Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day from the UNE’s Francophone Committee members!
Bargaining to resume for 100,000 PSAC members
After months of pressure from PSAC and its members, the federal government has agreed to return to the bargaining table. Negotiations for 70,000 federal public service workers in the PA group – PSAC’s largest bargaining unit – will resume with Treasury Board June 23 to July 3. It will include Treasury Board common issues and Phoenix damages.
Bargaining will also resume for nearly 30,000 PSAC-UTE members at Canada Revenue Agency the week of July 6.
“Elsewhere in Canada, the need to provide stability and fair compensation to public service workers during this pandemic was recognized months ago – provinces, municipalities and large employers across the country have been negotiating and settling contracts,” said PSAC National President Chris Aylward. “It’s high time the federal government did the same for their employees.”
Throughout the pandemic, PSAC members have been on the front lines battling the virus and delivering emergency financial support to millions of Canadians. They continue to provide critical services despite not having a new contract or wage increases in up to four years.
They also continue to endure Phoenix pay issues and have yet to be fairly compensated for their financial hardships.
“The government has clearly listened to the more than 15,000 PSAC members who wrote to them in recent weeks urging Treasury Board to get back to the table,” said Aylward. “It shouldn’t take that kind of pressure to get back to negotiations, but I’m grateful to our members for supporting our bargaining teams in such large numbers.”
“And it’s a welcome change to see the government – during National Public Service Week no less – move from kind words about our members, to action,” added Aylward. “Now they have to show up with a mandate to reach a fair settlement without any more delays.”
Updates for other Treasury Board bargaining units will be coming soon.
June is National Indigenous History Month
By Michael Freeman
June, In Canada, is celebrated as National Indigenous History Month. Indigenous Peoples have lived and thrived in the territory that is now known as North America for millennia. Oh, people may argue with the exact timeline but oral history and traditional knowledge are all that We, the Original Peoples, need as substantiation.
National Indigenous History Month is a time for remembering, a time for learning, a time for celebrating, a time for healing, a time for growth, a time of unification, a time of reconciliation, a time of hope and a time for like-minded peoples to come together to be stronger in unity.
Indigenous Peoples within Canada (defined as Aboriginal, Metis, Inuit) have had a diverse history and a unique experience coast to coast to coast, interrupted, complicated and forever altered by the arrival of explorers and immigration to this land. The struggle to coexist has been the foundation of a fluid relationship fluctuating from confrontational, at the worst of times, to one of pride and celebration, at the best of times.
Through your own search and study, explore the rich history of Indigenous Peoples. Be sure to research a good mix of historical documents, treaty documents, policy and documents of reconciliation. There are many current Indigenous authors and a wealth of their works to keep you connected, reading and learning for many weeks and months to come. Do not fall into the trap of reading only the history tomes written by non-Indigenous authors and filtered through their non-Indigenous lenses.
Due to the current pandemic affecting every aspect of society, many of the gatherings, celebrations and ceremonies planned in honour and recognition of the rich and storied history of Indigenous Peoples have been postponed or cancelled. Look to the virtual experience as you explore the many web portals available.
It is time to loose the bondage of the undercurrent of racism, in this country, against Indigenous Peoples. Become part of the solution, if you are not already, by committing to understanding the true relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples and actively working to improve it. Dig deeper than the spectacular layers of pageantry and the ignorant layers of the stereotypical.
Be curious. Be teachable. Be willing to learn. Be open to new ideas. But above all, enjoy the experience.
Michael Freeman is the UNE’s National Equity Representative for Persons with Disabilities, member of the EB Bargaining Team, President of UNE Local 00128, and a teacher and policy writer for ISC on the Six Nations Reservation in Ontario.
PSAC-Prairies and UNE urge the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to not extend Mr. Young’s term as CEO
Dear Minister Guilbeault,
We have no doubt that you have been made aware of the recent disclosure by former employees of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg that they experienced ongoing and systemic racism and harassment while working at this institution.
As the union representing 160 members employed at the CMHR, this came as no surprise to any of us. Our union Local Executive has been raising the issue repeatedly for several years. And recently, because management was not acknowledging or taking any action, our bargaining team tabled a proposal for mandatory anti-harassment, anti- discrimination training for all staff. As evidence of management’s refusal to take this matter seriously, the proposal was rejected.
Recently in response to media reports, the CEO, John Young, stated that “the level of concern raised on social media comes as a surprise to many people working at the museum”. This was no surprise to management and in particular the CEO.
The response that administration will reach out to staff and volunteers to listen to their experiences and concerns is, at best, a weak response that does not show the employer taking a stand against racism and harassment in a toxic workplace.
We understand the Mr. Young’s appointment as CEO is due to expire on August 16, 2020. Minister Guilbeault, for the well-being of the employees and to ensure the institution is on a path to restore their credibility, we urge you to not extend Mr. Young’s term as CEO of the CMHR.
We can tell you that “discussions” with staff following the social media posts were in no way sincere and there is absolutely no confidence among staff that the management team of the CMHR, under the direction of Mr. Young, understand or appreciate the seriousness of the situation.
The official mandate of the CMHR is:
“… to explore the subject of human rights, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada, in order to enhance the public’s understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others, and to encourage reflection and dialogue.”
Our members are so very dedicated and proud of the work they do but feel that what is happening behind closed doors is hypocritical to the mandate. Unfortunately, over the years, staff have chosen to leave quietly instead of going public so as to preserve the integrity of the institution. Minister Guilbeault, we urge you to not extend Mr. Young’s term and to ensure that any potential candidates for appointment as CEO have the skills necessary to ensure that appropriate actions are taken immediately to begin the process of restoring trust with employees and confidence with the Canadian public.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Marianne Hladun
Regional Executive Vice-President
Public Service Alliance of Canada, Prairies
Kevin King
National President
Union of National Employees
PSAC Local 50773 Executive
 Letter to Minister Guilbeault_CMHR |
Reflections on National Indigenous Peoples Day
By Lenora Maracle
We have watched the public reaction to racial injustice and police brutality, we must acknowledge our own history of colonialism and the injustices that have taken place and continue today. In communities across the country, people suffer from forms of discrimination.
I want to acknowledge those who endure the effects of racism and the people who support them. So many of us are hurting and angry that cannot and should not be ignored by current events.
I stand in support of Black people, Indigenous people, People of Colour (BIPOC) and the 2SLGBTQ+, as well as people living with disabilities or limitations of any kind. I will participate in the fight against racism, oppression and marginalization.
The one-year anniversary of the release of the final report on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was earlier this month. We remember and honour the daughters, mothers, grandmothers, aunties and 2SLGBTQ+people who were taken away from us, and the survivors and family and community members whose lives have been changed forever.
Colonization often leaves its mark on Indigenous populations in a way not visible to the Canadian eye.
It becomes necessary for us to connect those dots for mainstream society; to point out that suicide rates and addictions can be rooted in trauma reaching back generations. And that Indigenous languages, culture and ceremony exist today in spite of that historical trauma.
We are a resilient people. Resilience is the inner strength that helps individuals bounce back and carry on in the face of adversity. Aboriginal identity, land, culture and history are resilience.
Resilience is in Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal people need to reclaim their traditional culture, redefine themselves as a people of their territory and reassert their distinct identity. This is decolonization.
And we need to heal. To do this we need to learn how to learn and begin a journey to wellness that involves self-care. We need to understand the forces of history that have shaped present day lifestyles. We need to discover, name and transmit indigenous knowledge, values and ways of knowing, all the while understanding selected Western ways. We need to apply and adapt both indigenous and Western knowledge, values and ways of knowing to address challenges in today’s society.
In the Mohawk Language ‘Kanaronkwa’ means love but of an intense feeling of affection and care towards another person, this how I feel for my indigenous brothers and sisters.
Onen
Lenora Maracle is the UNE’s National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples.
Message from the UNE National President on National Public Service Week
Members of the UNE Family,
This week is National Public Service Week (NPSW). Its goal is to “recognize the value of the services rendered by federal public service employees” and to “acknowledge the contribution of federal public service employees to the federal administration.”
Since the COVID-19 outbreak started, our members have been exemplary and stepped up to the plate and made sure federal public services were delivered. Whether our members are performing critical work or working remotely from their homes, they adapted quickly to an unprecedented situation.
Many of our members under federal jurisdiction are still attempting to negotiate a fair and just collective agreement including separate employers members, Treasury Board members at the Program and Administrative Services (PA), Operational Services (SV), Technical Services (TC), and Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining tables, Parks Canada members, and Statistical Survey Operations (SSO) members.
UNE members have been here for Canada during the pandemic, so we expect the Government of Canada to be there for them, if they truly value their workforce, and return to the bargaining table.
Respectfully and in Solidarity,
Kevin King
UNE National President
PSAC calls for more measures to support workers facing child care challenges
The Canadian economy is slowly reopening but many individuals, especially women, will be unable to return to the paid workforce due to the lack of affordable and accessible child care. There has always been a serious shortage of licensed child care services but COVID-19 has made it impossible for child care centres to function at full capacity.
Child care scarcity
It is expected that, as a result of safety concerns, the number of child care places available per program will be reduced for a period of time. For example, the government of Quebec is phasing the reopening of child care reducing the number of spaces to 30 per cent of normal capacity. Screening children and parents when they arrive, monitoring children’s health throughout the day, and the required cleaning of toys and other surfaces can’t be done without limiting the number of children in the care of staff.
Safety concerns
Many parents are concerned for the safety and health of their children and worry about child care safety—especially those who have no choice but to use unregulated and unlicensed service providers. The fact that provincial and territorial governments are not issuing uniform safety guidelines for child care is contributing to parents’ lack of confidence in child care.
Source: http://psacunion.ca/psac-calls-more-measures-support-workers-facing
Workers need greater access to affordable childcare
The Public Service Alliance of Canada continues to advocate strongly for accessible, affordable, safe and high quality child care. COVID-19 has only reinforced the importance and challenges related to child care that existed pre-pandemic.
The government simply must do better. PSAC envisions a future where licensed child care:
- is accessible and affordable for parents provides high quality early childhood education and care;
- is inclusive and provides culturally relevant programs;
- ensures that early childhood education staff earn decent wages and are better supported;
- is flexible and comprehensive so that mothers in particular can choose to be in the paid labour force are able to return to work; and
The government must:
- expand the availability of safe, licensed, and emergency child care to parents of preschool and/or school-age children who are required to work through the pandemic, and provide this child care free of charge;
- build federal support for the child care sector into the government’s pandemic response plan to ensure licensed child care programs will be available when the health crisis ends;
- make child care universal, accessible, affordable, inclusive and high quality; and
- ensure that federal workers continue to be able to use 699 leave when they cannot access safe and proper child care for their children.
Help save early learning and child care centres
Join PSAC and add your name to prevent the collapse of the early learning and child care sector due to the spread of COVID-19. The government must develop a plan to both sustain the sector and, to build a child care sector that provides for the needs of children and their parents – a child care sector that we can all be proud of.
Message from the UNE National Equity Representative for Racially Visible People
In a turn of recent events, images captured and circulated worldwide have shown a continued pattern of racism and human rights atrocities that has continually plagued Blacks. A series of tragic events, culminating with the killing of George Floyd. And while we know that the Union of National Employees rejects racism in any form, we understand that these events also come at a time when the world is experiencing a heightened sense of isolation, uncertainty, and fear.
The National Representative for the Racially Visible members recognizes the importance of reaching out and sending a message to express ongoing support to visible minorities who may be experiencing outrage, fear and frustration – not only as it relates to recent events, but also at the lack of mechanisms to address the systemic barriers and biases that feed into the racist practices and ideologies which lends itself to the overarching issue of racism and its ongoing impact that we, people of colour, are faced with on a daily basis.
Let’s take this moment to call upon the leadership, specifically union leaders, to speak up and reach out to your Components, your locals, regions and its representatives as well as those in your membership who self-identify as visible minorities.
Time is upon us and the air is heavy with unrest. We need to seize the opportunity to self-reflect and explore, and address the attitudes, beliefs, and systemic barriers that continue to harm Black and minority communities.
It is a time for us to become better informed about all forms of racism by developing and participating in anti-racism and unconscious bias learning activities. It is a time to ask ourselves what we can do as union leaders and activists to be part of the solution. The time is now, we must stand up and become an ally, be compassionate and respectful of those in our membership ranks who may be traumatized by the experience and realities of racism.
Conversations need to include discussions around the creation of safe spaces, racism, and discrimination; as well as unconscious bias as it relates to inclusion practices in the union’s rank and file, while advocating for change throughout all departments.
As part of these efforts, our union leaders need to highlight that as a collective we are all responsible for fostering an inclusive, accessible, respectful, equitable and safe workplace for people of all races.
We no longer have the option of adopting a false sense of security.
We no longer have the recourse of our rose covered spectacles.
We no longer can shield ourselves under the premise that We, this land, our union is immune to the happenings and the events that go beyond our borders.
Let’s stand together, raise our collective voices and work towards being agents of change in addressing anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and all forms of racism.
Hayley Millington
UNE National Equity Representative for Racially Visible People
Pride Month
Members of the union family,
As the National Equity Rep for LGBTQ2+, I ask that we take some time to bring focus to and ask for support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
June is Pride Month, a time were people from within the community get together to celebrate the rights we have gain and fight for those we have not or bring focus to those who have yet to have the same rights. The community works to build the strength to be their authentic self in public, with family, friends and more so to themselves. Not everyone sees pride the same way. For some it is a Pride Parade, or social activities that bring people together, it is being with close friends, or going to a bar, doing karaoke, spoken word or live entertainment, or it is going online and learning about who they are. The list of activities varies and is very personal.
In this time of COVID, a large portion of the events have been cancelled or postponed. It makes for a very difficult time for people as this could be or have been their only time to be their authentic selves in a safe accepting environment. When you look at the news and you see oppression of marginalized groups everywhere, you see Straight Pride movement and town after town saying they will not support pride. It makes it very hard to draw on the strength needed to be who you really are with the lack of community or the feeling of support and acceptance. For some people being with their union family is the first and only time they are safe enough to be their authentic selves and now they are alone and needing more then ever support of there community.
We all know and are living a very difficult 2020 so far. With COVID, being asked to isolate, practice social distancing and work from home or in smaller isolated working groups, we need to take time and reach out and be active in our social communities. There are members in the 2SLGBTQ+ community that had to give up their social and family circles to live as their authentic selves. Their only support is their work community or union family and might in this difficult time, be very alone and need for someone to reach out and see how they are doing. Let them know that they are still apart of a community, they are missed and not alone.
This is also a time when you can learn about and how to support the community. Learn about the 2SLGBTQ+ acronym, about the letters and the umbrella terms that fall from those. Watch a 2SLGBTQ+ documentary or movie. Check out resources from your 2SLGBTQ+ community resource centre. Support and attend a Two-Spirit Pow-Wow. Be an activist, reach out, learn and support how ever you can.
As we are all family, sometimes we need our family members to just be there and be supportive until we are ready and feel safe before we can be our authentic selves.
Chris Little-Gagne
National Equity Representative for LGBTQ2+
Union of National Employees
References:
https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots
This is what a successful return-to-workplace plan looks like
PSAC is working hard to make sure the federal government takes every necessary precaution to ensure that the return to federal offices and workspaces across the country is safe for employees, their families, and the general public.
PSAC insists that the health, safety, wellness, and privacy rights of public service workers must be at the centre of the return to workplace plan and that it reflect the fact that, until a COVID-19 vaccine is created, the virus poses an ongoing threat to the physical and mental health of workers.
PSAC also takes the position that:
- All return-to-workplace provisions must be in line with collective agreements and legal obligations.
- Since specific equity groups have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, the plan must be created with a strong equity and human rights lens.
- The overall plan and any specific measure must adhere to direction from public health authorities and assessments from professional experts in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Additionally, PSAC is urging the following measures:
Conditions for returning to the workplace
- Provide clear guidelines for determining who will be selected to return to workspaces and who will continue to work from home. Decisions should not be left to the discretion of management to avoid discrimination.
- Provide employees who are returning to the workplace with a reasonable notice period of at least two weeks to allow them to manage the transition and to do so gradually.
- Allow workers living with an immunocompromised individual to continue to work remotely to minimize exposure within their household until a vaccine becomes available.
- Continue our members’ access to “Other Leave with Pay” (699) to accommodate various circumstances including, but not limited to, child care responsibilities that are related to COVID-19, including if parents are unable to or choose not to send their children back to school or daycare.
- Acknowledge that productivity will be negatively affected by the pandemic and that employees’ performance evaluations should not consequently be negatively affected.
- Allow for genuine consultation and negotiation with bargaining agents on any reorganization of work. Especially in the event that changes would trigger Work Force Adjustment obligations.
Public transit and shared spaces
- Consider how returning to offices or workspaces increases a worker’s risk of exposure to the virus as it may require them to drop children off at school or childcare, ride a bus or train, use a public washroom or ride an elevator.
- Include a strategy to ensure workers can remain at a 2-metre physical distance from others, including in shared spaces, but still have access to necessities such as washrooms, elevators, microwaves and fridges.
- Address how an employer will proceed when 2-metre physical distancing is not possible in elevators, entrance ways, stairwells, washrooms, and routes to and from public transit.
- Consider the impact on workers who cannot take public transit because of risk of exposure, and therefore support accommodations like additional or reduced-price parking available for those who can drive to the work site.
- Ensure that employers implement health and safety strategies such as staggered scheduling, controlling or restricting access to common spaces, more frequent cleaning/disinfecting of the workplace, preparing and training for emergency situations, as well as training and communication on COVID-related health and safety procedures and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
General health & safety, sanitation and workers’ needs
- Provide a robust sanitation plan and risk assessment of federal government workspaces.
- Include a plan to track cases of COVID-19 in the public service, including procedures that must be followed after a worker tests positive.
- Address Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needs and align these needs with the recommendations of provincial and territorial health agencies who have called for the use of masks and gloves, especially when physical distancing is not possible.
- Outline support for teleworkers in terms of ergonomic support, mental health, and appropriate working equipment.
- Provide managers and Occupational Health & Safety Committees with additional situation-specific training to deal with the range of mental health problems that are likely to result, or have already, due to COVID-19.
- Provide sufficient medical research and an assessment by a technical professional to determine how ventilation systems can contribute to virus transmission.
- Include a plan to ensure all sanitation and ventilation systems are in ongoing compliance with the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR).
- Consider slowing the pace of the conversion to Activity-Based Working. All work arrangements should be considered and evaluated in the context of COVID-19.
Child care
- Provide clear guidelines on how to accommodate employees who may have to continue to provide childcare while also working due to COVID-19.
- Allow parents to use “Other Leave with Pay” (699) to fulfill childcare needs related to COVID-19, including if some parents may be forced to keep their children home despite some schools and childcare facilities re-opening.
- Include plans to negotiate with PSAC at the bargaining table so that its childcare proposal can be implemented as part of collective agreements.
Domestic and family violence
- Provide an outline for the steps that will be taken to ensure employees are supported and feel protected from violence at home; whether they return to the workplace or continue to work from home.
- Include a plan to finalize an agreement with PSAC on domestic violence leave.
Employment equity and human rights
- Include a management approach that recognizes the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on specific groups, such as people with disabilities, women, racialized and Indigenous people.
- Incorporate guidelines that will ensure that human rights, privacy rights and employment equity obligations are being met by the employer.
- Include plans to consult with the NJC Joint Employment Equity Committee and departmental employment equity committees on changes to any practices, processes and policies that can potentially effect workers (telework, technological changes, workspaces, etc.) due to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on equity groups.
Privacy
- Stipulate that any disaggregated information (age, gender, race etc.) collected that may be relevant for collective bargaining will be provided to PSAC so that we can determine any disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our members.
- Ensure that any health or employment data collected by an employer observes privacy obligations and is stored in a secure manner.
PSAC is demanding that the government continue meaningful consultation with federal unions throughout the development and implementation of a return-to-workplace plan.
Until an acceptable overall plan is developed, PSAC strongly recommends that our members continue to work from home where possible.
We will provide further updates on the development of a plan as more information becomes available.
Source: http://psacunion.ca/what-successful-return-workplace-plan-looks