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PA group: PIC hearings wrap up as PSAC continues to fight for remote work protections

The Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearing conducted by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board for the PA group was held from November 28 to December 1. The bargaining team and employer both presented their positions and are now awaiting a decision from the PIC.

Our bargaining team will determine next steps once the PIC report is received. If an agreement cannot be reached during the PIC process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions to reach a fair contract, including taking strike action if necessary.

Stay informed and engaged

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

SV group: PIC hearings wrap up as PSAC prepares to escalate actions if necessary

The Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearing conducted by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board for the SV group was held on November 28-30, as well as on December 8. The parties also met in mediation, but without any success. The bargaining team and employer both presented their positions and are now awaiting a decision from the PIC.

Our bargaining team will determine next steps once the PIC report is received. If an agreement cannot be reached during the PIC process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions to reach a fair contract, including taking strike action if necessary.

Stay informed and engaged

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC files Labour Board complaint over flawed hybrid work plan

PSAC logo SCFP
PSAC logo SCFP

The federal government’s blanket hybrid work plan tramples on workers’ collective bargaining rights and forces a flawed one-size-fits-all approach on a diverse and evolving public service.

PSAC has filing a statutory freeze complaint against Treasury Board and agencies for unilaterally imposing changes to our members’ working conditions while we’re in negotiations for 165,000 federal public service workers. Making changes to working conditions while those very same issues are at the bargaining table is against the law.

In the coming weeks, we’ll also provide guidelines to support members and PSAC components in filing grievances against the government once the policy comes into effect January 16.

You can take action today by sending a clear message to decision-makers that we won’t settle for anything less than a contract that enshrines a fair process for remote work in our collective agreement and provides wages that keep up with the cost of living.

Add your name today

More than 80% of PSAC members surveyed oppose the government’s hybrid work plan and are prepared to take action – including taking strike action – to fight for better work-life balance, fair wages, protections against harassment and discrimination in the workplace and other top bargaining priorities.

Strike votes next step for a fair contract

We’ve seen nothing but disrespect from this government at the bargaining table, and Treasury Board’s senseless hybrid work policy adds insult to injury. It’s becoming clear holding strike votes to secure a strike mandate from PSAC members is the only way we’ll make real gains at the bargaining table. PSAC will be in touch with members in the new year to communicate next steps as we continue to escalate our pressure on the government.

Take a few minutes to fill out our short survey to show your support for ramping up our mobilization activities across the country and, update your contact information to make sure you’re getting all the latest bargaining updates in your inbox or via text message.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining: Telework and shift premium top of mind for the team

Banner-FB-Bannière
Banner-FB-Bannière

Following reports of Treasury Board’s plan to unilaterally change telework agreements, the FB bargaining team used their December 13-15 bargaining dates to remind the employer that modifying working conditions without union consent while in negotiations is prohibited under federal legislation.

After talks wrapped, the federal government announced their direction for all core administration workers to return to the office 2-3 days per week by March 31, 2023. While this doesn’t impact workers at CBSA or other agencies for now, we will continue to emphasize the importance of enshrining telework in our contracts to ensure requests are not unreasonably denied. We also pointed out to the employer that this initiative demonstrates yet again that Treasury Board and CBSA have nothing but disdain for those who work for Canadians day in and day out.

We also addressed our proposals to ensure the introduction of new technology such as PIK machines, E-Gates, and ArriveCAN does not replace trained officers or put  public safety at risk. We support technological change when it supports our work, but that’s often not the case. PSAC has already filed a complaint with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board regarding this issue.

Finally, the team raised the need for an increase to the shift premium — particularly given PSAC’s recent success negotiating increased premiums for other federal units — and discussed our proposals to streamline the grievance procedure.

We will table wage proposals at a future session once we have received payroll data from the employer.

Next steps  

The team will return to the table again in January. Read our bargaining proposals below:

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.

Government must stop flawed hybrid work plan for federal public service workers

PSAC logo SCFP
PSAC logo SCFP

Despite a week of denials, Treasury Board announced today it would unilaterally impose a restrictive hybrid work policy for all federal public service workers in the core administration.

This blanket policy mandates workers to come into the office 2-3 days per week, or 40-60% of their regular working hours; regardless of the operational requirements of their job.

The policy comes into effect January 16, 2023, and will be fully implemented by March 31. Agencies and separate employers have been urged to put in place similar policies.

The government’s decision doesn’t have the best interest of workers at heart and is completely at odds with the direction the government has been moving towards for remote work.

It’s unacceptable that right before the holidays, workers will be scrambling to make new arrangements for child care, transportation, and possibly relocating if they’ve been hired remotely and are now being asked to come into the office.

We demand that the government halt their plan. PSAC is reviewing all our options in response to this announcement, and will take the necessary steps to protect our members’ ability to work remotely.

Federal public service workers have proven they can deliver the services Canadians depend on, whether working remotely or in the office.

Remote work must be negotiated at the bargaining table 

Remote work is a key issue at the bargaining table for PSAC’s 165,000 federal workers this round of bargaining, and unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of our members’ employment during negotiations is an egregious violation of workers’ collective bargaining rights.

The lack of clarity around the policy raises more questions than answers, and PSAC does not have confidence the government can put in place the health and safety requirements and the necessary tools for all federal public service workers to return to the office in the new year.

Members who have already returned to the office have told us they’ve come into the office without desks or chairs available for them, or returned to empty buildings to spend the entire day on video calls with colleagues working elsewhere.

We will continue to provide updates to PSAC members as we fight to protect our members’ rights.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

2023-2024 CIU Calendar

Photo of CIU flag

Our 2023-2024 calendar is now available!

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Hire more border officers, solve border delays: PSAC and CIU launch national campaign

We count on border officers to keep us safe and secure but chronic understaffing and ineffective technology are making it impossible for workers at the border to do their jobs safely and effectively. Despite efforts to push the government to address staffing issues, this holiday season, travellers will encounter frustrating waits at airports and land crossings.

“Thousands more border officers are needed to keep our borders safe and keep travellers and trade moving efficiently” said CIU National President Mark Weber. “CBSA offices across the country are understaffed and overworked.”

This week, the Public Services Alliance of Canada and its component union, the Customs and Immigration Union, are launching a national campaign to inform Canadians of the reasons for the travel delays, and to encourage decision makers – Members of Parliament and officials at Canada Border Services Agency – to fix the problem by hiring more border officers.

“The federal Liberal government promised to protect our public services and support those who provide them. “said PSAC National President Chris Aylward “We’re ready to see the change they promised. It’s time to fix the problem.”

Take Action Now — Tell the Government of Canada to hire more border officers

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Gender-based violence still a critical issue

On December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, we remember the 14 women whose lives were stolen at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. And though it was 33 years ago, we still see a shocking lack of protection for the woman who is killed by her intimate partner every six days in Canada or the Indigenous women who are killed at a rate of nearly seven times that of non-Indigenous women.

The workplace is no exception when it comes to gender-based violence. A recent national survey by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) found that half of Canadian women experienced workplace sexual harassment, and almost one-third report having experienced non-consensual sexual touching (a type of sexual assault) in the workplace. Almost 90% of women in Canada use strategies to avoid unwanted sexual advances in the workplace, including avoiding specific people and altering the way that they dress.

Women, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming workers are more likely to work in public-facing jobs and are often at the front-line of third-party violence. This reality is also true for PSAC members – the largest numbers of women employed by the federal public service can be found in Employment and Social Development Canada, where the management and delivery of social programs and services is often public-facing. That’s why PSAC is proud to join our labour allies across Canada in signing on to the Canadian Labour Congress’ call to end gender-based violence at work.

In a time of escalating gender-based violence, unions are united in preventing and addressing all forms of violence and harassment in the workplace, and we expect employers to step up.

Paid universal domestic violence leave

Unions have successfully won paid domestic violence leave for federal employees across several provinces and territories — including in our own collective agreements — but more needs to be done for survivors working in other vulnerable sectors like health care, education and the hotel and service industry. PSAC also continues to fight for 10 paid days of universal domestic violence leave, so that all working people can access the support they need from their employers when they are trying to leave an abusive situation.

Learn more and take action

In memory of 

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 PSAC website.

Registration open for 2023 PSAC National Young Workers Conference

PSAC’s Young Workers Conference will be held in person April 21-23, 2023 in Montreal with the theme “Young Workers: Growing Union Power.” 

PSAC members in good standing who identify as young workers (aged 35 and under) are invited to apply to be a delegate to this conference. As a delegate, you will participate in workshops, attend plenary sessions, debate resolutions, and elect two young workers and one alternate to attend the PSAC National Triennial Convention in 2024.

See the PSAC website to apply.

FB bargaining: Proposal for 25 and out pension reform now with Minister Fortier

Banner-FB-Bannière
Banner-FB-Bannière

The FB bargaining team continued to negotiate improvements on the issues that matter most to PSAC-CIU members at the bargaining table November 15-17.

Our team stressed the importance of pension reform for FB members across the country, which PSAC-CIU has been using every avenue to push forward for more years.

When the union raised our proposal for pension reform at the table, the employer responded that it felt it would be inappropriate for the employer to take a position in bargaining at this time as the union’s proposal has been through the pension advisory committee process and it’s now before the president of Treasury Board to decide.

PSAC has been pushing for fair retirement benefits for FB members that would introduce an early retirement option — also referred to as 25 and out — consistent with what other federal public safety employees already receive. We are finally starting to see progress from the federal government.

You can help support these efforts by pressuring Treasury Board President Mona Fortier to do the right thing. Contact your local Member of Parliament and Minister Fortier to tell them FB members deserve fair treatment on their pensions.

Other critical bargaining issues

Meanwhile, the team also discussed the proposals to protect workers from management harassment and the abuse of authority at CBSA, and new protections against indiscriminate removal of tools and investigative suspension without pay.

We made it clear that telework must be enshrined in the collective agreement to reflect the new reality of thousands of our members. It’s especially important for our members to have recourse under the agreement when management fails to grant telework in a transparent, consistent, and equitable fashion.

We also pushed for new seniority rights that are in line with standard protections enjoyed by most other law enforcement personnel, and discussed issues related to captive time — including when Intelligence and Enforcement Operations Division staff are unable to immediately return from overseas, as well as members being required to stay on the work site.

The employer, on the other hand, came to the table with a proposal that would significantly impact job security by allowing them to rescind reasonable job offers in surplus situations. The team is against this unacceptable proposal and will continue to push for enhanced protection.

Next steps

The team will return to the table again in December. You can read more about our bargaining proposals below:

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.

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