Category: Top Stories

As elected officers of the union, your communication with the union and with the members you represent is important and confidential. The first thing you should do – if you have not already – is secure a personal email for all union correspondence.

“But I mostly deal with members at work, so why can’t I just use my work email?”

While it may appear convenient, the email system at your work belongs to the employer. Under some circumstances, that means they can access your emails – even union-related – which can result in an embarrassing situation if confidentiality between you and your members is compromised.

There is also a greater chance for error. You could type someone’s name and press send to someone with the same name as a fellow member but accidentally send the email to management. Your contact list at work is different from your personal contact list.

A personal email address protects you and anyone with whom you discuss union business.

There are many providers of free email access and most sites that host them are not blocked by your employer’s network. If you have questions about where to sign up, please feel free to contact us at communications@une-sen.org. We’re here to help keep your union communications confidential.

What PSAC is doing

The PSAC is taking a number of high level steps to push for the earliest possible fixes to the problems at the Phoenix Pay System:

• Regular meetings with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) management
• Letter-writing campaign to PSPC Minister Judy Foote proposing high level intervention from the government to fix the problems
• Filing a policy grievance to address the problems with training, workload and other adverse impacts on the compensation workers in Miramichi
• Filing an unfair labour practice complaint with the labour relations board with respect to the new system’s failure to pay employees on time and accurately

What Members should do

By following these steps, most employees will have their issues resolved more quickly than going through the departmental grievance process.

1. Contact your manager to confirm your paperwork was sent to the Pay Centre. If it was not, acquire the paperwork to request a salary advance and follow up with your manager to send the paperwork. It is also important that you advise your human resources department right away.
2. If the paperwork was sent, call the Pay Centre at 1-855-686-4729 to speak to an agent about your file.
3. If the compensation advisor doesn’t follow up within three days or you are unsatisfied with their response, contact the Client Satisfaction Bureau.
4. Send us an email at info@une-sen.org so that we can work together with the employer and make certain our members are being paid. Please have members email details of their issue, their PRI number and a short statement indicating they consent to the union sharing their information with PSPC.

 Specific hardship cases

The Pay Centre is experiencing a particularly high level of problems processing pay for more vulnerable employees, such as those on gradual return to work from Sun Life due to disability, those on maternity and parental leave, and new hires. In these cases, grievances should be actively considered for any member who suffers serious financial damages.

If you believe a member needs to file such a grievance, please contact your UNE regional team.

When you visit Parliament Hill, either for a tour or to take part in committee meetings, your first point of contact is someone called a security scanner. Much like you encounter at the airport, this person plays a vital role by scanning briefcases and backpacks and waving a wand to ensure the security of all visitors. Scanners are members of the Union of National Employees and they are on the verge of playing an even more important role in increased security measures on the Hill.

Effective July 11, 2016, scanners will be replacing the existing RCMP officers, taking on the responsibilities of additional physical and electronic searches of vehicles entering Parliament Hill. They are trained to use sophisticated electronic technology including x-ray and explosive material detection in vehicles and of their occupants. The additional work for scanners will entail incorporating a 24-7-365 shift operation. As a result, there will be an increase from 44 members in 2015 to approximately 130 members by the time the vehicle scanning facility conversion is implemented in July 2016. Training and hiring of new employees is ongoing.

In 2018, Parliamentary Protective Services is planning to open its Visitor Welcoming Centre (VWC), which will become the primary controlled access point to Parliament Hill for all visitors and employees. UNE members, the scanners, will be an integral part of the VWC when it opens.

“This is yet another example of UNE members performing important, meaningful work,” said UNE president Doug Marshall. “The scanners have proven over the years that they are capable professionals and these new changes show the employer’s confidence that they are ready to take on additional roles and responsibilities.”

Are you a UNE member who wants to share a story about your workplace? We want to hear and share with the rest of the membership. Please contact Greg McNamara, Communications & Research Officer at greg.mcnamara@une-sen.org.