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2018 PSAC National Young Worker Forum

The Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) has approved a one-time National Young Worker Forum to be held in Ottawa from December 7 to 9, 2018.

This forum is an opportunity for a limited number of young workers (age 35 or under) to participate in a dynamic weekend of networking and planning for the 2019-2021 cycle. The goal is to focus on building more young worker committees, strengthening those that exist and having a plan for their ongoing success.

The objectives of the Forum are to:

  • Discuss, strategize and plan to grow strong and vibrant regional young worker committees;
  •  Network and share experiences and successes;
  • ldentify ways in which young workers can engage in PSAC issues and
    campaigns in the next cycle;
  • Build a network the supports young worker initiatives across the country;
  • ldentify tools and resources that will ensure success; and
  • Engage in workshops that challenge and inspire.

Young workers who are interested in attending the PSAC Young Workers Forum should contact their respective PSAC REVP’s office for more information on the selection process and deadline to apply.

In solidarity,

Chris Aylward
National President, PSAC

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CUPW Issues Strike Notices to Canada Post

Tuesday October 16 2018

If deals cannot be reached over the weekend, service will be disrupted as of next Monday

For Immediate Release

Ottawa – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) today gave notices to Canada Post that job action will begin next week if agreements cannot be reached for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units.

If job action is necessary, rotating strikes will begin at 12:01 am, Monday, October 22. Locations have yet to be determined.

“Our members gave us a clear mandate to take job action if Canada Post refused to address our major issues – health and safety, gender equality and preserving full-time, middle class jobs,” says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President. “Our goal is still negotiated settlements with no postal disruption. This week is Canada Post’s chance to make that happen.”

Key demands for postal workers during this round of bargaining are job security, an end to forced overtime and overburdening, better health and safety measures, service expansion and equality for RSMCs.

The working conditions of postal workers have deteriorated over the last decade in part because Canada Post has failed to properly address the massive increase in parcel volumes and the burden it has placed on members.

Canada Post also needs to address workplace injuries, which over the last two years, have increased by 43 percent. Today, the disabling injury rate for a letter carrier is eight times the average of the rest of the federal sector, which includes longshoring, mining, road transport and railways.

“A Crown Corporation should do better and can do better. Our members deserve better,” says Palecek.

Source: https://www.cupw.ca/en/cupw-issues-strike-notices-canada-post

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Phoenix: Years Of Membership Dues Errors To Be Corrected

The Phoenix pay system has been a disaster for our members. Members have been underpaid, overpaid and not paid at all. Learn more about what the union has been doing to get this fixed.

Not deducting union dues correctly is one more way that Phoenix has failed public sector workers. You can help us push the government to pay public sector workers correctly, every pay day.

For several years, the Phoenix payroll system has been incorrectly collecting membership dues from nearly 150,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Thousands of federal public service workers have been overpaying or underpaying union dues.

In November, the government will finally be in a position to fix these Phoenix errors, and PSAC members will see the correct dues amount on their paycheques moving forward.

Read our most frequently asked questions.

A broken system

PSAC has a long-established system to determine the correct dues for each of its members. This information is updated monthly and sent to the government to be implemented, but due to Phoenix, the government has failed to process this information since March 2016.

This has affected thousands of workers, and particularly those that have undergone significant changes like members who have been promoted, changed positions, gone on parental leave, or retired.

A widespread problem

The Phoenix pay system’s failure to process membership dues correctly means that over 39,000 PSAC members are owed a refund. Current estimates state that nearly $2.6 million in membership dues will be refunded to our members.

Many more workers unfortunately, nearly 111,000, have been underpaying dues and will see recovery payments begin on November 14th. Thankfully, the majority of these workers owe less than $300 and PSAC has policies in place that ensure the amount will only be recovered in small payments over several pay periods. In addition, as a policy, PSAC does not retroactively collect more than 1 years’ worth of membership dues from their members – even if they owe more than this amount.

PSAC itself is owed nearly $20 million in membership dues needed to fund essential union services such as collective bargaining, legal representation, grievance support and training. We will not penalize our members for the government’s mistake in launching Phoenix. We do not expect to be able to collect everything we are owed from our members. We will pursue all legal avenues to recover money owed to us by the government, that we cannot collect from members.

What does this mean for PSAC members?

The Phoenix pay system will apply membership dues adjustments this fall. Letters to members with details about their specific dues’ situation will be sent out by the end of November. On November 14th, PSAC members will see the correct membership dues amount on their paycheques, and then they will find themselves in one of two categories:

You have overpaid your membership dues and are owed a refund.

PSAC will refund the total amount owed to you. You will receive the refund over 1 to 2 paycheques. Beginning in January 2019, your membership dues should be updated and collected at the new 2019 reduced rate.

You have been underpaying membership dues and are in arrears.

PSAC will only recover up to 1 years’ worth of union dues and we will not collect this in one large lump sum. The rate of recovery is always equal to the monthly amount of union dues a member would normally pay. These relatively small recovery payments will take place over several pay periods. For most of our members who owe less than $300, this shouldn’t take more than 2 to 3 months.

If you have concerns regarding arrears owed, please fill in this form to request additional information.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/dues

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October 4, 2018: Sisters in Spirit Vigils


This is an invitation to celebrate, honour and support Indigenous women, girls and their families on October 4 by attending or holding a Sisters In Spirit Vigil.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) began drawing attention to the issue of violence against Indigenous women in 2005. They assembled a database on 582 missing and murdered women and girls. This year will be the 13th annual Sisters In Spirit Vigils across the country.

‘’Each year, family members, Indigenous community members, and supports gather on October 4th at Parliament Hill and across the country. We gather to honour our sisters and their families who have been impacted by violence.’’

A vigil can take many forms, from a moment of silence, to a rally, to a community feast. All that is important is that you take some time on or around October 4 to mark the day.

In response to numerous calls for action from organizations such as NWAC and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA), the Government of Canada launched an entirely independent National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in September 2016.

PSAC also demands justice for Indigenous women and girls. “This government must ensure that the Inquiry leads to justice and healing for all affected by this ongoing tragedy,” said Magali Picard, PSAC National Executive Vice-President. “Indigenous women and girls, and their families, deserve answers. They deserve justice.’’

“Indigenous women are loved and valued. However, statistics on murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls show that they are in danger. How can we, as a society, keep them safe? Two questions from and Indigenous woman who spoke at a supportive gathering several years ago still resonate: “Will you hear me? Will you believe me?’’ declares UNE National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples Ruby Langan.

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Parks National Bargaining Conference

PSAC’s Parks Canada met last week in Ottawa for a three-day bargaining conference. Members from across the country gathered from September 25 to 27 in order to prepare for upcoming negotiations for a new collective agreement.

Throughout the conference, the delegates:
• learned about the collective bargaining process,
• reviewed bargaining proposals and discuss priorities,
• developed mobilization strategies, and
• elected their bargaining team members.

The new bargaining team. First row, from left to right: Omar Murray (Local 40340 – Parks Canada – Saskatchewan South, SK); Loretta Moar (Local 50110 – Riding Mountain National Park, MB); Kassandra McKinnon (Local 90023 – Parks Canada Employees); Angela Decker (Local 90265 – Gros Morne National Park, NL); Birch Howard (alternate) (Local Y0104 – Kluane National Park, YT). Second row, from left to right: UCTE member Daniel Britton; UCTE member Réginal Bernatchez (alternate); Daniel Toutant (Local 10269 – Mauricie National Park and Forges du Saint-Maurice National Historic Site, QC); Marc Phillips (Local 70501 – Parks Canada Agency (Gatineau), NCR); André Miller (alternate) (Local 70501 – Parks Canada Agency (Gatineau), NCR); Mike LeBlanc (alternate) (Local 60284 – Kouchibouguac National Park, NB)

Parks Canada members signed their most recent agreement on May 31, 2018. The four-year collective agreement, which expired August 4, 2018, includes an updated definition of ‘family’, improved leave provisions, improved member protections, unchanged sick leave, and monetary compensation for members.

Stay up to date with bargaining news by visiting the PSAC Parks Canada bargaining webpage, or sign up to receive PSAC e-News.

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Park Wardens attending the 2018 Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial Service

First row from left to right: Kelly Forbes (Local 00041 – Bruce Peninsula); Anika Hodgson (Local 30116 – Elk Island); Sharon Woods (Local 20106 – Mount Revelstoke); Tanya Dowdall (Local 29266 – Pacific Rim); Courtney Bearinger (Local 30402 – Lake Louise)
Second row from left to right: Birch Howard (Local Y0104 – Kluane); Jonathan Jansen (Local 00238 – Georgian Bay); Erin Munk (Local 50110 – Riding Mountain); Jordan Morrison (Local 00041 – Bruce Peninsula)

Nine park wardens participated in the 2018 Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial Service on September 30. Sharon Woods, Tanya Dowdall, Courtney Bearinger, Kelly Forbes, Anika Hodgson, Birch Howard, Jonathan Jansen, Jordan Morrison and Erin Munk proudly marched and took part in the service on Parliament Hill to honour fallen police officers. UNE National President Kevin King also attended the service.

The last Sunday of September of every year was declared as the Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day in 1998 by the Canadian Government.
Park Warden Sharon Woods read the names of the six fallen police officers who died in the line of duty, to be added to the memorial wall.

The UNE is proud to represent law enforcement personnel working at Parks Canada and for the Parliamentary Protective Services (PPS).

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September 30 is Orange Shirt Day

The orange shirt, proudly worn by a six-year-old indigenous girl named Phyllis, was stripped from her on her first day of residential school. In 2013, her story led to the establishment of September 30 as the day to honour residential school survivors at Williams Lake, known as Orange Shirt Day. It is now commemorated across Canada.

Funded by the federal government and run by Christian churches, the residential schools’ purpose was to remove Indigenous children from their culture, strip away their language and ceremonies, and assimilate them into Canadian social systems. Attendance was mandatory from 1884-1948 and was enforced by the RCMP. Churches, governments, and police have apologized for their role in the residential school system. There is much more to be learned and accomplished, by all of us.

Wear an orange shirt on September 30 to honour residential school survivors. Familiarize yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and guard against history repeating itself. Ask yourself what truth and reconciliation means and what your role is in affecting change.

Ruby Langan, UNE National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples

 

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NBC Members in negots hold a Rally!

Union solidarity was on the agenda this morning in the streets of Quebec City. Members of the National Battlefields Commission (NBC) held a rally to demand a fair and equitable collective agreement. The stakes are high because these members are currently in negotiation, while their collective agreement expired at the end of 2017.

The UNE represents this group of workers with various positions such as gardener, guide, landscaper, or communications employee, with the exception of the NBC police.

The majority of these members have precarious jobs and it is important that the employer make a gesture. “There are many people who are on call, seasonal, and for those who are on call, even if they have been working for the NBC for 10 or 15 years, they have no benefits or funds pension, “says Claudia Bellavance, a member of the Union bargaining committee. (translated quote from the article by Ici Radio-Canada, in French only).

These workers are facing many obstacles in their careers and demand better working conditions, especially women workers who are planning a pregnancy. Wage disparity is also at the heart of bargaining with the employer, as well as work-family balance.

The status quo is unacceptable, and members are determined to fight for the new collective agreement to recognize their rights.

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REMINDER – PSAC PINS AND CERTIFICATES FOR YEARS OF SERVICE

At the UNE  and at the PSAC, 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.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada has a tradition of honouring long-term officers of the PSAC with service pins and certificates. These pins and certificates can be awarded to those with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service.

If your Local wishes to nominate a member, please complete the nomination form and enclose a complete service history of the individual. Please pay careful attention to the eligibility criteria when completing the period of service section of the form.

Nominations must arrive at the UNE office no later than September 29, 2018.

In solidarity,

Kevin A. King
National President
UNE, PSAC

 

 

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2019 High School Scholarship

At the UNE, we believe that no one should be stripped of the chance to reach their full potential because of the increasingly unaffordable cost of post-secondary education. That is why our members are proud to offer several scholarships to promising students.

The High School Scholarship program awards eleven scholarships in the amount of $1,000 – one from each region – to students in their last year of high school who are about to pursue post-secondary education.

These scholarships are designed to highlight union principles, as well as promote our union and the labour movement in a positive way. The scholarships aim to create awareness of our union within high schools and provide financial assistance to worthy students. This initiative will encourage youth to become more involved in union and social justice activities.

Please ensure that you follow the criteria and complete the application form carefully. The deadline for the High School Scholarships is March 31, 2019.