Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

Treasury Board bargaining: April talks will be Trudeau’s last chance to deliver on commitment to public service workers

PSAC bargaining teams representing 90,000 members under Treasury Board only saw small movement from the government at talks last week despite a rapidly closing window for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to deliver on his commitment to public service workers.

After some small positive steps at talks in February, PSAC was hopeful that the government would come to the March meeting ready to make major progress.

“Unfortunately, the government once again squandered the opportunity to make major progress towards a fair contract,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC’s National President. “Since coming into office, Trudeau committed to restoring the government’s respect for the public service. Those are nice words, but reaching a fair contract before the federal election in October is the only way he can deliver on that promise to PSAC members.”

Since bargaining began almost ten months ago, PSAC’s teams have presented reasonable proposals to improve work-life balance, reduce precarious contract work, close wage gaps with the private sector, and ensure fair economic increases.

Yet, for most of that time, the government has repeatedly delayed progress and resorted to making insulting offers, such as the November proposal for a two year wage freeze. Though the government has since moved away from that proposal, it continues to insist on an annual wage increase of only 1%, around half the rate of inflation.

“Trudeau’s window to deliver on his commitment to support public service workers and the vital services they provide Canadians is closing, but we’re willing to give him one more chance in April,” added Aylward. “We’re going to ramp our mobilization between now and then to make sure the government understands that they are running a high risk if they don’t give PSAC members a fair deal before the election.”

“PSAC members are still waiting to get paid properly under Phoenix, and they’re still waiting, after three years, to be compensated for all the hardships they’ve endured because of these countless pay problems. They shouldn’t also have to wait for the fair working conditions they deserve.”

Last week’s sessions were held between March 19 and 21 and covered four bargaining units under Treasury Board: Program & Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operations Services (SV), and Education & Library Science (EB).

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

2006: Arming Initiative

The third entry in our series celebrating our union milestones takes a look at a major turning point for border officers.

The arming of officers did not happen overnight. CIU (then CEUDA) had to lobby for years to convince the government that arming border officers was as important as providing protective vests and general safety equipment.

Pressure on the employer reached a peak in the early 2000s. The government’s position at the time was that border officers should let the police deal with dangerous situations, going so far as to compare the role of border officers to that of bank tellers. Ill-equipped to defend themselves and perform their duties, border officers were understandably frustrated.

Through work refusals, coast-to-coast consultations, and in-depth studies, the union wore out the employer’s objections and found support with the public. Finally, in 2006, the arming initiative became reality, with then 1st National VP Jean-Pierre Fortin (now National President) noting in 2007 that it represented “the largest cultural shift facing border services and [CIU] in our collective pasts.”

Close-up of a BSO with a gun, with text explaining how the union fought for its members to be armed

Click for full-size version.

For more union victories, see this page, and follow us on social media using #CIUvictories.

March 2019 Young Workers Conference Call

If you are 35 years old or younger and want to get involved with your union, you are invited to participate in the next CIU Young Workers conference call, on March 27, 2019, 7-8 p.m. (ET). This is an opportunity to make your voice heard and discuss shared issues with your fellow young workers.

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Treasury Board bargaining: Trudeau’s window to deliver on commitment to public service workers is closing

The clock is ticking for the Trudeau Liberals as PSAC’s four bargaining teams representing 90,000 workers covered by Treasury Board resume negotiations with the government between March 19 and 21.

Since bargaining began nine months ago, PSAC’s teams have presented proposals to improve work-life balance, reduce precarious contract work, close wage gaps with the private sector, and ensure fair economic increases. Yet, for most of that time, the government has repeatedly delayed progress, and in late November made an insulting offer that would freeze wages for two years.

While the last session of talks in February yielded a few smalls steps in the right direction, far more significant progress must be achieved this month. Reaching a fair agreement before the federal election in October is the only way Justin Trudeau can deliver on his promises to PSAC members.

In a 2015 letter to public service workers, Trudeau committed to restoring the government’s “trust in — and respect for — our public servants”. Moreover, Trudeau has recognized that public service workers “continue to show unwavering professionalism as they face unacceptable hardships caused by the implementation of the Phoenix pay system.”

“Over the last four years, Trudeau has said all the right things about the public service,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC National President. “But actions speak louder than words, and PSAC members are still waiting for him to deliver on his commitment to them. They’re still waiting to get paid properly under Phoenix and they’re still waiting to be compensated for all the hardships they’ve endured because of these countless pay problems. They shouldn’t also have to wait for the fair working conditions they deserve.”

“The window of opportunity for Trudeau to deliver on his commitment to support public service workers and the vital services they provide Canadians is closing, but it’s still there. This means delivering a fair deal for our members before the next election – and we won’t let his government off the hook.”

These sessions cover four bargaining units under Treasury Board: Program & Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operations Services (SV), and Education & Library Science (EB).

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

2000: Body Armour

Every two weeks, we’re releasing a short vignette showcasing a victory or an event of importance in the history of our union. Here is the second entry in the series.

At the turn of the millennium, after years of pressure by the union, the government had yet to provide protective vests in suitable numbers to its Customs Officers. Through lobbying in the 90s, CIU (then CEUDA) had succeeded in pressuring the employer to start providing bullet-proof vests to its officers. By 1999, however, the government had only acquired a mere 400 such vests Canada-wide, at times going so far in some ports as distributing them by lottery to officers.

Faced with an employer unwilling to provide adequate protective vests to all officers in a timely fashion, the union launched a massive awareness campaign, attracting the attention of various American police associations. Ultimately, in well-publicized displays of solidarity, the union received hundreds of vests in donation from these associations.

Shamed into doing the right thing, the government relented and announced in early 2000 that budget would be allocated to ensure that all border officers would be provided with a vest. Today, thanks to pressure from CIU and its members, soft body armour is part of the standard equipment available to all Border Officers.

Photo of BSO with text explaining how the union obtained body armour for its members (same text as on page)

Click for full-size version.

For more union victories, see this page, and follow us on social media using #CIUvictories.