Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: A chance for reflection and reconciliation

Indigenous people in Canada continue to face intergenerational trauma. The clean drinking water crisis on reserves is still unresolved, Indigenous peoples are being killed by police at an alarming rate, and earlier this year, it was confirmed that there are unmarked graves containing the remains of thousands of children at former residential school sites across Canada.

Not enough progress has been made towards ending anti-Indigenous racism, or relationship-building between Indigenous peoples and the rest of Canada.

The official designation of September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, unanimously supported by the House of Commons in May, is a necessary and encouraging step forward. The ongoing commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools is a vital part of reconciliation.

A brief history of September 30

The movement for a new national holiday began in 2013 when Phyllis Webstad shared a heartbreaking story that launched the annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30.

Forty years earlier, when Webstad was just six years old, her grandmother took her to get a new outfit for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, just outside Williams Lake, B.C. Webstad handpicked a bright orange, lace-front shirt. But when she arrived at school wearing it, she was stripped of her clothing and never saw the shirt again.

“The colour orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter. How no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing,” said Webstad in a post on the Orange Shirt Day website. “All of us little children were crying, and no one cared.”

Orange Shirt Day creates meaningful discussion about the harm of residential schools and the legacy they have left behind. The date was chosen because it is the time of year children were taken from their homes and put into residential schools.

In September 2020, a new bill was tabled proposing that Orange Shirt Day become a national statutory holiday. The legislation was similar to the previous proposal, which died in the Senate when the 2019 federal election was called. In May 2021, the day after 215 children’s bodies were discovered in Kamloops, all parties agreed to fast-track the bill and it passed in the House of Commons, and then in the Senate, by unanimous consent.

An opportunity to show your support

Now, Orange Shirt Day is also the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new statutory holiday for employees in federally regulated public and private sectors.

PSAC members who receive it as a paid holiday are encouraged to use this opportunity to take real action to support Indigenous peoples.

Here are some examples of how you can honour survivors, their families, and communities:

Wear an orange shirt purchased from an Indigenous company in honour of Phyllis Webstad and all former residential school survivors.
Donate $30 on September 30 to a local or national Indigenous charity or not-for-profit working to improve the lives of Indigenous families and communities.
Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action to learn more about the 80 calls to action that are, as yet, unanswered.
Refer to our list of resources for recommendations on reports and podcasts to help you learn and reflect.
Participate in an event in your area.

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, PSAC will make monetary donations to the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society — two Indigenous organizations that are working to advance reconciliation and provide support to Indigenous families and communities.

The federal government established the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday in response to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. It’s one of only 14 calls to action that have been fulfilled.

There is still so much more work to do on the path to reconciliation. We encourage you to reach out to your newly elected member of Parliament and urge them to lobby the federal government to commit to a clear timeline for developing an action plan, providing funding for, and fulfilling all 94 Calls to Action.

The star quilt graphic was designed by Georgina Metzler, an Anishinaabe artist and graphic designer who lives in Calgary, Alberta. Learn more about the artist and the meaning behind the work.

Special thank you to L’nu/Mi’Kmaq high school principal Paula Reynolds-Hall for sharing ideas on how to take action on September 30.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

2021 Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Annual Memorial Service

On September 24, 1998, the Government of Canada officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September of every year as Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day. This year, the last Sunday of September falls on September 26. The Canadian Flag on CIU’s property will be half-masted from sunrise to sunset on that day.

While the current health crisis will prevent large groups from participating in the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ 44^th Annual Memorial Service, a small number of representatives will gather for the ceremony.

Those who wish to follow virtually will be able do so through the following link: https://cppom.ca/LIVE

PSAC-CIU members ratify new agreement with CBSA

PSAC-CIU members in the Border Services (FB) bargaining unit have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the tentative agreement with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The FB group represents over 8,500 CBSA employees who have been on the front lines of the pandemic since day one, protecting our borders and keeping Canadians safe.

The new contract is a four-year agreement from 2018-2022 with a total increase in wages of over 8%. The deal includes better protections against excessive discipline in the workplace, a commitment to tackle workplace culture problems, and improvements to leave and other allowances. It also addresses the long-standing issue of meal period compensation for uniformed officers.

“This agreement is a testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of our bargaining team who worked around the clock to reach a deal,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “We also couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support and solidarity of our members.”

“Finally – after three years of negotiations – we’ve resolved longstanding issues that will go a long way towards making CBSA a better, safer place to work for our members,” said Mark Weber, CIU national president. “Every action our members took on, and leading up to, our August 6 day of action made this possible. We can all be proud of what we achieved together.”

Next Steps

In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with Treasury Board and CBSA representatives to sign the new collective agreement. Apart from wage increases, which are retroactive, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.

CBSA has 180 days from the date of signing the new collective agreement to implement the new pay rates, provide retro pay for the time elapsed since the expiry of the previous agreement, and provide $500 to all FB members as a penalty for extended implementation timelines.

PSAC-CIU will update FB members when once the collective agreement is signed. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to get the latest news. If you have any other questions, please contact your CIU branch president or your PSAC regional office.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

Public service workers shouldn’t be disciplined over vaccination requirements

This week, national political party leaders have made concerning statements about disciplining or terminating federal public service workers who choose not to be vaccinated as part of the government’s vaccine mandate proposal.

PSAC supports vaccination requirements for federal workers to ensure the safety of our members in their workplaces, and to protect our communities, but using discipline and termination to enforce them is unacceptable.

PSAC has been in in consultation with the federal government on their vaccination proposal, and our position is clear: employees with a valid medical reason for being unvaccinated, or for reasons protected by human rights legislation, must be offered a formal accommodation under the law.

In addition, if there are workers who are unable or unwilling to be vaccinated, the government must temporarily reassign those employees to other duties where possible, or allow for alternate work arrangements such as remote work.

Where required, other measures should be explored, including regular screening and rapid testing.

PSAC will continue to play an active role in consultations as the federal government develops its vaccination requirements plan. We will do our utmost to ensure the safety our members while protecting their rights in the workplace – including their right to privacy.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC statement on vaccination requirements for federal public service workers

On August 13, the federal government announced it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all federal public service workers by early fall.

The government also expects that Crown corporations and other federally regulated employers will require vaccinations for their employees by the end of October.

As Canada enters a fourth wave of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for Canadians to do everything they can to protect each other and slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.

Science has shown us that vaccinations – alongside other measures like masking and physical distancing – are the most effective ways to fight COVID-19 and keep each other safe.

PSAC supports measures to increase vaccination rates, including vaccination requirements for federal public service workers to protect our members, their colleagues, and our communities.

Governments and employers have an obligation to ensure our workplaces are safe for public service workers and Canadians everywhere.

Although we support the goals of the government’s proposal, it’s critical that any eventual plan put forward by the government that would collect or verify the vaccination or medical status of our members respects their legal right to privacy. The government must also provide accommodations for workers who cannot be vaccinated for reasons protected under human rights legislation.

We expect the government to continue consulting with unions on the implementation of their vaccination requirements to safeguard our members’ right to privacy and ensure that their human rights are respected.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.