PSAC announces winners of 2023 scholarship program

3 November 2023

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

1 November 2023

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

30 October 2023

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.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

[Updated] 2023 Branch Elections — Candidates & Results

30 October 2023

All Branch Elections results are now available.

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2023 Branch Elections — Nominations and Elections Committees (NEC)

19 October 2023

Each CIU Branch has a Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) responsible for overseeing the elections throughout the Branch. The Chair and Secretary of the NEC are appointed by the outgoing Branch Executive.

If need be, the NEC can also appoint additional Returning Officers to oversee the electoral process in specific locations. Please contact your NEC for more information on this and on your Branch’s elections in general. You can contact the Chair or the Secretary of your Branch’s NEC using the information provided in the table below (which will be updated regularly).

You can also review electoral documents and forms here.

If you cannot contact your NEC, please contact the National Office at elections@ciu-sdi.ca.

Note: If necessary, use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the table.

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2023 Branch Elections — Information about the electronic voting process

4 October 2023

Starting October 9, CIU members in good standing — located in Branches where elections are taking place for one or more positions, as part of this year’s Branch Elections — will have the opportunity to vote electronically. Please see below for more information regarding the voting process.

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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Uncovering the Truth of Le Estcwicwéy̓

30 September 2023

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to remember missing Indigenous children and survivors across Canada who were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools.

These missing children are Le Estcwicwéy̓, which translates to “the missing” in the language of the Tk‘emlúpsemc people in British Columbia.

In a letter to Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, PSAC urges the federal government to expand the search to all former residential school sites using ground-penetrating radar, and to implement Calls to Action 71-76 in Volume 4 of the TRC Final Report: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials.

Together, we must uncover the truth of Le Estcwicwéy̓, honour their memory, and take concrete steps towards reconciliation.

Show your support

Sign the petition urging the federal government to accelerate their efforts and search all former residential school sites and surrounding areas using ground penetrating radar to find other unmarked graves.
Write a letter to your local newspaper or share your thoughts on social media to support Indigenous communities in their pursuit of truth and justice. Use the hashtags #EveryChildMatters, #NDTR, and #ReconciliationWeek.

Learn more

Watch special programming on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) throughout the day on September 30, including informative and insightful series and documentaries, and a live special called “Remembering the Children.”
Look for local events and programming in your community to pay homage to the painful legacy and impact of residential schools and reaffirm your commitment to moving forward in unity towards reconciliation and healing.
PSAC has also compiled additional resources to use on September 30 and after to learn, reflect, and consider how you can take meaningful action on reconciliation.

The star quilt graphic was designed by Georgina Metzler, an Anishinaabe artist and graphic designer who lives in Calgary, Alberta. Learn more about the artist and the meaning behind the work.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC-CIU declares impasse in FB bargaining

28 September 2023

The PSAC-CIU bargaining team has declared impasse at the bargaining table during talks September 26 and 27 after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) refused to budge on our key issues and continues to insist on concessions.

Since the outset of bargaining, we have identified key issues for our members to reach a new collective agreement, including:

Economic parity with the broader law-enforcement community;
Protections for our jobs and new protections in the context of CBSA management’s heavy-handed approach to discipline;
Access to telework for our members;
New rights around VSSAs and shift scheduling.

The employer refused to move on these key issues.

We’ve also repeatedly made it clear at the table: If the employer is serious about working towards a fair deal, the Treasury Board President must honour the commitment made during the last round of bargaining and make equitable retirement — 25 and out — a reality for our members.

Throughout bargaining, we’ve pushed for economic increases that match other public safety agencies across the country. This will address outstanding recruitment and retention issues at CBSA.

Shockingly, when discussing wages and allowances, the employer stated that CBSA has “no recruitment or retention problems”. Every FB member from coast to coast to coast knows that CBSA has serious issues attracting and retaining workers. We live it every day through understaffing and lack of resources.

PSAC-represented public safety personnel – from Parole Officers to Fisheries Officers to Enforcement and Wildlife Officers – were recognized by receiving additional wage adjustments in the Treasury Board agreements negotiated earlier this year. But FB members are being told to accept less.

The employer also continues to seek concessions at the table, from clawbacks to shift-change notice and care and nurturing leave, to negotiated shift schedules that would negatively impact our members.

We are committed to negotiating improvements for our members, not steps backwards

We are determined to reach a fair contract, one that protects our hard-fought gains and provides new rights and protections for PSAC-CIU members. We deserve to be treated with respect.

We’ve had enough. Given this lack of progress in negotiations, we have declared impasse, and contacted the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board in an effort to move the process forward.

What’s next?

We will continue to provide updates as things progress. As always, membership support will be the key to getting a fair contract.

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 Customs and Immigration Union branch president or visit the CIU and PSAC websites.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Convention 2023 Day 3: Delegates elect new National Representatives & Alternates

23 September 2023

On the last day of the 20^th Convention, delegates continued working on Convention business, and elected the 2023-2026 CIU National Executive, Human Rights Representative, Young Worker Representative, and Alternates:

National President Mark Weber (acclaimed)
1^st National Vice-President Rick Savage (acclaimed)
2^nd National Vice-President Brea Baresinkoff (acclaimed)
3^rd National Vice-President Yanniv Waknine (acclaimed)
4^th National Vice-President Gus Kontogianis (acclaimed)
National Human Rights Representative Murray Star (acclaimed)
Alternate National Human Rights Representative John Bay (acclaimed)
National Young Worker Representative Kevin Kerr (acclaimed)
Alternate National Young Worker Representative Janmie Gunawardena (acclaimed)

Congratulations to all!

From left to right: Alternate National Young Worker Representative Janmie Gunawardena, National Young Worker Representative Kevin Kerr, 4th National Vice-President Gus Kontogianis, 3rd National Vice-President Yanniv Waknine, National President Mark Weber, 1st National Vice-President Rick Savage, 2nd National Vice-President Brea Baresinkoff, National Human Rights Representative Murray Star, Alternate National Human Rights Representative John Bay.

See photos of the last day of Convention below (or the main photo feed here) and follow us online with the hashtag #ciusdi2023!

Statement on the death of RCMP Constable in Coquitlam

23 September 2023

A member of the law enforcement community, RCMP Constable Rick O’Brien, was killed in the line of duty while performing a search warrant on Friday, September 22, in Coquitlam, B.C. This tragic event is made all the more poignant as it occurred mere days before the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Annual Memorial Service, which will take place on Sunday, September 24.

Once more, we are reminded of the selfless nature of public safety and law enforcement work.

Our thoughts are with the larger law enforcement community, as we offer our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Constable O’Brien.

Meeting in Ottawa, CIU Convention delegates held a minute of silence for Constable O’Brien on Saturday, September 23.