid, and what you should have paid had your salary been paid to you on time. Please make sure you have your correct 2017 notice of assessment before submitting the claim.

Receiving a portion of your 2016 salary in 2017 may have affected your eligibility for certain government benefits and credits. Starting in July 2018, employees will be able to submit claims related to their 2018 government benefits and credits, such as the Canada child benefit, GST/HST rebates, and daycare subsidies.

 

More information

Before preparing your claim, PSAC strongly urges members to review the following information from Treasury Board:

Departments and agencies have assigned claims officers to help you with this process. You can find the contact information for your department’s claims officer here.

 

Other eligible expenses

Don’t forget, you can still claim for out-of-pocket expenses, tax services (up to $200), and an advance on missing benefits.

If you have suffered a financial loss or incurred expenses due to Phoenix, but you do not find your particular situation described in the information provided at the above links, PSAC encourages you to still submit a claim. According to Treasury Board: “If you have incurred a permanent financial loss because of Phoenix, fill out a claim and add as much information as you can. Our goal is to correct each situation and we review each claim on a case-by-case basis.”

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Discrimination in the federal public service; one member’s story.

A Union of National Employees member shares a personal experience of discrimination as a member of the LGBT community and its lasting impact.

Greetings,

In light of the Prime Minister of Canada’s apology on November 28th regarding the federal government’s discriminatory practices toward the LGBT community, I wish to share my own personal experience with you and encourage other federal government employees to get on board with the class action.

At the end of the 70s, I applied to a competition open to university graduates at Foreign Affairs for foreign assignments. During the ensuing RCMP security investigations, I declared, in good faith, that I was homosexual.  Following the investigation, they refused to add me to the list of candidates for a position in the department. Through the Access to Information Office, I put in a request to have access to the investigation report. The entire report was essentially positive, but certain portions were struck out.  I then communicated with people who had been contacted during the investigation only to realize that the struck-out information was linked to confirmation of my sexual orientation. I called upon the Human Rights Commission and it rendered a positive decision against this discriminatory situation. Thereafter, the Department of Foreign Affairs accepted to put me on the list of candidates, but a few months later the list was eliminated. I never got the chance to work there.

On the strength of my master’s degree in International Relations, I resolved to work with various community organizations — the only positions available to me at the time. It wasn’t until 2000, at the age of 45, that I finally attempted once again to enter the federal public service. I then obtained a position at Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Six years later, in 2006, I got the opportunity to transfer to the Canadian International Development Agency and, thereafter, to Global Affairs Canada during the amalgamation of the two departments.

Such a long road travelled… from the initial competitive process when I was discriminated against to my entry at Global Affairs Canada. Thirty-three years have gone by!  Due to the missed opportunity of getting into my department at the end of my university studies, here I am, in my early 60s, having to work until I’m 65 years old to obtain a decent pension and this despite my 24 years of seniority. I can’t complain as life has nonetheless been good to me. However, I simply wanted to state what impact these discriminatory decisions have had on my life’s course.

I am convinced that many of you have also had a career path made more difficult due to the prevalence in the past of discriminatory policies within the federal government. Therefore, I encourage you to do the same thing as me and take part in the class action.  This obviously will not be a solution to everything. However, it will provide some compensation for the difficulties we have encountered.

I thank you for hearing out my testimony!

 

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RALLY on Parliament Hill December 4, 2017

RALLY
Parliament Hill, Ottawa
December 4, 2017
12-1 PM

MP Romeo Saganash tabled Bill C-262 to ensure that the laws of Canada respect the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A second reading in the House of Commons is scheduled for December 5, 2017.

With your voice and collaboration, Canada will honour Indigenous human rights and pass Bill C-262.

For more information, visit www.adoptandimplement.com.

#UNDRIP #TRC #RECONCILIATION #WaterIsLife

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National Aboriginal Day

June 21 is the day set aside to celebrate the Indigenous peoples of Canada. This year, 2017, marks the country’s 150th birthday. The birthday celebration conversation has non-Indigenous celebrants voicing pride in good fortune gained through hard work. This Indigenous non-celebrant voices sorrow that generations of my ancestors have been brutalized for 150 years by this country’s laws. Today. Still. Many Indigenous communities have no safe water to drink nor bathe in. Our Indigenous schools are not funded to the same level as provincial schools. Our families are still being destroyed and our children are still living in poverty. Facts. Many self-medicate to manage the painful legacy inflicted upon them. I am not celebrating 150 years of this.

It hurts to learn the facts and the history and how it impacts us and our children. We need to find the way forward, in a good way. Do you know the facts and history and impacts? Do you want this country to be celebrated, for its equality, honour, human rights? Would you learn and share your knowledge? Would you change laws? Would you create better laws? Would you change attitudes? Would you support making National Aboriginal Day a national holiday? It would be one amazing step to honouring the original inhabitants of this land.

 

All my relations,

Ruby Langan

National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples

 

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May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

May 17, 2017 is a day to reflect on what makes us unique, what makes us proud, and where there is still work to be done. On international day against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, we remember the successes we have had in achieving human rights for LGBT people, as well as the struggles that remain.

The International Day Against Homophobia on May 17th is a reminder to challenge the stigma when we see it. This action helps to build solidarity with our LGBT clients, but also with coworkers, family, and friends who deserve a safe space. In an international climate of conservatism and right-wing extremism, it is now more important than ever to support those most marginalized within our communities. As employees of the federal public service, we are uniquely poised to serve as an example of inclusivity and tolerance. By fostering an environment that is accepting of sexual and gender diversity, we can demonstrate the value that a diverse population has for our Canadian heritage.

Despite inclusion in workplace protections and human rights legislation, homophobia still persists. As public servants, we must represent Canadian values in the work that we do. By serving as an example of tolerance, and refusing to be silent in the face of stigma and injustice, we can do our part to ensure that Canada continues to be a beacon of diversity for the LGBT and all communities.

For more information, visit http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/

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UNE Human Rights Award

At the Union of National Employees much of what we do would not be possible without the tireless work of our many volunteers. That is why I am proud to take this opportunity to extend a sincere thanks to those members who have made a significant contribution through union activism.

Our human rights awards are presented to individuals who  have achieved outstanding and exemplary conduct in the promotion of human rights.

If your Local wishes to nominate a member, please refer to the criteria on the UNE website at http://en.une-sen.org/what_we_do/awards/hra_crit_e.pdf .  The application form can also be found on the UNE website at http://en.une-sen.org/what_we_do/awards/hra_app_e.pdf .   Please ensure that you follow the criteria carefully and that complete the application form correctly.

The deadline for receipt of applications is  June 30.  The Human Rights award will be presented at the 2017 UNE Triennial Convention this August.

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees, PSAC

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International Migrants Day 

     

By Shirley Torres

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 18 as International Migrant’s day in December 4, 2000. We dedicate the day to all the workers in the world who left their countries due to several reasons but mainly due to economic reasons. These workers were willing to relocate to any part of the world where they could earn better wages in order to provide for their loved ones.  They unselfishly accepted the fact that they were going to be separated and live far away from their families in hopes for a better and a brighter future. But, would there really be a better and a brighter future ahead?

They are the migrant workers. They encounter a lot of hardship, sacrifices and  challenges. Most often, they find themselves in a country that they know very little or nothing about at all. They end up immersed in a culture totally different from theirs and it takes a lot of time and effort and before they are able to adjust. A language barrier leading to misunderstanding and miscommunication often exists and can create tension and stress right away.

Migrant workers are quite vulnerable as they do not know local employment laws that protect their rights as workers. Some employers take advantage of this leading to lower wage rates, limited access to health care benefit or services and exploitation as well as physical, sexual or emotional abuse.

In Canada, migrant workers work primarily in the service sector. While they are able to live and work legally in Canada, limited funding is available for them to access services (such as free English classes and settlement support) that would enable them to integrate more successfully in the community.

This topic about migrants is dear to my heart because I come from a developing country where, due to poverty, many leave their homes, their families and their loved ones behind to be in any part of the world that offers  better means and resources to support them.  It is too sad that instead of achieving what they were aiming for, some of their hardships and sacrifices ended in tragedy because they were exploited and taken advantage of.

Today, I pay tribute to the millions of migrants in the world for their courage, sacrifices and of course their valuable contribution to their community, their society, their countries and the world.

I would like to pay tribute and remember in a special way a wife, a mother a daughter – a migrant worker. I dedicate this day to her. Please allow me to share her story.

Flor Contemplacion was a 42 year old Filipina housekeeper convicted by a Singaporean court of killing another Filipina housekeeper and the three year old Singaporean son of her employer on May 4th, 1991. After she confessed to the murders, it was later claimed that she made the confession under duress.

She was executed by hanging in March, 1995.

Click here to read her heartbreaking story.

It has been twenty one years since this tragedy and there are still other similar stories to tell. Let us all work together to ensure the protection of migrants’ rights and dignity by putting an end to the discrimination against them. Let us also raise awareness of their valuable contributions.

Shirley Torres is the UNE’s Regional Human Rights Representative for the British Columbia and Yukon region.

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National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

dec62017

PSAC works to end violence against women

On this National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, PSAC renews our commitment to eliminate all forms of violence against women.

December 6 marks the anniversary of the Montréal Massacre, where 14 young women were killed at École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989.

PSAC is calling on the Government of Canada to establish a national action plan to end violence against women. Our union is also developing a domestic violence education training program, after members voted to make this happen at the 2015 Triennial National Convention.

Workplace accommodation needed

In December 2015, PSAC brought women together at a forum on domestic violence and the workplace where participants discussed:

•    Workplace accommodations and collective agreement language to help women experiencing domestic violence.
•    The potential for legal action and law reform.
•    The need to develop policies and programs to help end violence against women.

PSAC is also working to ensure that the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls remains a priority on the federal government agenda.

“The safety and dignity of all women and girls is a priority for our union,” said Robyn Benson, PSAC National President. “We are committed to ending violence against women. And until we get there, we will continue our work for increased support for survivors and better understanding of the impact of domestic violence on work and the workplace.”