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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.

Registration open for 2023 PSAC National Women’s Conference

PSAC’s National Women’s Conference will be held in person March 31 to April 2, 2023 in Ottawa with the theme “It’s in Our Hands: Strength, Power & Compassion.”  

PSAC women members in good standing 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 women to attend the PSAC National Triennial Convention in 2024.

See the PSAC website to apply.

Transgender Day of Remembrance: A reminder that we can all be better allies

November 20 is a day to honour and memorialize transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-trans violence, and an opportunity to raise awareness around the issues trans and gender non-conforming people continue to face.

The day was started by trans advocate and activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor Rita Hester, a Black trans woman who was murdered in Boston in 1998. Rita’s murder is still unsolved, and too many transgender victims of violence continue to suffer the same fate.

Results of a national survey on harassment and violence in Canadian workplaces by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) revealed that trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse workers are experiencing higher rates of harassment and violence. For example, 73 per cent of gender-diverse respondents experienced sexual harassment and violence, compared to 46 per cent of women and 38 per cent of men.

We can all be better allies to our trans colleagues and friends by helping to build safer, more inclusive workplaces and communities. Because trans people deserve to be treated with respect and care — as human beings, like everyone else.

Learn more and take action

Using inclusive language is one of the ways we can honour Two-Spirt, trans and non-binary people. That’s why PSAC developed a Gender Inclusive Language Toolkit this year to help members, elected leaders and staff interact in a way that respects and celebrates our unique and diverse gender identities.

To ensure trans workers have the support they need in our workplaces, unions and communities, the CLC has also developed the Workers in Transition Guide, which union leaders and members can use to help better protect the rights of trans members.

We encourage you to attend a virtual 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.

COVID-19 vaccination audits: FAQ

Image of border crossing with the words "COVID-19"

In the fall of 2021, CBSA employees were asked to complete a vaccine attestation, confirming that they had been vaccinated against COVID-19. The requirement to attest formed part of the Treasury Board’s Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which came into effect on October 6, 2021.

The Treasury Board policy was clear that while the attestation would be sufficient to show compliance with the vaccine mandate, the attestation could be subject to a future audit. In other words, employees might be required, at some point, to prove the claim that they had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

CBSA has now begun their vaccination audit. To best answer the many questions our members might have, CIU has prepared the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

Had this audit been conducted while vaccinations were still a requirement, it could have been deemed a health and safety measure. We are disappointed that the Agency has chosen to question its employees’ attestations now when it can only be happening with an eye to discipline.

We invite our members to review the following FAQ and reach out to their local Union representatives should they have any further questions.

COVID-19 vaccination audits FAQ

Anti-racism action plan: Membership consultation

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Dear members,

You may have received an email from Environics Research (publicaffairs@environics.ca) inviting you to participate in the membership consultation process commissioned by the Public Service Alliance of Canada as part of their Anti-Racism Action Plan.

As a labour organization, the Customs and Immigration Union is committed to addressing issues stemming from systemic racism and discrimination affecting Black, Indigenous, Asian and racialized members. Human rights are workers’ rights, and the principles of inclusion, diversity, and equity are intrinsic to our core mission of advancing these rights. The PSAC Anti-Racism Action Plan seeks to reinforce our capacity to uphold these principles at all levels through a review of how we serve and represent members of all horizons. The ongoing consultation process plays a key role in providing the union with the necessary membership input to do so.

The consultation process consists in a short two-minute survey, and members who take part may also be invited to join a subsequent focus group session to share their experiences in more detail. This PSAC endeavour supports the work being done by our own CIU Human Rights Committee to address racism and discrimination — both in our workplace and within our own union — and we strongly encourage you to participate.

No action is too small in the continuing fight against racism and discrimination, and we thank you in advance for taking the time to share your experiences and help us build a strong, inclusive labour movement.

In solidarity,

Mark Weber
CIU National President

Murray Star
Chair, CIU Standing Human Rights Committee

SV bargaining: No movement from government on key issues in mediation

After a week of mediation, Treasury Board made no effort to find common ground in bargaining with our more than 10,000 SV group members, refusing to budge on any key issues, especially when it came to fair wages and market adjustments.

The employer’s revised wage offer was initially proposed during Common Issues mediation in September, and would average 2.06% per year over a four-year agreement. Treasury Board held fast to this wage offer during mediation October 11-14.

The SV team proposed that, in the event that the parties are unable to come to an agreement on market adjustments at the bargaining table, the issue be sent to binding arbitration. However, the employer rejected this proposal.

Our team made it clear: closing the gap between SV members’ wages with those in similar positions outside of the federal public sector is the number one priority in this round of negotiations. Unless the government comes back to the table with a new mandate, we will continue to push for this issue to be sent to arbitration or we’ll be forced to settle the dispute on the picket lines.

Government stalling negotiations

Treasury Board seems intent on delaying negotiations and dragging their feet on our most important issues, setting back our members who have been without a new contract since June 2021. In response, PSAC has launched both in-person and online strike training for our more than 165,000 federal public service workers to ratchet up the pressure on the government to bargain fairly.

PSAC will now raise these issues at Public Interest Commission hearings, to be scheduled this fall by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. If an agreement cannot be reached during the Public Interest Commission process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions, up to and including taking strike action if necessary to reach a fair contract.

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:

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all latest bargaining updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

ArriveCAN: Border officers were never consulted, says CIU National President to House Committee

Photo of CIU flag

On Thursday October 20, 2022, the National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, Mark Weber, addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates as part of the Committee’s study on the ArriveCAN application.

Speaking to the Committee, the CIU National President was critical of the Agency, pointing to the utter lack of consultation with frontline officers — both in the context of  ArriveCAN and in general. “What’s perhaps most vexing about ArriveCAN is how it was developed without any meaningful consultation with, or input from, frontline officers. Not when the idea was first proposed; not when the app was initially developed; and definitely not at any point during one of the more than 70 updates that the app had to undergo” the National President told the Committee, explaining that it “defied reason” to develop an application designed for the frontline without involving those who serve at the border. Had officers been involved, they would have been able to flag potential issues — of which ArriveCAN saw plenty — before they arose.

‘Like putting up wallpaper before pouring the foundation’

The CIU National President also pointed to the decision to fund the development of ArriveCAN at the expense of more pressing issues, such as the ongoing severe staffing crisis, as highly problematic, comparing it to “putting up wallpaper before pouring the foundation”, and highlighting that “by choosing to sink dozens of millions of dollars into ArriveCAN while its border services workforce is understaffed and overworked, the federal government is simply gambling with Canada’s ability to maintain a safe and properly functioning border.”

ArriveCAN is not the only issue

ArriveCAN is certainly not unique at CBSA. It is only one example in a long line of technological band-aid solutions that ultimately fail to enhance border security and effectiveness in any real way: Primary inspection kiosks, E-Gates, remote reporting, etc. What these also have in common is that they are always developed without involving the frontline personnel who actually works at the border.

“What the government and CBSA can learn from the ArriveCAN experience is that, if they want to effectively and properly manage our border, while ensuring that the projects designed to do so are sound, they must rely on and seek out the expertise of frontline border officers in a meaningful way” concluded Mark Weber. “Our members are proud of the work they do, they’re proud of serving Canadians, and I know they would jump at the opportunity to help improve our border processes.”

A recording of the Committee proceedings can be viewed here.

Changes to the FB bargaining team

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Banner-FB-Bannière

Since it was formed earlier this year, our FB bargaining team has seen some changes to its membership. The bargaining team is now comprised of the following members:

Brea Baresinkoff, Michael William Fraser, Marjorie Gavel, Sophie Martin, Jacqueline Monk, Lisa Morgan, Keith Palmer, Shane Paul, Stewart Saunderson, and Jordan Smith.

Morgan Gay and Darren Pacione remain as Negotiator and Research Officer, respectively.

Welcome to the new members and thank you to everyone on the team for the work you’re doing on behalf of FB members.

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