CIU-SDI demonstrates its opposition to Bill C-59 at Minister Steven Blaney’s office in Quebec City.

The government tabled last month the Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-59) that attacks our collective bargaining rights.

The Bill authorizes Treasury Board to modify collective agreements to remove sick leave and impose a short and long term disability plan outside of collective agreements. The Bill circumvents the Public Service Labour Relations Act as well as ongoing negotiations.

The Supreme Court established the right to collective bargaining as a Charter right – and we will defend that right using all means at our disposal.

The CIU, its Branches and the PSAC have organized activities that will take place over the coming weeks outside MP offices and CBSA worksites in several locations across the country.

We call on all CIU-PSAC members to participate in activities organized by their Branch. We also encourage all members to contact their Member of Parliament and Senator. Free collective bargaining is a Charter right. We uphold the Charter as law enforcement personnel. The Government should respect our right to free collective bargaining.

PSAC convention delegates meeting this week in Quebec City have wholeheartedly adopted an emergency resolution that mandates the union to: oppose government actions that will compromise any of our members’ rights; continue organizing and mobilizing our members through concerted and strategic actions with other unions to defend our bargaining rights; take the necessary legal action to defend our constitutional right to free collective bargaining; and work to elect a federal government that respects worker and union rights and federal public services, and that governs for the benefit of all Canadian workers.

For additional information, please visit:  PSAC National Triennial Convention<

How else to describe the federal government’s intention to undermine our collective bargaining rights?

Sister Robyn Benson provides additional information in the attached letter and the following links will take you to the PSAC’s website for related announcements.

We will protect our sick leave

Government threatens collective bargaining rights in federal budget

Sick Leave Flyer 

“Twenty-five and out” plan raised at bargaining table and in Pension Advisory Committee.

Employees in the FB bargaining unit are law enforcement personnel. We are subject to the same rigorous employment standards as other law enforcement workers in Canada and we enforce dozens of laws and international trade agreements. Yet we do not have access to a retirement regime that reflects the work that we do.

Pension commitment

While pension modification is not subject to collective bargaining under the law, we reiterated our demand in bargaining this week to get a written commitment from CBSA and Treasury Board that they will support an early retirement regime consistent with what is in place for other federal law enforcement personnel.

PSAC National President Robyn Benson has placed the need for pension reform for PSAC-represented CBSA employees and National Defence firefighters on the agenda for the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee. CIU National President Jean-Pierre Fortin has also raised the issue directly with Minister Blaney. We will continue to push this initiative at all levels.

Other improvements

This week, we tabled our proposal to enhance legal indemnification rights for FB workers, ensuring that union members would be legally protected in the event that members of the public take legal action against an employee for performing their duties. Given our recent experiences, we told CBSA that we do not trust CBSA management and better protections are required.

We also discussed:

• our proposal for new protections for officers getting “H”ed on designated paid holidays
• our proposal to improve access to telework for non-uniformed officers
• CBSA’s roll out of a new system for uniform allotment
• issues related to inland enforcement

Progress made on Mental Health front

The PSAC successfully reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this session with Treasury Board concerning a joint task force do address mental health in the workplace. For more information on the MOU, visit: http://psacunion.ca/psac-achieves-agreement-treasury-board-mental.

We are meeting again in May. For more information and to see our proposals and those of  the employer, visit psacunion.ca/fb

CIU National Board of Directors and Observers stand in Solidarity with all Bargaining Teams on this day of action – March 19!!!<