Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

TC group reaches tentative agreement

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides a fair wage increase, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the nearly 10,000 members in the TC group.

In addition to these successful talks, TC members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

TC group settlement

PSAC’s bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. TC group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018	2019	2020
2.8%	2.2%	1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

EG parity with CFIA: Although we were not able to achieve parity, we have secured a commitment that we can file for arbitration on this issue outside of regular bargaining. We can do so as early as June 2021. We feel that we have very strong arguments to make the case to achieve parity for EG members.
Occupational allowances for the following groups shall increase to $3,534:
- Fishery Officers (Appendix Z)
- Environment and Wildlife Enforcement Officers (AA)
- Labour Affairs Officers (DD)
- Measurement Canada Inspectors (EE)
Increase to allowance for Search and Rescue coordinators in a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (CC) to $5,354; expansion of allowance to supervisors, and to qualified EG and GT hovercraft crew members
Expansion of allowance for Enforcement and Wildlife Officers at Environment Canada to cover GT-06 and GT-07 levels (AA)
Expansion of the $2,500 allowance to cover all EG and TIs working in fleet maintenance facilities (BB) including those at 202 Workshop Depot
Expansion of the allowance for Labour Affairs Officers to cover TI-06 levels (DD)
Expansion of the allowance to TI employees at the Canadian Grain Commission (EE)
Improvement in allowance for certain shore-based positions at the Canadian Coast Guard (W): increase of ~$2,100 to the amounts payable to the GT-06 and GT-07 level and expansion in scope.
Improvement to Transportation of Dangerous Goods allowance, now payable as a monthly allowance of $75 rather than a daily allowance of $3.50

Other improvements to the TC collective agreement include: 

Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
- Leave without Pay for the Care of the family
- Bereavement Leave
- Leave with Pay for Family-Related Responsibilities
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours compensation for any stop-overs
Employees in the Sea Lamprey Control Unit (Appendix I): Improvement in overtime compensation – 1.75X rate will be paid during field season
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Memorandum of Understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Review of hours of work and applicability of travel status for Fishery Officers working offshore surveillance at DFO (Appendix C) to make proposals and inform next round of bargaining.
Deletion of language in Appendix K which places limits on when EGs can request vacation
Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the TC group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, TC members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

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

Labour Day 2020: Moving Canada Forward Together

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has revealed the critical value of front-line workers. Healthcare workers, cleaners, grocery store staff, delivery drivers and many more continued working through the height of the pandemic, ensuring Canadians had access to basic amenities and services.

Tens of thousands of PSAC members did the same. They kept our food supply safe, maintained our borders, and ensured that millions of laid off workers received the financial relief they needed in record time.

While these unprecedented emergency relief measures were largely successful as a temporary safety net, a full, equitable, and resilient recovery for Canada demands an even more ambitious plan. That’s why this Labour Day we not only recognize workers’ essential contributions during the pandemic, but also commit ourselves to a plan to move Forward Together and come out of this crisis even stronger.

A moment for unprecedented change

Canada’s parliament, led by a Liberal minority government, is at a critical juncture. It can either rise to this historic occasion by working to put in place a bold and courageous recovery program, or it can opt to not prepare for the next crisis.

Rebuilding our economy that is disaster proof and works to the benefit of all Canadians will mean addressing the failures and weaknesses revealed by the pandemic. It will mean a massive commitment to public investment by the federal government not seen since the post-war period to:

Replace lost jobs with better ones by hiring people to build green infrastructure, to educate our youth and to care for others.
Strengthen public health care by introducing a universal Pharmacare plan to reduce the cost of medicine and incorporating long-term care into Canada’s universal public health care system.
Put in place a high quality, inclusive and fully accessible system of publicly-funded child care—something all economists and women’s organizations recognize as essential to economic recovery for everyone, not only parents with young children.
Strengthen social income support systems by reforming Employment Insurance and making sure workers have access to paid sick leave.

Forward Together

How will we pay for it?

While millions of workers struggled, many big businesses continued reaping massive profits throughout the pandemic. Canada’s big five banks alone recorded a stunning $9 billion in profits in their latest quarterly reports. There is no better time than now to ask big business to pay its fair share through a higher tax rate on profits.

Moreover, public spending on Canada’s social infrastructure will pay back big dividends by making our economy stronger, safer and more resilient, and by reducing profound inequities—including racial and gender inequities.

Towards the Canada workers deserve

This Labour Day, let’s demand that Canada’s political leaders seize this historic opportunity to build an economy that can weather the next storm and bring with it social and economic justice.

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

CIU Statement on PSAC Anti-Racism Webinar

Sisters and Brothers,

The Customs and Immigration Union is a component of the PSAC. Our members benefit from the strength that comes from being part of the largest federal public sector union in Canada.

The CIU does not tolerate bullying, harassment or intimidation. Whether at a union event, on social media or in the workplace, we have always taken a firm stance on tolerance, respect and dignity. Our members have the right to ask questions, especially of their union, without being made to feel belittled or attacked.

The PSAC decided to offer a webinar in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. CIU applauded that initiative and believed it would be informative and beneficial to our members.

By creating a provocative webinar title – An Introduction to Anti-Racism for White Folks – we can only assume that the facilitators wanted to spark debate and were encouraging participants to explore why white people need to engage more fully in the anti-racism initiative. In other words, sparking questions creates a teaching moment, and that’s a good thing.

On social media, a PSAC member asked exactly the question that the title of the seminar was designed to elicit. Why was this webinar only for white people? Instead of using the question to explore the content of the webinar, one of the facilitators simply told the member to “eat shit”.

The controversy that followed is not about racism. It’s about respect. At CIU, we want our members to receive the best possible training from the most competent experts we can find. Clearly, this isn’t it.

The CIU represents over 11,000 workers, many of whom are law enforcement professionals. While we stand behind global efforts to combat racism, we advocate for a reasoned and informed approach to education and change. We all need to do better but believe that sweeping generalizations about law enforcement don’t move us forward.

We believe that the comments surrounding the PSAC webinar are offensive and inappropriate. We also believe that our members deserve better and should not be subject to abuse when they engage in discussion with someone who has been contracted to speak on behalf of their union.

The PSAC is a democratic organization. In light of recent discussions, one of which held by the PSAC National Board of Directors, an earlier decision to remove Nora Loreto from her role as one of the webinar’s facilitators was reversed. The CIU did not support this decision. We continue to find her comments and behaviour indefensible and question her ability to facilitate a productive and inclusive discussion. As such, we are not encouraging our members to participate in this webinar.

Again, the CIU’s decision to distance itself from the PSAC’s webinar is about respect. The CIU is working on a number of anti-racism initiatives and continues, as always, to support all efforts to put an end to racism.

We believe that this goal can be achieved through inclusive, constructive and respectful dialogue.

In solidarity,

The CIU National Executive

PA, EB, TC and SV groups ratification kits, including the full text of the agreements, are now available [updated]

PA Group

On July 9, PSAC’s PA bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will soon be invited to participate in an online ratification process. Details will be shared as soon as they are available.

EB Group

On July 23, PSAC’s EB bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will soon be invited to participate in an online ratification process. Details will be shared as soon as they are available.

TC Group

On July 21, PSAC’s TC bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will soon be invited to participate in an online ratification process. Details will be shared as soon as they are available.

SV Group

On August 14, PSAC’s SV bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit, which includes the full text of the tentative agreement, is now available for download.

Members now have the opportunity to participate in an online ratification process from August 31 to October 5.

The original version was first posted on the PSAC website: PA, EB, TC and SV.

Deal reached for Phoenix damages, PA group and common issues

In a victory for federal public service workers who have gone above and beyond to support Canadians during this pandemic, PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides fair wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the 70,000 members of the PA group, and Treasury Board common issues.

Alongside these successful talks, PSAC has also secured proper compensation for Phoenix damages to be paid to PSAC members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system.

Phoenix damages

PSAC successfully negotiated a Phoenix damages settlement that is significantly better than the employer’s deal with other federal bargaining agents. Last year, PSAC rejected the government’s meagre offer of 5 days of cashable leave, which was too little and would have rewarded those who earn more while punishing workers who make less. The current agreement provides PSAC members with a fair and equitable lump sum payment of $2,500.

Unlike the tentative deal for Treasury Board bargaining that must be voted on by PSAC members in the near future, the Phoenix damages agreement required ratification by the PSAC National Board of Directors. The Board voted unanimously in favour of the offer on July 3, 2020.

Please read the following update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

PA Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year.

PA group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018	2019	2020
2.8%	2.2%	1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Improved retention allowance expanded for all employees working in compensation operations to $3,500 per year
A new $3,000 annual allowance for armed Fishery Officers
A new Primary Responsibility Allowance of $2,000 per year for parole officers and parole officer supervisors or Parole Officer Managers at Correctional Services Canada (CSC)

Other improvements to the PA collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
- Leave without pay for the care of the family
- Bereavement leave
- Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
New language to clarify that the Employer shall provide an unpaid meal break of a minimum of thirty (30) minutes per full working day, normally at the mid-point of the working day
Renewal and update of a memorandum of understanding on a Joint Study on the Work Environment for Employees Working in Call Centres
New provision that provides call centre employees with training on crisis intervention and coping
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Language that explicitly provides breaks for nursing employees (to nurse or express breast milk)
Memorandum of understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Joint committee to review the use of Indigenous languages in the federal public service, examine Indigenous language skills in the performance of employee duties and consider the advantages that Indigenous language speakers bring to the public service
Memorandum of understanding regarding Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Alongside negotiations for the PA group, PSAC bargaining teams for the TC, EB and SV groups also joined talks to reach a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
10 days of paid domestic violence leave
Better language on return to work following a maternity or parental leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to parental leave pay
- Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of parental leave
- Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared parental leave
- Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.
New memorandum of understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on compassionate care and caregiving leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New memorandum of understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New memorandum of understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, sick leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

In the coming days when the final text and full details of the tentative agreement for the PA group and common issues are available, they will be shared with the membership. PA members will shortly thereafter be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

Other PSAC bargaining groups

Bargaining dates for the SV group will be announced in the weeks to come. Negotiations for the EB, TC and Canada Revenue Agency groups will resume next week.

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