Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

Update on Ratification Meetings for the TC, PA, SV and EB Bargaining Units

PSAC’s tentative agreements with Treasury Board covering the TC, SV, PA and EB bargaining units will only take effect if they are ratified in a vote by the members. These tentative agreements cover workers from coast to coast to coast.

Hundreds of ratification meetings, which include information sessions, will take place across the country up until April 13. Over 73,000 PSAC members are currently eligible to vote. We encourage participation in this important exercise of union democracy.

When and where to vote

Important information about the dates and locations of ratification meetings is available through the PSAC regional offices and their websites, which will be updated regularly:

Who can vote

Every member in good standing who is covered by these agreements has a right to vote in the ratification process. If you are eligible to become a member of PSAC, but have not previously signed a membership card, you will be provided with an opportunity to sign one at the ratification vote meeting and will then be able to vote.

Ratification kits

More information

Please see the FAQ about the ratification process posted on the PSAC website.

Part of this article was originally published on the PSAC website.

Information on Ratification Votes for TC, PA, SV and EB Groups

As announced previously, tentative agreements have been reached by the PSAC bargaining teams with Treasury Board for the TC, SV, PA and EB groups. These agreements will only take effect if they are ratified in a vote by the members. Ratification meetings that include information sessions will take place across the country from February 20 to April 13.

Every member covered by these agreements has a right to vote in the ratification process. Further information regarding the ratification process is available on the PSAC website, including the various ratification kits:

Specific information regarding ratification meetings and where to vote is available through the various PSAC regional offices and their websites. You should also review the FAQ about the ratification process posted on the PSAC website.

What about the FB Group?

Unfortunately, due to the refusal of Treasury Board and CBSA to address FB Group priorities, no tentative agreement has been reached and the bargaining process for the FB Group is now at an impasse. As a result, the PSAC has filed for a Public Interest Commission (PIC). For more information on the next steps regarding FB Group bargaining, please see this post.

Part of this article was originally published on the PSAC website.

Influx of Migrants: CIU Calls for More Officers, Creation of Border Patrol

In order to help Border Services Officers (BSOs) deal with the considerable influx of migrants crossing into Canada, the National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, Jean-Pierre Fortin, is calling on Ottawa to restore jobs cut under the previous Conservative government.

“We’re talking about 1,053 jobs” said Jean-Pierre Fortin. “At this time, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is merely reallocating officers from one station to another. It isn’t sustainable in the long term. With a single refugee case taking up to 8 hours to process, there simply aren’t enough officers present to perform all duties associated with protecting our border.”

Increasing the number of border officers is therefore a crucial step the present government must take if it is serious about handling the current situation in a safe and efficient manner.

Border Officers should be allowed to patrol

In addition, Border Officers need to be allowed to patrol between the 117 different land border ports across Canada. “Border Services Officers are trained and equipped to handle difficult situations at the border,” explained the National President. “Allowing BSOs to take the lead in patrolling the border while continuing to work in collaboration with RCMP officers simply makes sense.”

With warmer weather on the horizon and a continuous flow of migrants entering Canada along the border, it is imperative that the government recognize that the level of staffing is inappropriate to deal effectively with the ongoing situation.

Bargaining Has Reached An Impasse: PSAC Files for a Public Interest Commission

The PSAC/CIU Bargaining Team for the FB group spent three days in mediation with Treasury Board and CBSA during the week of January 30. Given the refusal of Treasury Board and CBSA to address FB group priorities, the Bargaining Team has declared impasse.

As part of our ongoing campaign for respect for the border services group, PSAC filed for a Public Interest Commission (PIC) for the Border Services group on February 8, 2017. The group’s critical public safety duties deserve the same recognition given to other law enforcement officers.

Next Step

Under federal law, the PIC is the next step in the collective bargaining process when the parties reach impasse. Over the coming weeks CIU and PSAC will be consulting with branches across the country to prepare next steps in our efforts to get Treasury Board and the CBSA to finally address the issues our FB bargaining team have raised in negotiations.

We’ll be sure to provide updates as things progress. Please see the page What If Talks Break Down for more information on the PIC. For more information on FB bargaining, speak with your CIU Branch President, or sign-up for PSAC email updates.

Parts of this article were originally published on the PSAC website.

Phoenix and Tax Implications

As tax season approaches, many PSAC members are concerned about the effects of Phoenix pay problems on their taxes.

If you have questions about the tax implications of an overpayment or underpayment, or about your T4, here are two useful links:

Government of Canada: Information for employees on tax slips.
Canada Revenue Agency: Questions and Answers – Tax Implications of Phoenix payroll issues

This article was originally published on the PSAC website.