Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

SV bargaining: No movement from government on key issues in mediation

After a week of mediation, Treasury Board made no effort to find common ground in bargaining with our more than 10,000 SV group members, refusing to budge on any key issues, especially when it came to fair wages and market adjustments.

The employer’s revised wage offer was initially proposed during Common Issues mediation in September, and would average 2.06% per year over a four-year agreement. Treasury Board held fast to this wage offer during mediation October 11-14.

The SV team proposed that, in the event that the parties are unable to come to an agreement on market adjustments at the bargaining table, the issue be sent to binding arbitration. However, the employer rejected this proposal.

Our team made it clear: closing the gap between SV members’ wages with those in similar positions outside of the federal public sector is the number one priority in this round of negotiations. Unless the government comes back to the table with a new mandate, we will continue to push for this issue to be sent to arbitration or we’ll be forced to settle the dispute on the picket lines.

Government stalling negotiations

Treasury Board seems intent on delaying negotiations and dragging their feet on our most important issues, setting back our members who have been without a new contract since June 2021. In response, PSAC has launched both in-person and online strike training for our more than 165,000 federal public service workers to ratchet up the pressure on the government to bargain fairly.

PSAC will now raise these issues at Public Interest Commission hearings, to be scheduled this fall by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. If an agreement cannot be reached during the Public Interest Commission process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions, up to and including taking strike action if necessary to reach a fair contract.

Stay informed and engaged

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all latest bargaining updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

ArriveCAN: Border officers were never consulted, says CIU National President to House Committee

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On Thursday October 20, 2022, the National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, Mark Weber, addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates as part of the Committee’s study on the ArriveCAN application.

Speaking to the Committee, the CIU National President was critical of the Agency, pointing to the utter lack of consultation with frontline officers — both in the context of  ArriveCAN and in general. “What’s perhaps most vexing about ArriveCAN is how it was developed without any meaningful consultation with, or input from, frontline officers. Not when the idea was first proposed; not when the app was initially developed; and definitely not at any point during one of the more than 70 updates that the app had to undergo” the National President told the Committee, explaining that it “defied reason” to develop an application designed for the frontline without involving those who serve at the border. Had officers been involved, they would have been able to flag potential issues — of which ArriveCAN saw plenty — before they arose.

‘Like putting up wallpaper before pouring the foundation’

The CIU National President also pointed to the decision to fund the development of ArriveCAN at the expense of more pressing issues, such as the ongoing severe staffing crisis, as highly problematic, comparing it to “putting up wallpaper before pouring the foundation”, and highlighting that “by choosing to sink dozens of millions of dollars into ArriveCAN while its border services workforce is understaffed and overworked, the federal government is simply gambling with Canada’s ability to maintain a safe and properly functioning border.”

ArriveCAN is not the only issue

ArriveCAN is certainly not unique at CBSA. It is only one example in a long line of technological band-aid solutions that ultimately fail to enhance border security and effectiveness in any real way: Primary inspection kiosks, E-Gates, remote reporting, etc. What these also have in common is that they are always developed without involving the frontline personnel who actually works at the border.

“What the government and CBSA can learn from the ArriveCAN experience is that, if they want to effectively and properly manage our border, while ensuring that the projects designed to do so are sound, they must rely on and seek out the expertise of frontline border officers in a meaningful way” concluded Mark Weber. “Our members are proud of the work they do, they’re proud of serving Canadians, and I know they would jump at the opportunity to help improve our border processes.”

A recording of the Committee proceedings can be viewed here.

Changes to the FB bargaining team

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Since it was formed earlier this year, our FB bargaining team has seen some changes to its membership. The bargaining team is now comprised of the following members:

Brea Baresinkoff, Michael William Fraser, Marjorie Gavel, Sophie Martin, Jacqueline Monk, Lisa Morgan, Keith Palmer, Shane Paul, Stewart Saunderson, and Jordan Smith.

Morgan Gay and Darren Pacione remain as Negotiator and Research Officer, respectively.

Welcome to the new members and thank you to everyone on the team for the work you’re doing on behalf of FB members.

TC group: no progress on key demands following mediation

Following a week of mediation, the federal government continues to refuse to budge on its wage offer that would deliver a pay cut to nearly 11,000 federal public service workers in the TC group who are facing record high inflation and a looming recession.

This revised wage offer was initially proposed during Common Issues mediation in September and would average 2.06% per year over a four-year agreement. Treasury Board held fast to this wage offer during mediation with the TC group, October 17-21.

TC negotiators made it clear that the current offer is unacceptable, and that a fair contract offer is necessary.

Yet the government is demanding concessions and made no move to resolve key issues for TC group members, including the large number of group-specific allowances that we are proposing to ensure that our members are fairly compensated.

In response, PSAC has launched both in-person and online strike training for our more than 165,000 federal public service members to ratchet up the pressure on the government to bargain fairly.

PSAC will now raise these issues at the Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings conducted by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. PIC dates have been set for Common Issues, November 28 to December 1, and for the TC group on December 9.

If an agreement cannot be reached during the PIC process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions, up to and including taking strike action if necessary to reach a fair contract.

Stay informed and engaged

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest bargaining updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Telework at CBSA: Responding to the Agency’s hybrid work model

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Dear members,

Over the past few weeks, the implementation of the new hybrid work model by CBSA has once again demonstrated the Agency’s inability to properly assess the needs of — and consult with — its employees before enforcing sweeping policy changes. While nuance and flexibility should have been common sense, the Agency’s preference for an ill-suited, one-size-fits-all approach has been of great concern, and we’ve been hard at work to hold the employer to task.

What many of you have shared with us is troubling: You’ve been asked to return to the office with very little notice and without any clear or consistent explanation as to why it was necessary to do so. More egregious is the blatant lack of interest from the Agency to pursue a consultation process that would have accounted for both CBSA’s service requirements and its employees needs — or to even issue comprehensive guidelines to managers — before implementing this policy.

As things stand, what is clear is that the Agency’s hybrid work model is being applied without rhyme or reason, with some workplaces going so far as justifying mandatory in-person attendance with the need to ‘socialize around the water cooler’.

At the end of the day, the sad yet unsurprising reality is that all of this flies in the face of the Treasury Board Secretariat’s very own guidance on telework and a hybrid workforce, and that much of this could have been avoided if the Agency had not opted once again to skirt its responsibility to consult with both union and staff.

This situation formed much of the discussion at the recent CIU National Board of Directors meeting, and we are working toward seeing your concerns addressed through different means, including the possibility of grievances should it prove necessary. PSAC, too, has committed to following up with Treasury Board on the matter, and the issue of telework remains a major priority at the bargaining table. Our goal is clear: The Agency must not only provide clear reasoning as to why, how, and when an employee needs to report to the workplace before implementing any sort of hybrid work arrangement, it must also genuinely listen to the needs and concerns of its workforce.

This can be a complex process, but it is the only way to ensure employees are treated in a fair and equitable manner. Many of you have worked remotely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, doing so admirably and continuing to serve the Canadian public to the highest standard without any disruption in service, making telework a success story. The Customs and Immigration Union is incredibly proud of the work that you do, and we are here to ensure that you are treated in a manner befitting your dedication to your duties. Do not hesitate to reach out to your Branch President should you require any help or guidance on this matter — we’re here to help.

Stay tuned for more information as things progress.

In solidarity,

Mark Weber
National President
Customs and Immigration Union