Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

Labour Day 2022: Don’t just thank a union, get involved!

Canada’s labour movement has a long history of fighting – and winning – battles for decent wages, better working conditions, and stronger protections that improve people’s lives.

It’s thanks to unions and thousands of workers and activists who took to the streets in the spring of 1872 that we enjoy weekends and the eight-hour workday today.

It’s because unions never waned in the fight for women’s equality that parents now get paid parental leave to spend with their families when it matters most.

We have the right to refuse unsafe work and have a say in making our workplaces safer because unions led the way towards reforms in occupational health and safety.

From minimum wages and protection against discrimination and harassment to overtime pay and vacation pay, there is no doubt unions have helped make Canada a better, safer place to live and work.

New challenges ahead

But today, our movement still faces challenges – some new, others we’ve been grappling with for decades.

The pandemic changed the way that we live and work, but we’ve adapted to make sure you’re protected at work – whether that’s in your workplace or at the kitchen table.

We’re fighting for fair wages in bargaining as record-high inflation squeezes workers and makes life less affordable. Meanwhile, wealthy corporations continue to line their pockets with record profits.

Unions are working to tear down the systemic barriers Black, Indigenous, Asian and other racialized workers continue to face in their workplace, from discriminatory hiring practices to limited career advancement, and underrepresentation in management positions.

These trying times remind us that now, more than ever, we can’t waver in our fight for fair wages, good working conditions and inclusive workplaces — not just for PSAC members, but for all Canadian workers.

But to make major gains for workers, we need to be organized and work together. Because we have strength in numbers with more than 230,000 PSAC members behind us – with thousands more joining us ever year – we can drive the change we want to see in our workplaces.

So this Labour Day, don’t just thank a union. Take action and get involved:

Keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive all the latest updates about bargaining.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC files policy grievances over Phoenix overpayment recovery

PSAC has filed policy grievances against Treasury Board, Parks Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for their heavy-handed mismanagement of the Phoenix overpayment process.

In fall 2021, the Public Service Pay Centre launched the recovery process for Phoenix overpayments for thousands of federal public service workers the government believes were overpaid by the Phoenix pay system in 2016. Because of the six-year limitation period to begin recovering these overpayments, they rushed the process, producing major errors and giving many PSAC members misleading information.

We recognize that some members owe these overpayment debts. However, many others received overpayments based on inaccurate, outdated and unverifiable information. Some were not even aware that they had been overpaid until they received these letters years later.

PSAC believes their overpayment recovery strategy violates our members’ collective agreements. Our grievances challenge the employers to:

comply with members’ collective agreements;
provide sufficient information to members about their overpayment before collecting it;
reconcile a member’s entire pay file before sending an overpayment letter;
reimburse any amounts that may have been improperly recovered from members.

While the grievances are processed, PSAC will continue to help members affected by this complex process. If you received a Phoenix overpayment letter, please refer to our specific recommendations on how to proceed.

If you have any concerns or require assistance, please contact PSAC’s Phoenix team for help by selecting ”Phoenix Overpayment” from the ”What is your inquiry about” dropdown menu.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC adopts 2SLGBTQIA+ acronym

At the 2022 PSAC National Triennial Convention, delegates voted to build a more inclusive, equitable, and representative union by updating our use of the acronym LGBTQ2+ to 2SLGBTQIA+. This change is the result of PSAC’s ongoing commitment to promote equity for all our membres, especially those who have been marginalized.

Resolution CS-045 updates Section 15, Subsection (1) of the PSAC Constitution to be more inclusive of our gender non-conforming members. Enshrining this change in the Constitution is also a tangible acknowledgement of PSAC’s commitment towards reconciliation.

Including Two-Spirit at the beginning of the acronym honours Indigenous peoples’ ways of loving, learning, and building community across Turtle Island (North America) from time immemorial. With 2S at the beginning, this acronym further acknowledges the fact that Indigenous peoples were the first to build communities that honoured sexual and gender diversity on this land.

2SLGBTQIA+ definitions

2S – Two-Spirit: A culturally specific term used by some Indigenous people to indicate a person whose gender identity, spiritual identity, and/or sexual orientation comprises both masculine and feminine spirits or neither.

L – Lesbian: Refers to a woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to other women.

G – Gay: Refers to people who are emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to people of the same gender.

B – Bisexual or Bi: Refers to a person who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to more than one gender, but not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree.

T – Transgender or Trans: An umbrella term to describe a wide range of people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differ from the sex they were assigned at birth and/or the societal and cultural expectations of their assigned sex.

Q – Queer: An umbrella term used by some members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to describe sexual orientations, or gender identities that exist outside of heterosexuality or the gender binary.

I – Intersex: Refers to a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit into the typical masculine/feminine binary.

A – Asexual or Ace: Refers to individuals who do not experience sexual attraction or have low interest in sexual activity.

+: The ‘+’ sign is an inclusive way to reflect sexual orientations, romantic orientations and gender expressions, such as pansexual, aromantic, agender, and non-binary, among many others.

The language used to describe identities, including romantic and sexual orientations is always changing. When referring to a person’s identity, it is important to respect the words and meanings they use to describe themselves.

Read PSAC’s Gender Inclusive Toolkit

People in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities live at the intersection of multiple identities. PSAC seeks to honour this rich diversity, and, as a national union, we are committed to ensuring that all members are included, valued, and respected.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

CIU National President meets with Public Safety Minister

On Friday, August 5, 2022, National President Mark Weber met with the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, to discuss ongoing issues affecting CIU members and border services across the country.

During this first meeting with the Minister, Mark Weber highlighted several areas of concern, ranging from the effects of the implementation of the ArriveCAN app and other automated processes on the work our members do, to the lack of consultation by CBSA’s upper echelons with frontline officers when it comes to policy and procedures. “All over the country, what we’re hearing from our members is that they are no longer doing the work they are trained to do to ensure the security of our borders” explained Weber to the Minister, adding that “CBSA’s plans are made by people who have never worked at the border” and that the Agency could only benefit from consulting with those who have first-hand experience with what works—and what doesn’t—on the frontline.

Minister Mendicino acknowledged that the last two years had been difficult for many, especially for those on the frontline, including border officers, and expressed his gratitude for the work CIU members do. The Minister further highlighted that he was keen on avoiding disconnects between people on the ground and decision makers and that he wished to maintain an open line of communication with the union moving forward.

This meeting, which took place on the eve of the anniversary date of last year’s ground-breaking FB mobilization, made it clear that the Minister is aware of the many issues CIU members are facing, and we are hopeful that this sets the stage for a constructive relationship between the union and the Ministry of Public Safety.

August 6: A time for solidarity

August 6, 2021, marked a historical moment for our union and for the Canadian labour movement at large when FB members mobilized from coast to coast to coast, successfully bringing to a close a long and protracted bargaining round. Through this display of solidarity — one of the most fruitful in recent Canadian labour history — our members showed just how powerful we can be when we come together and act as one in the face of adversity.

As the anniversary of this important moment approaches, FB members once again find themselves at the early stage of the bargaining process for a new collective agreement, preparing for another round where key protections will have to be fought for and defended. At the same time, following Treasury Board’s insulting wage proposal and unacceptable concession demands, our members from the PA, TC, SV and EB tables have reached impasse in their own negotiations, and are now awaiting the proceedings of the Public Interest Commission, moving closer to being in a legal strike position.

As this unfolds, it is important to remember that we do not bargain in a vacuum. Many of the concessions sought by Treasury Board for the PA, TC, SV and EB tables will have a broader impact beyond this round of bargaining — including for our FB members for whom the bargaining process is just beginning.

Victories are most effective when they act as a foundation to be built upon. In that spirit, let August 6 serve as a springboard for us to support ongoing efforts to push back against Treasury Board’s concession demands, in a demonstration of solidarity with all members — both within CIU and outside CIU — from the PA, TC, SV and EB groups.

No gesture is too small. On the first anniversary date of the August 6 FB mobilization and for the week following, Branch executives are encouraged to plan activities appropriate for their work location in solidarity with other Treasury Board tables. Members should reach out to their Branch President to discuss ideas and ways to express support for ongoing bargaining efforts. Branch Presidents can contact their National Vice-President for more information.

United we bargain, divided we beg: On August 6 and beyond, let’s show that CIU members truly know the meaning of solidarity.

Mark Weber
National President
Customs and Immigration Union