On Monday, National President Doug Marshall took part in teleconference call with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The Union of National Employees is concerned about its members at Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation who are expected to be transferred to ACOA by the end of June.
Our concerns weren’t abated; ACOA didn’t provide any information about the transfer. ACOA President Paul LeBlanc didn’t volunteer any details beyond the fact that the agency was “working on the transfer.”
“A transfer like this one is incredibly complex,” said Marshall. “There are 33 members there who are transferring from an outside organization to the core public service. Our members have important questions; I find it baffling that ACOA won’t consult with us on issues important to our members.”
This isn’t the first time that the UNE has faced a situation like this. Last year, 60 members at the National Capital Commission were kept in the dark about their salary until the day before their transfer to Canadian Heritage. Needless to say, it caused a lot of problems and scores of grievances that are still not resolved.
The UNE wants to ensure that our members’ concerns are addressed and their questions answered. We are calling on ACOA to work with us and to communicate openly with its employees.
After the teleconference’s conclusion, a disappointed Marshall wrote a letter to Local President Gerard McPhee, of Local 84200 (Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation) to inform him of ACOA’s immovable stance.