What would you like to see in your next collective agreement? Improved arrangements for teleworking? Better work-life balance? More support for mental health? This is your opportunity to share your ideas with us. Your participation is crucial to our strength as a union.
It’s quick and simple. If you don’t have an account on our site, you can create one now.
We are accepting input until January 31, 2021.
Your component union and PSAC will then review all your proposals and bring them to the next bargaining conference, to be held this spring, where delegates from locals across the country will prioritize them for negotiations. Talks for the next contracts are expected to begin in the summer of 2021.
The current collective agreements expire on the following dates:
PA: June 20, 2021 TC: June 21, 2021 SV: August 4, 2021 EB: June 30, 2021
Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive more updates as we prepare to negotiate your next contract.
International Human Rights Day is a day to celebrate and recommit to advancing human rights here at home and globally.
Seventy-two years ago, on December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of Human Rights. It was a revolutionary document for the times.
The world was just emerging from a brutal war that killed 75 million people. Workers and others around the globe were demanding a better world. They wanted peace. They wanted jobs. And they wanted an end to all forms of discrimination. They knew there can be no peace without equity, no peace without justice. And the powerful nations of the world had no choice but to respond.
For the past nine months we have been going through another global upheaval and Canada’s marginalized communities have been hardest hit by COVID-19 – people with disabilities, Indigenous, racialized and Black communities, seniors, women, LGBTQ2+ communities, as well as low-income, unemployed and homeless people.
The pandemic has shined a light on deep-rooted historical and ongoing inequities like disproportionate police violence towards Black and Indigenous peoples. These same groups, including persons with disabilities have suffered the most, and so have women, because they hold such a high proportion of front-line, low-paid, dangerous jobs. Women, more than men, have ended up doing most of the child care and eldercare and have ended up having to leave their jobs or reducing their work hours.
Now, as we slowly emerge from the global pandemic, we too must demand a better world and we must organize for the change we want. The pandemic exposed the long-standing and deep systemic inequity in this country. We have to uproot that inequity.
In Canada, that means pushing the federal government to:
Follow through on its commitments to build a universal, affordable and high quality child care system across Canada;
Protect seniors and our most vulnerable by taking the profit out of long-term care;
Make concrete progress and properly fund its commitments to increase diversity and inclusion in workplaces and stamp out systemic racism across Canada;
Deliver on the implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
A just recovery from the pandemic must and will be PSAC’s priority.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada supports the legal action taken on behalf of nearly 30,000 past and present federal public service workers who identify as Black, Caribbean or of African descent. PSAC intends to serve as an intervener in the class action lawsuit filed against the Government of Canada by Black public service workers who have been subjected to discriminatory hiring and promotional practices.
Anti-Black racism is prevalent in Canadian society and the federal public service has not been immune. For far too long, many of our members have experienced the pain of Black employee exclusion; the systemic practice of limiting skilled Black workers from career advancement opportunities and being disproportionally underrepresented in management and high-ranking positions in the federal public service.
The class action, which has been filed with the Federal Court of Canada, argues that Black employee exclusion has led to economic and psychological harm for thousands of public service workers since the 1970s. The claim calls on the federal government to implement a plan to truly diversify the federal public service and provide restitution to tens of thousands of Black public service workers.
PSAC’s support of this class action strongly aligns with the union’s ongoing fight against anti-Black racism.
“Canada’s public service presents itself as a ‘merit-based, representative and non-partisan organization that serves all Canadians,’” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “While laudable as a principle, many Canadians, particularly Black Canadians, have experienced a different reality. The government must do what is necessary to right these wrongs and ensure that these injustices do not continue.”
PSAC echoes the calls of our Black public service members. The federal government must identify and tear down systemic barriers in its human resources practices. It must take action to increase diversity and inclusion within its ranks, especially in positions of leadership. We also expect the government to listen to Black workers and take their lead on how to correct this gross injustice.
This is not the correct form to request PSAC’s Phoenix settlement of up to $2500.
This form is to request the financial equivalent of up to 5 days of leave, which was the settlement signed by all other federal bargaining agents, except PSAC.
Retired or former PSAC members who meet the eligibility criteria will receive financial compensation for Phoenix damages for each fiscal year for which they are eligible.
To receive compensation, retired or former employees will have to file a similar claim through Treasury Board. However, the details and the link to the claim form have not been made available by the federal government yet. We will share the link to the form once it becomes available.
Looking for more information on the Phoenix damages settlement? Check out our most frequently asked questions. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about the Phoenix settlement.
On National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, PSAC remembers the fourteen young women who were killed at l’École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989, only because they were women, and today, PSAC also recommits to ending all forms of gender-based violence.
On this day, we remember:
Geneviève Bergeron
Hélène Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz
Maryse Laganière
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michèle Richard
Annie St-Arneault
Annie Turcotte
In Canada today:
75,000 women and children seek shelter from violence and abuse each year;
Homicide rates are seven times higher for Indigenous women and girls than amongst non-Indigenous women and girls;
Immigrant women are more vulnerable due to economic dependence, language barriers and a lack of knowledge about community resources;
Trans women are almost twice as likely as cisgender women to experience gender-based violence in their lifetime;
Women with physical and cognitive impairments experience violence two to three times more often than women living without impairments.
COVID-19 makes it harder to fight gender-based violence. Job loss, food insecurity or the fear of contracting the virus can trigger domestic violence. Social isolation and quarantines make it harder to access shelters or sexual assault centres. Those living in rural, remote and northern regions, immigrants and refugees and Indigenous women continue to be the most vulnerable populations, and the pandemic is isolating them more than ever before.
The heightened risks caused by the pandemic require immediate action. PSAC calls on all levels of government to:
Provide increased emergency funding to women’s shelters and sexual assault support centres, and identify ways to make services accessible in the context of physical distancing measures;
Work with health facilities and community organizations to quickly identify available local resources;
Include essential services to address violence against women in their response plan for COVID-19.
PSAC’s work to prevent violence against women continues. Our union is proud to have negotiated 10 days of paid domestic violence leave in all new federal government collective agreements to ensure those facing domestic violence begin to get the support they need. We also continue to pressure governments to implement all recommendations from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report, and to eliminate barriers to accessing legal and counselling support for women experiencing violence.
Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have provided PSAC with a payment schedule for the implementation of monetary provisions now that the PA, EB, TC, SV and PSAC-UTE collective agreements have been signed.
Economic increase and adjustments pay cheque date
Retroactive pay cheque date
$500 lump sum (for late implementation) pay cheque date
$400 lump sum pay cheque date (only for UTE members)
PA
Nov. 25, 2020
Feb. 3, 2021
Apr. 14, 2021
TC
Dec. 23, 2020
Mar. 17, 2021
Apr. 14, 2021
SV
Dec. 23, 2020
Mar. 17, 2021
Apr. 28, 2021
EB
Feb. 17, 2021
Apr. 14, 2021
Apr. 28, 2021
UTE
Dec. 23, 2020
Spring 2021
Spring 2021
Dec. 23, 2020
This schedule is tentative and Treasury Board and CRA may still make changes.
Payment schedules for the Phoenix settlement have still not been finalized by Treasury Board and CRA. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about the implementation of collective agreements and the Phoenix settlement.
CFIA and Parks Canada units
PSAC is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Parks Canada to finalize the text and pay grids of the new agreements – ratified in November – and expects to sign both new contracts shortly.
FB bargaining
The Border Services (FB) bargaining unit remains in talks with Treasury Board and the Canada Border Service Agency. Please check PSAC’s website for the latest developments.
As of January 1, 2021, the new Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations will come into force for all workers in the federal sector. These new regulations will help better prevent and actively address harassment and violence in the workplace.
The regulations outline the essential elements of a workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, as well as the procedures that must be in place to respond to incidents of harassment and violence when they do occur. This includes:
timeframes for resolutions to better support the complainant and respondent;
confidentiality of all parties involved, including witnesses, throughout the investigation;
protection for employees victimized by a third party (for example, an employee harassed by a client);
qualifications of a competent person to investigate and provide recommendations;
employer obligations to implement corrective measures in response to the investigation report of a competent person;
a clear outline of existing and new roles of the joint health and safety committee; and
support to be provided for employees who have experienced workplace harassment and violence.
With those new regulations, employers are encouraged to take a more proactive approach to prevent and resolve incidents of workplace harassment and violence. They are also required to conduct workplace assessments to preemptively identify risks and incorporate the results of these assessments into their human resource policies, procedures, and training.
“These new workplace harassment and violence prevention regulations have been long overdue,” said PSAC National President, Chris Aylward. “We welcome them and believe they will help provide much greater protection for workers.”
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.”
