![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.une-sen.org\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/pcan_update.png\" "\\"pcan_update\\"")
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Thanks to the Harper government slicing and dicing Passport Canada, we have a few updates for the members who now work for the passport program at Employment and Social Development Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.<\/p>\n
Transitions, transitions\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n The transition is now progressing through the first phase, which saw Passport Canada\u2019s responsibilities transferred to Citizenship and Immigration Canada and service-delivery become the domain of Employment and Social Development Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.<\/p>\n Starting in April 2014, phase one will progress to the stage where members working in internal services who directly support passport operations will be divvied up proportionally between the two departments; in other words, this transition will see some members who are now with Citizenship and Immigration Canada get transferred to Service Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, I might be dealing with a single person in labour relations who can address issues affecting all former passport members, whether they now belong to Service Canada or Citizenship and Immigration Canada,\u201d explained Rose Touhey, an assistant regional vice-president for the Outside Canada region and President of Local 70130. \u201cAfter April 1, nobody will be intermingling anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n The final step is really separating the operations of what\u2019s left of Passport Canada. The Union of National Employees is concerned that this step might lead to some job cuts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe employer recently told us that some of the internal services positions allocated to the passport program at Citizenship and Immigration Canada are likely to be abolished,\u201d explained National President Doug Marshall.<\/p>\n The employer plans to achieve these reductions by eliminating vacant positions and through attrition \u2013 but we haven\u2019t been provided with specific numbers.<\/p>\n \u201cThey originally told us everything would stay the same \u2013 but that was in phase one.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s that huge grievance\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n This all started when some employers decided to hit the pause button on the Treasury Board directive that sees term employees become indeterminate after three years of service.<\/p>\n \u201cTerm employees filed grievances at all major passport offices across Canada,\u201d said Marshall.<\/p>\n After a brief discussion with the employer on November 6, the parties agreed to combine these grievances into one group grievance.<\/p>\n \u201cThe employer and the union also agreed that these grievances would go directly to the third level,\u201d added Marshall.<\/p>\n This ensures that any response we get comes from the person at the right decision-making level.<\/p>\n The outcome of these grievances will apply to all term employees who were formerly employed by Passport Canada, and who continue to be term employees of the passport program as of August 2, 2013 \u2013 even those who didn\u2019t sign the initial group grievances.<\/p>\n \u201cThe really mind-boggling issue here is that Passport Canada was never affected by the freeze that affected so many terms across Treasury Board,\u201d said Marshall. \u201cIt didn\u2019t affect them because Passport Canada is self-funded; the program continues to be self-funded. So, there\u2019s simply no reason why the freeze should suddenly apply to these term employees.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thanks to the Harper government slicing and dicing Passport Canada, we have a few updates for the members who now work for the passport program at Employment and Social Development Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Transitions, transitions\u2026 The transition is now progressing through the first phase, which saw Passport Canada\u2019s responsibilities transferred to Citizenship … <\/p>\n