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 virtual meeting over Zoom, on November 18, 2021, 7-8 p.m. (ET). This is an opportunity to make your voice heard and discuss shared issues with your fellow young workers.
PSAC-CIU expects the new agreement for members in the Border Services (FB) group will be signed with Treasury Board in the next few weeks. Apart from wage increases, which are retroactive, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.
In September, PSAC-CIU members voted in favour of ratifying the new collective agreement with Treasury Board. However, due to the federal election, the employer was not able to sign the agreement until a new cabinet was named. Now that the new cabinet ministers have been named, we expect the employer to sign the agreement, although we do not yet have a set date.
We will continue to push the government to sign the agreement, and will notify members as soon as a date is confirmed. If you have any questions, please contact your CIU branch president or PSAC regional office.
This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.
On October 29, 2021, the CIU National Board of Directors voted unanimously in favour of the creation of the new NBoD Standing Women’s Committee.
The new Committee is the direct result of an initiative by a core group of women at CIU following the most recent PSAC National Women’s Conference. It aims to address barriers and issues related to women’s representation by mobilizing and empowering women to participate in the union, their workplaces and their communities.
The new Committee will be composed of all NBoD members who identify as women.
Sisters Alana Baarschers, Brea Baresinkoff, Frances Baroutoglou, Lisa Howe, Leanne Hughes, Sophie Martin, and Julie Poulin, who spearheaded the initiative bringing forward the motion making the new Committee a reality, were greatly appreciative of the unanimous decision, and are hopeful that this will lead to a stronger, more inclusive, and more vibrant union.
Lisa Howe, Julie Poulin, Sophie Martin, Brea Baresinkoff, Frances Baroutoglou, Leanne Hughes, and Alana Baarschers.
Members of the CIU National Board of Directors, gathered this week in Ottawa, wish to express the full extent of their support for the CUPE New Brunswick members who have begun province-wide job action earlier today, after talks broke down with the provincial government.
To our CUPE NB Sisters and Brothers, we say: Solidarity! From one union to another, we are proud to see workers push back against austerity and the disrespect shown by the New Brunswick government. We truly admire your dedication and perseverance.
As we ourselves saw first-hand with our work-to-rule mobilization on August 6, the power of collective action is truly tremendous — it remains one of the most effective avenues for workers to bargain on an equal footing with the employer, and fight back against attempts to obtain concessions and erode their rights.
For more information regarding the ongoing CUPE NB labour dispute, see the CUPE NB website, as well as this opinion piece by Stephen Drost, President of CUPE New Brunswick.
Over the last few days, we have heard from several members regarding the federal government’s mandatory vaccination policy for federal public service workers. Due to its scope, this policy has understandably generated a fair number of questions and concerns.
As we continue to work closely with PSAC to support our membership, CIU has prepared the following documentation to address lingering questions. From a labour relations perspective, it should be noted that certain aspects of the policy have possible ramifications that bring both the union and the employer into uncharted waters. In addition to resources already available from both CIU and PSAC, we hope that the following guidance, based on current legal expertise, will help you navigate the next steps.
The health and safety of our members has always been of the utmost importance to CIU, and never has this been more true than during this pandemic. We understand that this new policy from the employer can be a source of stress for some and, in addition to the guidance provided here, we encourage you to speak with your medical professional to help you make an informed decision regarding vaccination.
Should your question not be addressed below, or should you have further concerns, please contact your Branch President or keep an eye on the national CIU website for updates.
As previously stated, CIU supports vaccination efforts as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With other preventative measures, having as many Canadians as possible fully vaccinated remains the best way to combat the ongoing pandemic.
Further reading about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines:
We do take issue with the unilateral imposition of this policy without meaningful consultation with the unions to pre-emptively address concerns. It is especially concerning to us that the employer would immediately resort to placing non-compliant employees on administrative leave without pay (LWOP) without looking into other methods of accommodation, where possible.
The employer has made it clear that the policy applies to all employees in the core public service, including those working remotely. However, as the policy concerns health and safety in the workplace, it is unclear — at this time — why the obligation to be fully vaccinated should extend to employees who are not in the workplace, such as those working from home. Nevertheless, the employer’s expectation is clear, and employees who do not meet the policy’s requirements face being placed on administrative leave without pay.
Yes. Members have the right to grieve and, should they be placed on administrative leave without pay (LWOP) under the policy, we will support them to the best of our abilities. As with any grievance, each case that is brought forward will be thoroughly assessed based on individual circumstances and merit.
Members who wish to grieve in this context should only do so after being placed on LWOP as per the policy. Members who are in this situation should contact their Branch President. It bears mentioning that the redress process is generally lengthy, and that a swift resolution to a grievance is unlikely.
Members can always choose to file a human rights complaint and should contact the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) to do so. While CIU cannot file Human Rights complaints on behalf of members, we can provide information on how to do so, and we invite members to contact CIU’s Human Rights representative, Murray Star, for more information on the matter.
Based on existing information, however, it appears unlikely in our opinion that the CHRC will rule favourably on the issue — except for cases involving religious or medical exemptions. The Ontario Human Rights Commission has already stated that the decision not to be vaccinated constitutes an individual decision/belief and, as such, does not fall under the prohibited grounds of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Where members have an exemption on medical or religious grounds and the employer fails to provide a suitable accommodation, we encourage them to file both a grievance and a human rights complaint. For more information on how to request an accommodation, please see the following post.
As the government’s mandatory vaccination policy applies across the federal public service, policy grievances lie within the purview of PSAC who, as the bargaining agent, will decide whether or not to contest the policy as a whole. We will be sure to inform the membership should this happen.
All employees have a right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner if they believe that their personal information is not being handled properly. Members who wish to file a privacy complaint can do so through the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Note that while CIU does not normally represent members on individual privacy complaints, we can provide information on how to file one, should the information provided by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner be insufficient. It is also possible for the bargaining agent — PSAC — to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner, and we will be sure to keep members informed of any development in that regard.
