In a recent meeting with PSAC and other federal public service bargaining agents, Treasury Board committed to ongoing consultation in the development of a vaccine requirement framework.
The employer has confirmed that no new policy will be implemented until after the current federal election.
PSAC remains in support of vaccination requirements to protect the health and safety of our members and their communities. Throughout the consultation process, PSAC will ensure the protection of members’ rights in the workplace, as well as their right to privacy.
We will continue to provide updates as the federal government develops its vaccination requirements plan.
This week, national political party leaders have made concerning statements about disciplining or terminating federal public service workers who choose not to be vaccinated as part of the government’s vaccine mandate proposal.
PSAC supports vaccination requirements for federal workers to ensure the safety of our members in their workplaces, and to protect our communities, but using discipline and termination to enforce them is unacceptable.
PSAC has been in in consultation with the federal government on their vaccination proposal, and our position is clear: employees with a valid medical reason for being unvaccinated, or for reasons protected by human rights legislation, must be offered a formal accommodation under the law.
In addition, if there are workers who are unable or unwilling to be vaccinated, the government must temporarily reassign those employees to other duties where possible, or allow for alternate work arrangements such as remote work.
Where required, other measures should be explored, including regular screening and rapid testing.
PSAC will continue to play an active role in consultations as the federal government develops its vaccination requirements plan. We will do our utmost to ensure the safety our members while protecting their rights in the workplace – including their right to privacy.
The federal government has updated its Phoenix general damages webpage with new timelines for current PSAC members and former and retired members:
PSAC members working for the federal public service who did not receive general damages as part of their March 3 pay can expect to receive the full lump-sum payment in September 2021.
Former and retired PSAC members will have access to the claims process for general damages in December 2021. The government will provide more details closer to the launch.
Taxability of Phoenix general damages
PSAC maintains that general damages paid to all employees for “stress, aggravation, and pain and suffering” for the impacts of the Phoenix pay system and the late implementation of collective agreements are non-taxable, contrary to the opinion issued by the Canada Revenue Agency. To ensure a prompt resolution of this dispute impacting thousands of members, PSAC has proposed to CRA that both parties jointly request that the dispute be resolved by the Tax Court. This would expedite the process and avoid a vast number of individual appeals. We will provide updates as they become available.
Out-of-pocket expenses and severe losses
As part of the Phoenix damages settlement, the government must provide a new claims process for current and former members who experienced out-of-pocket expenses and severe personal and financial impacts due to Phoenix. Though we are disappointed that a process is not yet available, we expect a new timeline shortly and will update you accordingly.
Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive all the latest updates on PSAC’s Phoenix settlement.
In 2011, at the Union of National Employees’ (UNE) Triennial a resolution was passed, with no challenges that allowed UNE members to observe August 14 as UNE’s Multiculturalism Day.
The intention behind this resolution was to foster a sense of pride, continued pride in UNE’s commitment to the rights of all of its members. More particularly, recognizing UNE’s contributions in the Human Rights arena, and more importantly acknowledging its very own Human Rights Committee and the work accomplished within that committee.
Canada as a country of diverse peoples and cultures celebrates Multiculturalism Day on June 27; however, UNE has gone a step further. As a union aware of its privilege, its place and its the role in the lives of its diverse membership, UNE has allocated another day whereby its membership, through its regional and Local representatives, is reminded to encourage the celebration of diversity throughout the rank and file of its Regions’ membership.
Let us as union comrades, UNE members, commemorate August 14 as a day to herald the diversity of our membership and celebrate our achievements, especially those won under the umbrella of Human Rights. A re-commitment to this day, August 14, as UNE’s Multiculturalism Day needs to be established and encouraged; always with focus, for with all that we have accomplished is as far as we still need to go.
Hayley Millington UNE National Equity Representative for Racially Visible People
The 2021 UNE Triennial Convention has been rescheduled to September 13-17, 2021.
We are accepting late delegate registrations until August 13, 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.
Slavery was abolished throughout the British Colonies via an act for the abolition of slavery that was given Royal Assent on August 28, 1833 and took effect on August 1, 1834. The act abolished enslavement in most British colonies, freeing over 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean, South Africa as well as Canada.
Many Commonwealth countries have acknowledged and designated this day as Emancipation Day. On August 1, 2021, for the very first time Canada will recognize this day. It comes on the heels of a unanimous vote in Parliament on March 24, 2021.
Emancipation Day is an opportunity for Canadians to learn about Canada’s role in the slave trade as well as providing the chance to acknowledge the systematic racism and discrimination that has led to multi-generational trauma affecting the lives of Black Canadians up to this present day.
Despite the fact that slavery has been abolished since 1833, it has left an endowment of systemic practices of racism and discrimination; barriers that Black Canadians encounter in their daily lives. The legacy of enslavement speaks to the fact that the work to eradicate anti-Black sentiments. It includes racist rhetoric and practices continuing almost 200 years after the end of slavery as an institution.
Oftentimes, Canadians are not always aware that the history of Black people in Canada is one that includes enslavement and that those who fought against the practice of slavery were pivotal in shaping Canada as a nation. Descendants of the African diaspora continue to add to the mosaic of Canada’s diversity through their cultures and traditions, their involvements and contributions, achievements and innovations, as well as through their leadership.
We all have a role to play in lending our voices and efforts to the dismantling of the systemic barriers faced by Black Canadians. It is important to educate and to include the history of Blacks in Canada, ensuring that this is captured in the history books, and that it is taught in schools as part of the curriculum. Change is tantamount to our minds and to our hearts as we navigate the process of healing, as communities, individuals and as a nation.
Jamaican musician Bob Nesta Marley, who was also an advocate for the rights of Black people, and spoke up against poverty and western oppression sang,
‘’Emancipate yourself from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds”.
As activists and citizens of the world, we should all be prepared to align ourselves, in allyship or leadership, in the forefront of this fight for true equality and inclusion in all aspects of life. As such, I invite our Union members and leaders alike to reflect, educate and involve yourself in the ongoing fight against anti-Black racism and discrimination.
Hayley Millington UNE National Equity Representative for Racially Visible People
Earlier this year, PSAC and the employer submitted a joint application to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) to combine the two Statistical Survey Operations (SSO) bargaining units. The FPSLREB approved the application on June 10, 2021, and we are awaiting the official certificate.
The ruling combines the Regional Offices and Field teams into one bargaining unit. The consolidated unit will provide an opportunity to negotiate a better contract for 1,950 SSO members and give us greater strength in numbers.
PSAC met with the employer to continue negotiations for a consolidated collective agreement in May and July. Our next scheduled meeting is August 17-18 and then again in September, though the dates have not yet been confirmed.
Current PSAC members working for the federal public service received general damages as part of their March 3 pay. However, several issues remain outstanding:
former PSAC members — including retirees — are still waiting for their general damages payments
current and former members who experienced out-of-pocket expenses or severe losses due to Phoenix are still waiting for the launch of a new claims process
the Canada Revenue Agency’s decision to tax the general damages payment
General damages for former and retired PSAC members
Despite requests to accelerate the delivery of general damages payments for former and retired members, the government has set out to make the process available by the fall of 2021. We are disappointed by this lengthy implementation period. However, following pressure by the union, the government has indicated that eligible former members will be provided a more precise timeline for when they will be able to apply for damages payments by the end of July. We will update you at that time.
The government has also updated its general damages webpage so that former members can access forms and resources specific to PSAC members. Previously, former members reported receiving incorrect information, intended for members of other unions, via the government’s website.
Out-of-pocket expenses and severe losses
As part of the Phoenix damages settlement, the government must provide a new claims process for current and former members who experienced out-of-pocket expenses and severe personal and financial impacts due to Phoenix. The government has also targeted fall 2021 as the deadline to finalize the process and make it available to members. At PSAC’s urging for more clarity on timelines, the employer has agreed to provide a more detailed timeline by the end of July. We will update you at that time.
Taxability of Phoenix general damages
PSAC maintains that general damages paid to all employees for “stress, aggravation, and pain and suffering” and for the late implementation of collective agreements are non-taxable. We continue to explore all legal avenues to reverse CRA’s decision to tax general damages paid to members and will provide updates as they become available.
Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive all the latest updates on PSAC’s Phoenix settlement.
Passion and commitment were on the agenda at the Parks Canada Agency’s National Virtual Bargaining Conference, held from May 31 to June 2. Delegates from the Union of National Employees (UNE) and the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) came out of the conference more united than ever after electing their bargaining team and setting priorities for the new round of talks starting this summer.
Meet the Parks Canada Agency bargaining team:
Nicolas Angers
Alisha Campbell
Angela Decker
Birch Howard
Kassandra McKinnon
Omar Murray
Daniel Toutant
Jaison Van Tine
Alternates
Réginald Bernatchez
André Miller
Denis St-Onge
The bargaining team will be supported by the following PSAC staff:
John Eustace, negotiator
Djimy Theodore, researcher
Parks Canada Agency members proudly work to offer Canadians the best outdoor experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected their work, but they stepped up to guarantee safe access to green spaces across the country. Their essential work in these uncertain times ensured that everyone could keep connecting with Canada’s rich natural and cultural heritage.
At the bargaining conference, members outlined the impact of the pandemic on their work and proposed solutions to improve their working conditions, all of which must be addressed with the agency.
Here is an overview of the key issues discussed at the conference:
Job security
In an agency where seasonal and student jobs are common, achieving job security is a top priority. Under the current system, precarious employment creates a lot of stress and is detrimental to mental health.
PSAC is committed to opposing all forms of precarious employment and ensure that all members have access to indeterminate employment.
Fair wages
We must secure wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living as well as our members’ skills, professionalism and dedication.
Many members have also experienced a widening wage gap compared to their private-sector counterparts. We need wage adjustments that keep up with the wages of those doing similar work both within and outside the federal public service.
Remote work
We believe that provisions governing remote work will be most effective if negotiated into collective agreements.
We must also ensure that remote work is free from remote surveillance and unreasonable performance expectations, that employers cover associated expenses and that concerns relating to accommodations, ergonomics and health and safety are addressed.
Contracting out and privatization
Contracting out and privatization of public services increase costs and risk to taxpayers, reduce the quality of services, erode the internal capacity of the public service, create precarious work, and undermine initiatives that address pay equity and systemic racism.
We must tackle the alarming increase in contracting out of government work, including through temporary staffing agencies.
Work-life balance
We must also expand leave provisions (e.g. 699 leave, family-responsibilities leave and sick leave) to improve work-life balance, which is especially critical for women, caregivers and those with disabilities.
We also need to negotiate flexible work options that allow members to shape their workday to match their personal and family responsibilities.
Violence and harassment
Workplace violence and harassment are a health and safety issue that can have severe physical and psychological consequences for members.
We need to build robust mechanisms to tackle these issues, such as mandatory training and support for members.
Languages rights
Our membership at Parks Canada includes many Indigenous members and several parks are located on traditional Indigenous territories.
In recognition of this, it’s necessary to decolonize our collective agreement. We want the agency to formally recognize Indigenous languages and provide an allowance to members who work in their Indigenous language.
Next steps
Over the next few months, the Parks Canada Agency bargaining team will meet to discuss the bargaining issues prioritized at the National Bargaining Conference and work on a final package of bargaining demands that will be exchanged with the employer.
Make sure to keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive all the latest updates as we prepare to negotiate your next contract.
