Never Again: Canada’s unions mark December 6 with call to end gender-based violence

6 December 2023

Canada’s unions are marking the 34th anniversary of the attack at École Polytechnique in Montreal by urging the federal government to take concrete steps to prevent and address gender-based violence in Canada. This must include implementing ILO Convention 190 (ILO C-190), the first international standard of its kind, that acknowledges the universal right to a world of work free from violence and harassment; integrating Indigenous rights and justice into practices and policies by implementing the Calls to Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and Two Spirit People (MMIWG); and, implementing the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission report, which was released earlier this year.

On December 6, 1989, a male gunman targeted and shot several women students at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal. 14 women died, and 10 others were injured. Every year, on December 6, Canada’s unions join organizations across the country in marking the day, by calling for necessary action to end gender-based violence and femicide.

“We remember those lost and injured that day, targeted because they were women. We also mark December 6, by reaffirming our commitment to act against gender-based violence. We owe it to the memory of those victims, and to everyone lost or injured because of gender-based violence since then, to take decisive action and put an end to this injustice,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “The December 6 murders happened over three decades ago, and yet we’re still fighting for proper protections against gender-based violence. At work, women and gender-diverse workers are more likely to be the targets of violent behaviour, particularly by third parties like clients, customers or patients. Every worker deserves to be safe at work, which is why it’s critical that the federal government collaborate with unions and employers to implement ILO C-190.”

ILO C-190 establishes a clear framework for ending violence and harassment in the world of work, and makes governments accountable for preventing and addressing violence at work. The federal government of Canada ratified ILO C-190 earlier this year but has yet to develop a plan for implementation. Meanwhile, incidents of workplace violence perpetrated against women and gender-diverse workers continue to increase.

Femicide is on the rise: on average, one woman or girl is killed every two days in Canada. We’ve also seen a sharp increase in incidents of misogynist, transphobic and homophobic hate. The alarming proliferation of anti-feminist and anti-trans disinformation online is emboldening perpetrators to commit violence offline. Earlier this year, at the University of Waterloo, a male former student targeted and attacked a woman associate-professor in a gender studies class. Two students were also seriously injured in the attack.

Workers with multiple and intersecting identities, like Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people, face especially high rates of gender-based violence. This is why it’s critical that any government plan aimed at addressing gender-based violence also include measures to implement the MMIWG inquiry calls to justice.

“Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights, and refusing to act to end it is not an option. Everyone deserves to be safe at work, and that includes putting an end to gender-based violence in the world of work. But we must be intentional in the way we do this work, and any policy aimed at addressing gender-based violence must adequately reflect intersectional experiences,” said Siobhán Vipond, CLC Executive Vice-President. “It is our duty to honour the memory of those we’ve lost, and to honour those who survived, by ending gender-based violence. For over thirty years, Canada’s unions have called for the prevention and elimination of all forms of gender-based violence, and we remain steadfast in our commitment.”

Canada’s unions are ready to get to work, alongside governments and employers, to ensure workers in every sector and every jurisdiction are safe at work, so no one is left behind.

In memoriam

Geneviève Bergeron

Hélène Colgan

Nathalie Croteau

Barbara Daigneault

Anne-Marie Edward

Maud Haviernick

Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz

Maryse Laganière

Maryse Leclair

Anne-Marie Lemay

Sonia Pelletier

Michèle Richard

Annie St-Arneault

Annie Turcotte

A version of this article was first posted on the CLC website.

FB bargaining: Public Interest Commission dates set, mobilization escalates

1 December 2023

The FB group will be heading to Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board April 10 and 22, 2024.

The PIC is a panel of three people — a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and the employer. Each side presents briefs to explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing and the PIC issues a report with non-binding recommendations for reaching a settlement.

After impasse is declared a PIC hearing is a legislatively imposed component of the negotiations process.

Our union believes that the PIC process is not an effective means of assisting unions and employers in reaching a collective agreement and causes needless delays. The Board has the authority to permit the bypassing of this step.

PSAC made a request to the Board to skip this step so that negotiations could move forward, but the request was denied. We will continue to press for changes to the legislative process and have lobbying activities organized for the new year on the issue.

Here’s why the PIC process hurts workers

Mobilization escalates

The bargaining team will be meeting over the coming weeks to discuss mobilization and lobbying efforts in support of pension reform and a fair contract. PSAC and CIU will also continue to escalate our pressure on CBSA by launching strike and essential services training for members in the FB group. Watch for more information as we move forward.

We are determined to reach a fair contract that protects our hard-fought gains and provides retirement benefits and wage parity with the broader law enforcement community, stronger job protection, access to telework, and new rights around variable shift scheduling agreements (VSSAs) and shift scheduling.

Get involved and support bargaining

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.

Members of the FB bargaining team are joining CIU branch executive members to visit worksites and hold membership meetings across the country.

This is your opportunity to meet the bargaining team, hear the latest bargaining update, and get materials that will let the employer know you want a good collective agreement, not concessions.

If you have any questions, please contact your CIU branch president, or visit the CIU and PSAC websites.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

CIU National Executive tours Laval Immigration Holding Centre

1 December 2023

On Tuesday, November 21, the CIU National Executive was in Laval, Quebec, to tour the local CBSA Immigration Holding Centre (IHC), following an invitation by the Agency to review ongoing upgrades to these facilities to accommodate higher-risk immigration detainees who will no longer be held in provincial establishments.

While it is too early to fully assess the impact of the upgrade process as a whole due to infrastructure changes still to come, CIU Executive members welcomed this opportunity to familiarize themselves with proposed changes in order to ensure potential safety concerns — both for workers and detainees — are addressed as proactively as possible.

The detention of high-risk individuals in immigration holding facilities is a new direction for the Agency, and CIU is conscious of the impact this can have on our members working in IHCs and as part of Inland Enforcement and Hearings. Our priority is to ensure the health and safety of all involved. While alternatives to detention are central to a modern, more humane immigration system, adequate holding facilities must be available in cases where alternatives to detention are simply not an option due to severe public safety risks, such as violent criminality. It is all the more important for these facilities to prioritize the health and safety of all through proper training, staffing levels, and equipment.

As these changes represent a significant shift for some of our members, we invite our members to review the following information regarding dangerous work should they be asked to perform dangerous tasks for which they’ve not received training.

While any concern regarding these changes should be brought forward to your Branch President and local health and safety representatives, the Agency has made clear that they want to hear from the membership to address questions around changes related to detentions, and we invite you to reach out to Detention-Programs@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.

Safety for Trans and Non-binary People

20 November 2023

On November 20, we recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honour the many trans and non-binary lives lost to hate. It is also an opportunity to educate ourselves about the continued issues that trans people face every day and what we can do to help.

Now more than ever, trans and non-binary people need support. They are more likely to attempt suicide, to self-harm and to experience homelessness compared to their cisgender counterparts. And now, with the rise of anti-trans sentiment in Canada and the introduction of anti-trans legislation, the threat of violence is even greater.

Just this year, the governments of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have put in place laws that target and endanger trans and non-binary children. For students who do not feel safe to come out at home, these laws force them to stay in the closet and deny who they truly are for fear of being outed involuntarily. And for those who do get outed, they face the very real possibility of violence or homelessness.

This cannot continue. Trans and non-binary people deserve to be safe and treated with respect.

Get Involved

How can allies help? Using inclusive language is one basic way to respect Two-Spirt, trans and non-binary people.

We can also take time to educate ourselves on trans issues, volunteer our time with local organizations or support them whichever way we can. If you don’t know where to start, here is a good jumping-off point:

Trans Pulse Canada (bilingual). This organization studies issues related to trans and non-binary people in Canada.

Aide aux trans du Québec (bilingual). This Québec based organization offers support and resources for trans and non-binary people.

Trans Sask (English). This resource network based in Saskatchewan is on the frontlines making schools in the province a safer place.

NB Transgender Health Network (English). This organization offers resources and helps trans and non-binary folks navigate the healthcare system.

We also encourage you to attend a vigil or find an event happening in your community to recognize the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC Anti-Racism Action Plan: National townhalls

20 November 2023

National telephone townhalls for PSAC’s Anti-Racism Action Plan have been launched for Indigenous and racialized members. These national townhalls are the last part of the Anti-Racism Action Plan consultation process that began in 2021.
Members who have self-identified as Indigenous and/or racialized have been invited to share their lived experiences, expertise, and the psychological and physical impacts of racism, so the barriers that continue to prevent members from fully participating in our union can be identified and break down.

How to participate

Members who identify as Indigenous and/or racialized have received email invitations to register for townhalls, and reminders will follow. If you have not received an invitation and would like to attend a townhall, please complete this self-identification survey, and you will automatically receive an email to register for a townhall.

See the PSAC website for more information on how to participate.

PSAC working to implement remote work agreement, joint panels for federal public service workers

20 November 2023

As part of the last round of negotiations for 155,000 federal public service workers, PSAC secured stronger remote work language that protects workers from arbitrary decisions from the employer.

The letter of agreement we negotiated alongside the collective agreements will ensure members have their remote work requests assessed individually and have access to review remote work arrangements and prevent “one-size-fits-all” mandates in the federal public service.

Since the collective agreements were signed, PSAC has been working with Treasury Board, Canada Revenue Agency, and federal departments to implement the letter of agreement and modernize the government’s outdated telework directive.

While we know this process will take time to fully implement, there are early indications that Treasury Board is pushing back on the letter of agreement, although it remains to be seen what their final position will be.

If the government fails to meaningfully collaborate on implementing the improvements in the letter of agreement within a reasonable timeframe, PSAC is prepared to take legal action to expedite the process and ensure members’ rights are protected.

Joint union-management panels on remote work

PSAC has been working with components and federal government departments to create joint panels that will review employee remote work grievances. The panels will provide recourse for members who are dissatisfied with a remote work decision.

Treasury Board developed draft guidance for departments to use when developing the panels and their terms of reference. PSAC’s key feedback on the draft guidance was to ensure that the scope of the panels focuses on the Directive on Telework, requests for telework are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the employee is the one to refer their denied grievance to the departmental joint panel.

Modernizing the directive on telework

We are in discussions with Treasury Board to review and modernize the outdated Directive on Telework. The last version was developed in 2019/20, prior to the pandemic, and doesn’t reflect the evolution of remote work over the last three years. Our aim is to ensure the policy aligns with the needs of our members.

PSAC has established a reference committee of representatives from the components to coordinate the work underway to both set up the joint panels and guide the consultation of the Joint Consultation Committee (JCC) on telework.

We expect to see a serious commitment to meaningful consultation on our joint recommendations for modernizing the directive when we meet with Treasury Board this month.

Challenging remote work arrangements

Once fully implemented, the letter of agreement will grant more protection for workers around remote work agreements. The process to challenge decisions will be fully in place once the joint panels are established and the dispute process is finalized.

We will continue to keep members up to date as these panels are developed and the grievance process is established.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Remembrance Day 2023

11 November 2023

On November 11, we remember and honour the thousands of women and men who have laid down their lives for our country.

Remembrance Day presents us with an opportunity not only to recognize the dedication and sacrifices — past and present — of Canadians of all horizons, but also to reflect on how to build a better, fairer world where such sacrifices may no longer be necessary. To the women and men who have demonstrated courage and commitment in the face of adversity, we thank you.

In honour of all who have served, CIU will be half-masting the National Flag of Canada flying at the CIU National Office, in Ottawa.

National Indigenous Veterans Day

8 November 2023

Illustration of the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument

November 8 marks National Indigenous Veterans Day.

On this day, we honour the First Nations, Inuit and Métis men and women who serve and have served with distinction in the Canadian military for more than a century. Their contributions, both on the frontlines and at home, cannot be overstated, and Canada owes them a debt of gratitude. Their sacrifice is made all the more poignant by the discrimination many of these veterans experienced — and still experience — from Canadian society at large. As we continue to grow as a country, recognizing the contribution of Indigenous veterans and their role in our shared history is more important than ever.

In honour of First Nations, Inuit and Métis veterans, CIU is half-masting the National Flag of Canada flying at the CIU National Office in Ottawa.

FB group bargaining proceeding to Public Interest Commission to continue fight for a fair contract

3 November 2023

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) has appointed a Public Interest Commission (PIC) to advance negotiations for 8,500 members in the FB group.

The appointment of the PIC follows the bargaining team’s declaration of impasse after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) refused to budge on our key issues – including retirement benefits and wage parity with the broader law enforcement community, job protection, access to telework, and new rights around VSSAs and shift scheduling.

What’s more, CBSA continues to insist on concessions at the table. This includes clawbacks that would see short shift change notices go from 7 days to 48 hours, care and nurturing leave being subjected to operational requirements, and negotiated shift schedules heavily curtailed, negatively impacting our members.

Bargaining began in June 2022 – before the contract expired – and both parties have met almost every month since. Despite this, the employer asked the labour board to deny the declaration of impasse, asking that the bargaining process be further delayed.

We are determined to reach a fair contract that protects our hard-fought gains and provides new rights and protections for PSAC-CIU members.

How does the PIC work?

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement once impasse is declared at the bargaining table.

The PIC is a panel of three people — a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and the employer. Each side presents briefs to explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing and the PIC issues a report with non-binding recommendations for reaching a settlement.

Once the PIC releases its report, the union will meet to discuss the recommendations at which point the parties typically return to the table to resume negotiations with the employer.

What are the next steps?

The union and employer will nominate their board members and the labour board will set hearing dates. The timeline is largely dependent on availability of all three parties. We will continue to provide updates as things progress. As always, membership support will be the key to getting a fair contract.

Get involved and support bargaining

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.

Members of the FB bargaining team are teaming up with Branch Executive members to visit worksites and hold membership meetings across the country.

This is your opportunity to meet the bargaining team, hear a bargaining update, and get materials so you can show your support during this round of bargaining.

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates. If you have any questions, please contact your Customs and Immigration Union branch president or visit the CIU and PSAC websites.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB group: your rights in the workplace

3 November 2023

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

Video background
Signature block
Social media frame
I support my bargaining team printable poster

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.