Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

FB group: your rights in the workplace

Yes, you can wear union swag on the job

PSAC-CIU members have the right to wear union materials on the job. This is confirmed by two Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board decisions.

In 2018 the federal labour relations board found Canada Border Services Agency’s arbitrary ban on wearing orange “I support my bargaining team” shoelaces anywhere except boots to be an unfair labour practice and a violation of the collective agreement. The judgment guaranteed members’ rights to wear these shoelaces as hair ties or bracelets, should they choose to do so.

  • Full decision – 2018 FPSLREB 66, Public Service Alliance of Canada v. Treasury Board (Canada Border Services Agency)

In 2012, the board made a ruling that protected members’ rights to wear red “support the bargaining team” bracelets while on duty and rejected the claim that it was a violation of the uniform policy.

  • Full decision – 2012 PSLRB 21, Bartlett et al. v. Treasury Board (Canada Border Services Agency)

Know your rights 

Everything we do in the workplace to show CBSA we are paying attention to the issues and support our bargaining team – no matter how big or small – makes a difference as we push for a fair contract.

We have the right to promote and build our union in the workplace, and that includes the virtual workspace. Members have the right to be kept informed and take action during non-work time, before or after shifts and during paid and unpaid breaks and lunch periods.

You have the right to:

  • Talk about the union. You can talk to co-workers about the union at work, including through virtual meetings, as you would any other subject — and help keep everyone informed about PSAC’s activities.
  • Share information. You can sign petitions, sign up for events, and share bargaining-related information during non-working time. However, ensure that this is done via personal, non-work email accounts, rather than work email.
  • Wear the union message. You can wear buttons, lanyards, stickers, t-shirts, shoelaces, epaulettes, velcro patches and name tags and other items that communicate the union’s message.
  • Use a union virtual background and signature block. You can use a virtual background and signature blocks expressing support for your union and bargaining team (e.g., on Microsoft Teams/Zoom and Outlook).
  • Attend rallies and mobilization events. You can take part in in-person rallies or other union events during your paid breaks as well as before or after work.

If management interferes with these rights or discourages you from exercising them, alert a CIU Branch steward or executive member or your PSAC regional office right away.

Virtual backgrounds 

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC announces winners of 2023 scholarship program

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s PSAC scholarship awards. We are proud to see a new generation of strong labour activists from across the country committed to advancing our movement.

Recipients were selected from hundreds of applications from PSAC members and their families. Awards were granted based on the merit of an  essay, video, infographic, song, or other creative submission about the role of Truth and Reconciliation in the union movement.

PSAC thanks all participants who applied for their compelling and thought-provoking submissions.

The 2024 scholarship program will re-open mid-April with new guidelines and application forms.

National Awards 

Hewan Gebremedhin – $4,000 AGR-PSAC 
Hewan lives in Medicine Hat, Alta., and is the daughter of Mulu Gebremedhin of the Union of National Defence Employees, Local 30907.

Aniqa Jalal – $4,000 Coughlin-PSAC 
Aniqa is from Halifax, N.S., and her father, Kazi Shah Jalal, is a member of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, Local 80809.

Lydia Enzinas – $3,000 AGR-PSAC 
Lydia is from Jerseyville, Ont., and her mother, Michelle Enzinas, is a member of Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, Local 70703.

Amelia Neo – $3,000 AGR-PSAC 
Amelia is from Kamloops, British Columbia and her father, Vincent Neo, is a member of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, Local 30872.

Meg- Anne Lachance – $3,000 Coughlin-PSAC 
Meg-Anne is from Sherbrooke, Que., and is the child of Philippe Lachance of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees, Local 10024.

Amy Greenwood – $3,000 Coughlin-PSAC Amy lives in North Vancouver, B.C., and her father, Adam Greenwood, is a member of the Customs and Immigration Union, Local 20040.

Lise Charles- $2,000 J.R. (Joe) Power 
Lise lives in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and is the daughter of Jean Davis of the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees, Local 90001.

Equity Awards 

Nathan Gamble – $3,000 
Nathan lives in Regina, Sask., and is a member of Directly Chartered Local 40005.

Daanis Bruneau-Cormier – $ 3,000
Daanis is from Winnipeg, Man., and is the daughter of Angèle Cormier, of the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees, Local 50022.

Nikolas Gelinas – $3,000
Nikolas lives in Regina, Sask., and is the son of Jean-Claude Gelinas of the Union of National Defence Employees, Local 40800

Lara Mercier-Jung – $3,000
Lara lives in Burnaby, B.C., and her mother, Lilianne Mercier, is a member of the Union of Health and Environment Workers, Local 20147

Isabella Pascucci – $3,000
Isabella is from Toronto, Ont., and her mother, Wanda Pascucci, is a member of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, Local 548.

Members’ Awards

Sean Maverick Celi- $2,000 PSAC Members’
Sean lives in Surrey, B.C., and is a member of Canada Employment and Immigration Union, Local 20938.

Waheedah El-Bagdady – $2,000 PSAC Members’
Waheedah is from London, Ont., and a member of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees, local 89.

Michelle Crawley- $2,000 PSAC Members’
Michelle is from Ottawa, Ont., and a member of the Union of National Employees, local 70372.

Andrew Barker- $1,000 PSAC Members’
Andrew is from Gloucester, Ont., and is a member of Canada Employment and Immigration Union, local 70705.

Antoine Dumas- $1,000 PSAC Members’
Antoine is from Gatineau, Que., and is a member of the Union of National Employees, local 70148.

Regional Awards

Brandon Fougere- $1,000 Atlantic
Brandon is from Cornwall, P.E.I., and is the son of Patricia Fougere, member of Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees, Local 90001.

Michael Maudsley- $1,000 British Columbia
Michael lives in Victoria, B.C., and is the son of Jennifer Maudsley, member of the Customs and Immigration Union Local 20042.

Kalleigh Heffernan – $1,000 National Capital Region
Kalleigh is from Toronto, Ont., and is the child of Robert Heffernan of the Union of National Defence Employees, Local 70611.

Ryder Benoit – $1,000 North
Ryder is from Whitehorse, Yukon, and is the son of Tara Sheridan, member of the Yukon Employees’ Union, Local Y010.

Ella Norland – $1,000 Ontario
Ella is from Brights Grove, Ont., and is the daughter of Gene Norland, member of the Customs and Immigration Union, Local 19.

Eden Harriman- $1,000 Prairies
Eden lives in Prince Albert, Sask., and her mother, Shannon Harriman, is a member of the Union of Health and Environment Workers, Local 40027.

Eva Corriveau- $1,000 Quebec
Eva is from Trois-Rivières, Que., and her father, Martin Corriveau, is a member of the Union of National Employees.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Initial reaction to the Auditor General’s Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees report

Photo of CIU flag

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada recently published its Report 5—Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees, which found that more concrete action was needed within several federal public service organizations — including the Canada Border Services Agency — to effectively address systemic issues and barriers faced by racialized employees. Indeed, the Auditor General concluded that these organizations “were not making sufficient use of available data to identify barriers faced by their racialized staff or inform equity and inclusion strategies and complaint mechanisms” and that, within management, “accountability for behavioural and cultural change […] was limited and not effectively measured”.

As is often the case when it comes to CBSA, this will not come as a surprise to our members. The Agency is known for brushing aside complaints from employees and letting abuse from managers go unchecked. CIU’s National President said as much to federal MPs earlier this year. The Agency’s management has demonstrated time and again its fundamental inability to address deep-rooted systemic issues, including those affecting our racialized members. What’s worse, in the union’s experience, many of these issues either stem from or are exacerbated by the incompetence and lack of accountability rampant within upper management.

While the Auditor General’s report includes a sensible call to action for federal public organizations — “[t]o create a workplace that is truly inclusive, you need to actively engage with your racialized employees, you need to meaningfully use the data you have to inform your decisions, and you need to hold your leadership accountable for delivering change” — we cannot help but feel that this will ultimately be lost on the Agency. Despite CBSA agreeing with the report’s recommendations, this is the same Agency that claimed to be committed to addressing systemic racism but arbitrarily canceled anti-racism and anti-discrimination training developed by its own racialized employees. It is the same Agency that has ignored our recommendations to see proper anti-racism training restored in a meaningful way.

We are glad to see the Auditor General highlight the gaps in the public service when it comes to anti-racism strategies, and we’ll be taking a closer look at the report to see what it means for our members so that we can keep fighting for a better, more inclusive workplace. But it would be naive to be surprised by the lack of progress within an Agency that has so clearly demonstrated its lack of interest in seeing these issues genuinely addressed.

Take action: Turn up the pressure to improve Canada Life insurance

A parliamentary committee has now been tasked with investigating the mounting issues with the health care plan for federal public service workers following the botched transition to Canada Life in July.

PSAC expects to be invited to provide expert testimony on the toll the transition to Canada Life is having on federal workers and retirees.

Canada Life has not been able to keep up with the influx of more than 1.7 million new members, retirees, and dependents that they now administer, and it is having a significant impact on people who depend on these benefits for their medications and other health coverage.

Take action

If you have been or continue to be impacted by the transition to Canada Life, write to your MP to pressure Treasury Board President Anita Anand and Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada Yves Duclos to take accountability for improving insurance benefits for PSAC members.

This government clearly hasn’t learned the lessons of the Phoenix pay disaster and continues to mismanage the implementation of essential services for its own employees, including tens of thousands of PSAC members. The transition to Canada Life continues to cause frustrating challenges for plan members and their families.

The Government of Canada made the decision to transition to Canada Life, and it is their responsibility to hold Canada Life accountable for the many problems that members are facing.

The Government of Canada made the decision to transition to Canada Life, and it is their responsibility to hold Canada Life accountable for the many problems that members are facing.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.