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Employment Opportunity: Executive Assistant to the National President (Permanent position)

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The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) is seeking to hire a full-time bilingual Executive Assistant to the National President (Band 9) with extensive experience to be staffed on a full-time indeterminate basis.

Applications will be received until close of business on July 7, 2021 (5:00 p.m. EDT). Please see the full posting here (PDF) for more information about the position, the associated duties and requirements, and on how to apply.

PSAC grieves with Indigenous communities as more unmarked graves are discovered in Saskatchewan

graves-site
PSAC joins residential school survivors, Indigenous communities and all Canadians in grieving the disturbing discovery of as many as 751 unmarked graves near the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.

Continuer

National Indigenous Peoples Day: a turning point for Canada

image of an Indigenous dancer wearing a red dress

June 21 is an occasion to celebrate Indigenous history, culture, and diversity, as well as the many contributions of Indigenous peoples to Canada. For non-Indigenous Canadians, and for organizations such as our union, it is also an opportunity to reflect on our history and role in the ongoing process of colonization in Canada. Importantly, it is a time to reaffirm that we will keep working in solidarity with Indigenous struggles for justice.

The recent heartwrenching discovery on school grounds of the remains of 215 children who attended the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc territory is a turning point for Canada. For too long, non-Indigenous Canadians have been happy to turn a blind eye to the structural injustices and violence faced by Indigenous peoples.

Despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s oft-repeated claim that “no relationship is more important to Canada than the relationship with Indigenous peoples,” his government has failed to prioritize progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, released in December 2015. More than five years later, only 12 calls have been completed, and 20 have seen no progress at all. And despite Trudeau’s pledge to end all long-term drinking water advisories by March 2021, dozens of Indigenous communities still lack the basic human right of safe drinking water.

PSAC once again calls on the government to urgently fulfill its commitments to Indigenous peoples.

Our common survival depends on settler colonial culture moving away from valuing profit over people, allowing corporations to pollute the air and water and profiting off the suffering of our elders. In making this shift, we can learn from Indigenous worldviews, perspectives and knowledge and in turn lead with empathy and compassion.

Politicians at all levels of government need to know that non-Indigenous Canadians are in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. Decolonization and reconciliation are right for Canada. They are right because Indigenous rights are human rights.

Indigenous peoples need the voices of all Canadians to join with them to call for the justice and fairness that is so long overdue. Speak to everyone in your circle and help dispel harmful myths about Indigenous peoples. Educate yourself, your family, friends and your community about the intergenerational trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples. Be compassionate, learn and reflect. And then take action.

Webinar: Intersectionality and allyship with Indigenous peoples

PSAC invites you to our June 23 webinar on how we can work as allies with Indigenous Peoples. The panel will discuss how allies can best support decolonization and sovereignty for Indigenous Peoples.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC celebrates Pride

Pride Banner — Bannière de la Fierté

PSAC proudly joins our members across the country in celebrating Pride this summer. While we may not be able to march together this year, the fierce spirit of Pride lives on in virtual events hosted coast to coast to coast celebrating the resiliency and perseverance of LGBTQ2+ communities. Pride is not only a vibrant and vocal way to recognize the achievements of LGBTQ2+ people, but it is also a rallying cry to end discrimination, homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.

LGBTQ2+ communities have been hit hard by the pandemic. They experienced more layoffs and job losses than the national average, and LGBTQ2+ Black, Indigenous and racialized people were twice as likely to report a significant negative impact on their mental health and two times more likely to know someone who has died of COVID-19.

This disproportionate impact and the ongoing discrimination against members of the LGBTQ2+ community is why PSAC continues to fight for LGBTQ2+ inclusion practices in federal workplaces and are advocating for safer, trans-inclusive workplaces. We’re also holding the government accountable to include the LGBTQ2+ communities in their review of the Employment Equity Act and to collect more meaningful census data to protect them under the Act, particularly after the LGBT Purge.

Across Canada, PSAC supports legislation banning LGBTQ2+ conversion therapy and continues to demand that the Liberal government eliminate the blood ban for gay men and trans women – an unscientific and discriminatory policy Trudeau’s government has promised to change.

PSAC stands with Canada’s proud LGBTQ2+ communities and calls on governments and employers to combat all forms of discrimination, violence and oppression against LGBTQ2+ people.

This Pride, let’s come together virtually to celebrate, resist and fight for a better tomorrow.

Contact your regional office to find out more about PSAC’s human rights committees and how you can get involved.

Download our digital Pride materials

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

FB strike votes and strike preparation webinars

Image discussion FB PSAC-AFPC

The FB group will be conducting an electronic strike vote across the country starting June 16. Support your bargaining team at our upcoming strike votes to make sure we can return to the bargaining table in a position to win a fair contract.

Select your region for details:

Please note that more may be scheduled after the 28th. Please prioritizing registering for a session in your region. After attending one of these sessions, you will gain access to information on how to vote. It will involve a 10-15-minute presentation by a member of the bargaining team, followed by an optional Q&A session. You must have your attendance recorded at one of the 10-15 minute presentation portions or your vote will not be counted.

Strike Preparation Webinars

Date Time Language
June 15 7pm – 8:30pm EST English
June 16 12pm – 1:30 EST French
June 17 12pm – 1:30pm EST English
June 21 5:30pm – 7pm EST French

These optional webinars have been set up to give FB members a chance to learn more about strikes, strike preparation, and ask any questions you may have. More may be added to the schedule depending on registrations.

Any questions you may have about strike votes or strike action can be answered at the virtual vote information sessions and strike preparation courses that will take place before you vote. However, to provide you with as much information as possible ahead of time, PSAC has compiled key questions and answers for you.

Related content

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

FB strike votes: Frequently Asked Questions

Image discussion FB PSAC-AFPC

The Border Services (FB) bargaining unit consists of over 9,000 PSAC-CIU members at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), responsible for protecting Canada’s borders and the planning, development, delivery, inspection and control of people and goods entering Canada.

FB members have been without a contract for nearly three years, with our collective agreement having expired in June 2018. At the table, our bargaining team has been fighting for key issues, including parity with other law enforcement personnel across Canada, better protections against harassment and discrimination, and a fair remote work policy for our non-uniformed members.

CBSA’s refusal to budge on these core demands led the FB bargaining team to declare impasse in December. We’ve submitted and presented our dispute to the Public Interest Commission and are awaiting their recommendation. In the meantime, we’re holding a vote seeking a strike mandate from the membership to give our bargaining team the leverage we need to call a strike if necessary.

Any questions you may have about strike votes or strike action can be answered at the virtual vote information sessions and strike preparation courses that will take place before you vote. However, to provide you with as much information as possible ahead of time, PSAC has compiled key questions and answers for you.

Related content

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.[

FB bargaining team: We need your vote to get the contract we all deserve

Image discussion FB PSAC-AFPC

Like you, we are all CBSA employees. Together, we have over 100 years of diligent service with the federal government. We care deeply about the work that we do, and we care about our coworkers. That’s why we got involved in the union in the first place, and that’s why we’re reaching out to you today about the most important decision we’ll all need to make this round of bargaining.

For over two years, we’ve been in negotiations for a new collective agreement with Treasury Board and CBSA. In the middle of negotiations, Canada and the rest of the world were engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We – PSAC-CIU members at CBSA – have been on the front lines of that pandemic every single day, putting our health at risk to keep Canadians safe and our borders secure. From Programs Officers interpreting Orders in Council and Inland Enforcement Officers conducting removals to BSOs inspecting PPE and everyone in between, we’ve all played a critical part in protecting Canadians.

The importance of our work is undeniable. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair has publicly recognized our work during the pandemic on more than one occasion, while CBSA has frequently commended the work that we do to keep our borders secure.

Unfortunately, this praise seems to simply be empty words, because we haven’t seen that same recognition at the bargaining table.

When we make the case that we deserve parity with other hard-working law enforcement personnel across Canada – from wages to paid meal periods to issues related to firearms and other tools – we are told no. When we raise the dire need for pension reform at CBSA, we see no movement whatsoever from the employer. And with respect to our non-uniformed colleagues, who have been faithfully serving Canadians while working remotely throughout the pandemic, the employer still refuses to negotiate telework provisions into our collective agreement.

We’re also grappling with a toxic workplace at CBSA where we all work under the constant threat of heavy-handed discipline and abuse of authority. That’s why we need new protections in the context of discipline, harassment and whistleblowing in our collective agreement, but our proposals to protect employees have been denied.

Instead, CBSA is pushing for concessions – introducing a 48-hour shift change notice clause (instead of the current seven days), massive changes to scheduling and VSSA protections and changes to family care leave that would make it inaccessible to most of us and at the discretion of managers

The employer wants our jobs to matter more than our families when all they do is treat us like we’re all replaceable. We can’t stand for that, and we believe it’s time to make our stand.

Last month, we made our submissions to the Public Interest Commission, and they’ll provide their recommendations on our outstanding bargaining demands.

➡️  Read the full PIC submission

In the meantime, we’re fed up with the disrespect we’re all being shown by CBSA and the government, and we need to show them we’re ready to stand up to them to get the contract we deserve.

That’s why we – along with the PSAC National President and the CIU National Executive – have made the decision to conduct a vote to seek a strike mandate from the membership.

We’re asking you to vote YES to a strike mandate so that we can send a clear message to CBSA. Your support will give our bargaining team the leverage we need to call a strike if necessary.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you all the details you need about the process, how you can stay informed and take part in the vote. But we wanted to be the first to tell you – directly from the bargaining team – that this is our time to make real and meaningful changes at CBSA.

Stay tuned for more updates. If have any questions, please be sure to follow up with your CIU
Branch President or contact your local PSAC regional office.

We hope you’ll stand in solidarity with us and all CBSA staff so that we can reach a fair agreement with CBSA and Treasury Board. We’re all in this together.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Ross
Newfoundland/Labrador
St. John’s Airport

Joey Dunphy
New Brunswick
Edmunston POE

Claude Bouchard
Quebec Eastern Townships
St Armand POE

Ken Turner
Windsor Ontario
Ambassador Bridge

Frances Baroutoglou
Toronto Postal Operations

Charles Khoury
Headquarters – Ottawa

Mat Ashworth 
Northern Ontario
Rainy River POE

Michael Aessie
Manitoba
Commercial office

Leanne Hughes
British Columbia
Victoria Airport

Related content

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC condemns hate-motivated terror attack on London family

London vigil / Vigile à London

Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Yumna Salman, Fayez Salman and Afzaal’s mother should have been able to walk safely together in their own neighbourhood. Family walks have been one of the few ways in which families can safely spend time together outside their homes during the pandemic.

Fayez, the nine-year old sole survivor of the domestic terror attack in London, Ontario, should not be mourning the loss of his parents, grandmother and sister. This horrific and shocking killing of a family is an immeasurable loss for not only the Muslim and London communities, but for all people in Canada. It is a stark reminder of how much we still need to fight Islamophobia in Canada.

Muslims, and especially Muslim women, routinely experience Islamophobia because of their faith. Since 9/11, Muslims have been portrayed by some politicians, media outlets, and right-wing groups as terrorists, violent and threatening “Canadian” values, which has led to an increase in Islamophobia. Islamophobic incidents include murder, online harassment, threats, violence, vandalism, and workplace discrimination.

PSAC condemns Islamophobia in all its forms and calls for municipal, provincial, territorial and federal governments to take urgent action against systemic Islamophobia. PSAC also supports the National Council of Canadian Muslims’ call for a National Summit on Islamophobia.

There is no place for hate, violence and Islamophobia in our union, workplaces and our communities. We must show our solidarity with Muslim communities and play an active role in the fight against Islamophobia and racism. We must name it, speak out, and take action when we witness it.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

COVID-19 Update — Follow-up to question on use of 699 leave

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

The following message was sent by the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. 

We are following up on the question which was raised during our COVID-19 Update call on Tuesday.  With regards to requests from employees to take the child/person for whom they have a duty of care to get the COVID vaccine, our guidance to Departments is the following:

  • The employee should first try to schedule the vaccination appointment outside of work hours or work flexible hours to make up the time taken.
  • The employee can schedule family related leave to bring a child / person for whom they have a duty of care to the vaccination appointment.
  • If that is not possible and all Family related leave has been used, the employer could grant 699 leave for a reasonable time period to get the vaccine as this is related to COVID.

COVID-19: The employer must reconsider its position on close contact training

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

The following message was sent to the employer on June 2nd by Mark Weber, CIU’s 1st National Vice-President, and Co-Chair of the Policy Health and Safety Committee.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen our Policy Health and Safety Committee commit a great deal of time and effort to ensuring that all CBSA employees are kept as safe as possible. We’ve accomplished much that’s positive, in circumstances where the planning and implementation of every preventative measure was an urgent matter. Most Departments within the CBSA have participated proactively in this work with us, making all we’ve had to address run much more smoothly.

Our experience working with Training and Development has been uniquely negative. We’ve repeatedly learned of scheduled training from our members, without it having first been brought to our Committee as mandated by the Canada Labour Code (CLC) and Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR). We’ve been given documents to assess on the eve of training, only after insisting that they be provided. We’ve seen all they’ve developed ‘assessed’ at meetings of a health and safety ‘working group’, who we’ve learned keep no minutes, and whose composition we are entirely unaware of. We’ve been told repeatedly that everything in place was approved by a qualified person, only to learn that this is not the case. Procedures that include a 14 day quarantine period continue to be used to declare safe close contact training for employees who are not quarantining.

We recently asked to participate in a meeting with Health Canada, only to learn that the employer had the meeting without us. We were told that Health Canada will “never state that training is safe or unsafe”. Health Canada was only asked about the preventative measures in place, not the training itself. The truth is that no qualified person will say that it is now safe to ignore physical distancing, because it is not. Health Canada’s recommendation that training be reevaluated based on local pandemic conditions was ignored and again, the documents provided to Health Canada had the trainees quarantining, which is not what is happening for anyone other that our OITPs.

The odd justifications the employer side of our Committee continues to espouse for Training and Development are inexplicable given the business like, efficient manner in which all else connected to COVID has been dealt with. The culmination of this behaviour is the recent conclusion that it is not the role of the Policy Health and Safety Committee to determine when training is safe to resume, “it is ultimately management that determines the safety of training”.

The employee members of the Policy Health and Safety Committee do not believe that it is safe to resume close contact training, and we urge the employer members of our Committee to revisit their decision to recommend it. Should the decision be to forge ahead with close contact training, we ask that daily COVID testing be arranged for trainees and trainers.

No proper risk assessment has been conducted, no qualified person has assessed any of the risks associated with this training, and the first step of Part 122.2 of the CLC has been wrongly passed over. We remind the employer of their obligations under the CLC and COHSR, including Part 148 of the CLC.

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