Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

120,000 Treasury Board members secure strike mandate

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has received a strike mandate from members in the Program and Administrative Services, Operational Services, Technical Services, and Education and Library Science bargaining groups, which collectively represent more than 120,000 federal government workers employed by Treasury Board.

“The cost of living has hit highs we haven’t seen in 40 years, and people are struggling. Every day, we see that our dollar doesn’t go as far at the grocery store or at the gas pump,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “Today, PSAC members are sending a clear message that they won’t be taken for granted, they won’t fall further behind, and they’re ready to fight for better.”

The strike mandate follows nationwide strike votes that took place from February 22 to April 11, and comes on the heels of the strike vote mandate announced last week for 35,000 PSAC-UTE members working at the Canada Revenue Agency. A strike by PSAC members working for the federal government would be the largest against any single employer in Canada’s history.

“Our members won’t take the decision to strike lightly. They know that a strike will be difficult for them and for the Canadians who depend on the services they provide,” said Aylward. “But they’re exercising their bargaining power because they just can’t wait any longer. Their bills can’t wait. Their families can’t wait. None of us can.”

PSAC is the largest federal union representing federal public service workers, including workers who got vital new financial aid programs like CERB and emergency business loans up and running for Canadians in record time during the pandemic. They’re also cleaners and cooks on military bases, clerks and maintenance workers, tradespeople, Coast Guard search and rescue teams, teachers, firefighters and the people Canadians rely on to help process employment insurance, passport applications and immigration documents.

Negotiations between PSAC and Treasury Board began in June 2021, but reached impasse in May 2022. The two sides met again during mediation in September and Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings in December before a PIC report was issued in February with non-binding recommendations.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Union members that stick together, win together

Over the next few weeks, we could be headed towards a national strike for more than 155,000 federal public service workers. As strike votes wrap up on April 7 for Canada Revenue Agency members and April 11 for Treasury Board members, it’s important to know what that means for federal public service workers.

In the event of a strike, all members in the PA, SV, TC and EB groups and working at Canada Revenue Agency will be required to take strike action and attend a picket line, whether you work in the office or remotely – except a small percentage of workers who’ve already received letters deeming their position essential.

Here’s why it’s imperative that we all show solidarity with one another and do not cross a picket line:

This is a truly historic moment for workers. Together, we wield incredible power and can shut the government down to secure a fair contract.
A strike by PSAC would be one of the largest strikes in Canada’s history, and mean real gains for our members at the table;
When we work together, we apply maximum pressure on the government, which can lead to a shorter strike and a better collective agreement for workers.
When we’re divided, we show the employer we aren’t prepared to fight for decent wages and better working conditions.

We are aware that some departments and managers are sharing information that encourages PSAC members to continue working in the event of a strike. This is a union-busting tactic that aims to undermine our efforts to secure a fair agreement for all workers — including wages that keep up with the rising cost of living and don’t force you to take a pay cut.

Any member who works during a strike, including working remotely, betrays the entire bargaining unit. Crossing a picket line, whether in person or remotely, weakens our bargaining position and can cause the strike to last longer or result in a deal that’s less than workers deserve. It could also have long-term impacts on the working relationships between the coworkers who held the line and made sacrifices to get a good deal for everyone, and those who sided with the employer.

Members who cross the picket line by performing work for the employer could face fines and suspension of membership privileges.

If your manager is encouraging you to cross the picket line, notify your union steward, local executive, or PSAC regional office immediately.

As a union, we are committed to protecting the rights of our members, and ensuring your voices are heard and your demands are met. But the union is only as strong as the solidarity of the members. If we stick together, we can secure a historic victory for all PSAC members.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Update: Grievances on the denial of a religious or medical exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination policy

Almost all grievances stemming from the employer’s failure to grant a religious or medical exemption from the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccination policy for public servants have now passed through the final level of the grievance procedure. Many of these were accompanied by a second grievance contesting the period of leave without pay that followed a refusal to be vaccinated. These were also presented at the final level.

Last month, CIU started to receive the employer’s final level responses, which continue to deny these grievances. As responses come in, the files are being sent to PSAC for referral to adjudication. PSAC has agreed to provide representation, and the grievances will now be sent to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board.

If you have filed an accommodation grievance contesting the employer’s failure to provide you with a medical or religious exemption, you should receive a final level response in the coming weeks. Be assured that if your grievance continues to be denied, we will be moving your grievance(s) on to PSAC.

FB bargaining: Team raises student use and scheduling

Using students to do the work of border service officers was a critical issue raised by our FB bargaining team when talks with Treasury Board/CBSA continued March 21-23. PSAC-CIU was particularly alarmed by remarks from CBSA President Erin O’Gorman who told a parliamentary committee, “I would say that our student BSOs become, to a large extent, our permanent workforce.”

Students have minimal training and are employed by the Agency for as little as $16 per hour to do the work of trained, professional officers. Students should not be performing the work of fully trained enforcement professionals and should not be doing union work without the union’s consent. We have made proposals to this effect in negotiations. CBSA should focus on recruiting and retaining staff, rather than bringing in cheap labour with minimal training to do our work.

Our bargaining team also discussed issues related to CBSA’s unilateral revoking of part-time agreements for union members in British Columbia; work on designated holidays; and CBSA paying work-related membership fees, such as law society fees, accounting designations, and range fees.

Management continued to insist that telework should remain a policy and outside of the collective agreement. We emphasized our position that employees must have the ability to grieve if CBSA management unreasonably denies such opportunities. The employer also proposed a reduction in compensation for callbacks, which we rejected.

These issues remain unresolved, but we will continue to fight for these important bargaining demands as we continue negotiations.

Next steps

We are currently scheduled to return to the bargaining table in April, however, that could change if our fellow PSAC members employed by Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency are engaged in strike action. We have made it clear to the employer that we will not meet while our fellow union members are on strike. An injury to one is an injury to all.

In the meantime, we encourage you to read our bargaining proposals to ensure you know what we’re fighting for:

Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates about bargaining. If you have any questions, please contact your branch president or your PSAC regional office.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Registrations open for PSAC’s 2023 National Equity Conferences

During the conferences, delegates will continue the important work of advancing equity and human rights for members across the country and improving workplace conditions for all members to thrive. We are hosting four equity conferences:

Racially Visible Persons Conference
Access Conference
Pride Conference
Indigenous Peoples Conference

Register today

Delegates are eligible to participate in workshops, debates on resolutions and the elections for any of the equity groups where they self-identify.

The application deadline for delegate or observer status, and to submit resolutions is Friday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. If you are selected as a delegate to these conferences, you will be advised by email by the end of June 2023. Delegates are selected by their respective PSAC components and regions, with priority given to union leaders and activists on human rights issues.

If you have any questions about applying or attending the conference, call (613) 560-5457 or contact us by email at conferences@psac-afpc.com.

CALLOUT – 2023 PSAC National Equity Conferences

Call for Resolutions – 2023 PSAC National Equity Conferences

Nomination forms:

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.