Alisha Campbell
National President
Hayley Millington
National Executive Vice-President
Michael Freeman
National Vice-President for Human Rights
Geoff Ryan
National Vice-President for Occupational Health & Safety
August 24, 2023
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:
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:
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.
For more information on educational events, check out the courses available from your PSAC Regional Office and the Canadian Labour Congress.
The Credentials Committee reported first thing in the morning that we have 180 delegates at this year’s Triennial Convention. After some administrative announcements, it was right back to business with the Finance Committee and a lively debate on the budget. Delegates got behind all the work done and passed the budget with a strong showing of support.
Next, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee presented its report. Three resolutions were debated and voted on:
Resolutions CS 2 and CS 1 passed, while CS 3 was defeated.
Following lunch, Larry Rousseau, CLC Executive Vice-President, gave the Convention a passionate speech that energized the delegates and left them singing in the hall.
The General Resolutions Committee were next up and dealt with three resolutions in the afternoon:
All three resolutions were passed by the Convention Floor.
We hope all the delegates had a great time in the evening at the Royal Ontario Museum!
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.
We are pleased to let you know that all Convention documents are now available on the UNE website at https://en.unesen.ca/events/convention/Binder.php
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.
In solidarity,
The UNE Events Team
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
Congratulations on your election victories!
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.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
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.
PSAC and Treasury Board representatives have signed the collective agreements for PSAC members in the PA and TC bargaining units. Both agreements were ratified by members on June 16, 2023. We anticipate signing the SV and EB agreements next week.
Next steps
All non-monetary terms of the collective agreement take effect immediately.
The employer now has 180 days to action retroactive pay, the $2,500 pensionable lump-sum payment and implement wage increases, wage adjustments and allowances. The lump-sum will be paid to each employee based on their substantive position – including those on leave without pay – on the date of signing June 27, 2023. See our FAQ for full details about your eligibility for the lump sum payment.
If the implementation period goes beyond 180 days and when the outstanding amount owed is greater than $500, the employer will pay a $200 lump sum per member.
After a week in mediation to make concrete gains for more than 5,000 Parks members across the country, the Parks Canada bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement that prevents workers from falling further behind and improves job security.
A full explanation of the new agreement will be provided in the coming days. The Parks Canada bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the agreement.
Parks Canada wage increases
PSAC negotiated wage increases totaling at least 12.6%, compounded over the life of the agreement (retroactive to August 5, 2021, to August 4, 2025). PSAC also secured a fourth year in the agreement that protects workers from inflation (projected by the Bank of Canada to be 2.3%).
| Year of the agreement | Aug 5, 2021 | Aug 5, 2022 | Aug 5, 2023 | Aug 5, 2024 | Total |
| Wage increase | 1.5% | 4.75% | 3% + 0.5%* | 2.25% | 12% |
| Total compounded wage increase | 1.5% | 6.4% | 10.1% | 12.6% | 12.6% |
*wage adjustment of a minimum of 0.5% for all occupational groups
In addition, your bargaining team also negotiated a pensionable one-time lump sum payment of $2,500 for every Parks member at the time of signing the agreement. This represents an additional 4.01% of salary for the average Parks member.
Wage Adjustments in the Third Year of the Agreement
With the exception of the sub-groups listed below, all Parks Canada members will receive a 0.5% pay line adjustment on August 5, 2023, for a compound wage increase of 12.6%.
*The compounded wage increases listed above include general economic increases, wage adjustments, and market or pay line adjustments over the four-year term of the agreement. The one-time, lump sum $2,500 payment and group specific allowances are in addition to these totals.
Group specific allowances
Other improvements to the Parks collective agreement include:
Protections against contracting out
Privatization and contracting out in the federal public service leads to higher costs, more risk, and reduced quality of services for Canadians. PSAC has negotiated language to ensure that in the event of layoffs, preference shall be given to the retention of PSAC members over outside contractors already working with the federal government. This language will protect public service jobs and reduce contracting out in the federal public service.
The government has also committed to a consultation process on the issues associated with contracting out in the federal public service.
Seniority under Workforce Adjustment Process
PSAC and Treasury Board have agreed to submit a joint proposal to the Public Service Commission of Canada to include seniority rights in the Workforce Adjustment process in situations where reasonable job offers can be made to some but not all surplus employees in a given work location. The Agency has agreed to a meaningful consultation with the union should PSAC and Treasury Board be successful in their application.
New and improved remote work language
PSAC members will now be protected from arbitrary decisions about remote work. We have negotiated language in a letter of agreement that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses that will allow members and PSAC to hold the employer accountable to equitable and fair decision-making on remote work. Having all remote work requests reviewed on an individual basis will prevent future “one size fits all” type mandates like the government announced in December last year.
That means employee rights around remote work arrangements will be protected through a grievance process, and grievances that are not settled prior to the final step of the grievance process can be referred to a new joint union-management panel for review.
PSAC and Parks Canada have also agreed to create a joint committee to review and update the Guide on Hybrid Work Arrangements.
Leave for Indigenous Practices
A diverse workforce with strong Indigenous representation means a better public service for all. The addition of 2 days of paid leave and 3 days of unpaid leave for Indigenous employees to engage in traditional Indigenous practices, including hunting, fishing and harvesting, will help to attract and retain more Indigenous workers and recognize their lived experiences.
Safer and more inclusive workplaces
The Agency commits to consider the recommendations of the Joint Committee formed by Treasury Board and the Alliance to review existing training courses related to employment equity, diversity and inclusion and informal conflict management systems.
Other gains at the bargaining table
Next steps
Over the coming weeks Parks Canada members will be invited to participate in ratification votes. Details about these sessions and the voting process will be shared as soon as possible.
To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please update your contact information in PSAC’s member portal.