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Budget 2019: Phoenix funding improves, but falls short of ending pay nightmares and compensating workers

PSAC welcomes the new funding commitments made in today’s budget to address the Phoenix pay disaster, but they fall significantly short of what is required to end the pay nightmares of Canada’s federal public service workers.

The over 200,000 workers that have been impacted by Phoenix need long-term funding dedicated to: eliminating the backlog of pay problems; stabilizing Phoenix; compensating workers for their many hardships; and providing enough resources to properly develop, test and launch a new pay system. The amounts budgeted for the next 4 years will not be sufficient to meet those objectives, and over 70% of that funding is earmarked for this fiscal year, leaving little for future needs.

Budget 2019 also does not tie any funding to a timeline for the resolution of Phoenix problems, nor does it commit to a permanent increase in staffing required to stabilize the system for good. It also allocates nothing for the development and launch of a new pay system.

“Our continued mobilization for action on Phoenix has convinced the government to take greater action, but Mr. Trudeau’s wait-and-see approach is not the long-term plan our members need,” said PSAC President Chris Aylward.

“We know we will have to work on stabilizing Phoenix for years to come, and there are hundreds of thousands of cases to still work through. The budget doesn’t even put funding aside for developing and deploying a new pay system or compensating our members. This budget just won’t cut it.”

“Every single day our members show up to work and deliver the critical services Canadians depend on. They deserve for their employer, this government, to pay them correctly, on time – and to compensate them for all the damage done to their lives.”

Source: PSAC

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Phoenix: PSAC escalates pressure on government with buildings shutdown

This morning, over 500 PSAC members rallied and blocked entry into two major federal government buildings in Ottawa as they expressed their mounting frustrations with Phoenix and urged the Trudeau government for more action.

“We have told this government that if they do not make more progress in paying our members correctly, and compensate them for the massive impacts of this disaster, that we would escalate our actions. That’s why we’re here today.” said PSAC President Chris Aylward.

“Federal Public Service workers have been showing up to work every day, delivering the services Canadians rely on, despite the mess Phoenix has created in their lives. Our members have been paying for the government’s mistakes for years. It’s time for the government to start paying them back.”

The union is calling on the government to remedy the situation by:

  • Paying damages to all public service workers for the great financial and emotional hardship they have endured
  • Providing the additional staffing and training needed to:
  • assist members at the Client Contact Centre and the Public Service Pay Centre;
  • reduce Phoenix cases by ensuring HR data is entered on time;
  • eliminate the backlog of Phoenix cases, including implementing collective agreements and delivering retroactive pay
  • Delivering a clear and accountable timeline to stabilize Phoenix, eliminate the backlog, and transition to a new pay system

Damning figures from the recent Public Service Employee Survey provided overwhelming support for the union’s demands.

“To add insult to injury, while our members continue to wait to be paid correct, this government has also delayed delivering a fair deal for over 100,000 PSAC members at the bargaining table. We won’t allow this government to keep taking our members for granted.”

Source: PSAC