2019 Resolutions - Budgetary
F-1 AUDITED FINANCE STATEMENTS
Be it resolved that the 2019 AGM receive the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: No comment
F-2 APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS
Be it resolved that BDO Canada be appointed as auditors of PIPSC and its related entities, for the 2020-2021 fiscal years.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: No comment
F-3 BUDGET
Be it resolved that the 2019 AGM approve the budget for the period of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: No comment
F-4 PROFESSIONALS CANADA
Whereas PIPSC must protect itself from incessant attacks from right wing governments including any attack on the Rand Formula; and
Whereas a growing number of professionals in non-unionized private sector positions are facing precarious and harsh working conditions; and
Whereas PIPSC must continue to use every available means to combat the misuse of contracting out which has severely impacted our CS members and is increasingly threatening all professionals represented by the Institute; and
Whereas reaching out to non-unionized private sector professionals will benefit PIPSC by creating a new potential member base and by making us the leading voice for professionals in Canada; and
Whereas building communities of professionals to act collectively to improve our members’ lives is our highest purpose as a union that believes we are “better together”;
Be it resolved that the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada carry on its 100-year tradition of protecting and enhancing the rights of professional workers through the establishment of Professionals Canada, while reaffirming its commitment to combating the abuse of contracting out.
Be it further resolved that Professionals Canada be implemented in accordance with the plan and materials presented to the 2019 AGM.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: All information pertaining to Professionals Canada is available upon request.
F-5 CONSTITUENT BODY FUNDING
Whereas the annual allowances were last revised effective January 2015; and
Whereas inflation continues to erode the ability of smaller Sub-Groups and Branches to effectively serve and communicate with their members;
Be it resolved that the annual allowance for Sub-Groups and Branches be revised as follows:
Sub-Groups and Branches will receive the greater between the following options:
Option 1 - Base amount of $750, plus $10.00 $13.00 per member per year for the first 1,000 members and $3.00 $4.00 per member per year in excess of 1,000 members
Option 2 - $10.00 per member per year for the first 2,000 members and $8.00 per member per year if there are more than 2,000 members.
Note: Option 2 results in a larger allotment for a Sub-Group or Branch where the Branch or Sub-Group has membership in excess of 1,625 members. Under the current formula the number of members required for option 2 to result in a larger allotment is 1108.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: The incremental cost would be $158K.
F-6 INTEREST ON EXPENSE CLAIMS
Whereas members should not incur costs when volunteering for PIPSC; and
Whereas at times, members incur interest costs due to late reimbursement of claims; and
Whereas sometimes staff is over-burdened and unable to meet a three-week turnaround for claim reimbursement,
Therefore be it resolved that members be allowed to submit a claim for any interest charges incurred on expenses related to a claim that is not reimbursed in a period of three weeks after submission of their claim.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments:
Travelers’ Recourse: Part B of the Institute’s Travel Policy allows travelers to request an advance every time they participate in Union business. This seldom used provision is meant to prevent travelers from being out of pocket and incurring interest costs. Advance requests are always treated as a priority and are paid out the week preceding the travel.
Current cycle: The finance section’s workload is cyclical. Immediately after large events, the section receives significant volumes of claims and invoices which create a backlog. Meeting organizers then work closely with the finance staff to ensure claims are paid out as quickly as possible, while operating within the confines of the Institute policies.
On average, the turnaround time for claim reimbursement during a slow period is between 7 to 10 days and the turnaround time for claim reimbursement after large events is between 15 to 20 days.
Impact of the resolution: If passed, this resolution would have significant impacts on the workload of the finance section, particularly following large events.
For example: The PIPSC AGM, as currently constructed, will generate over 1,000 expense and salary compensation claims. The three claim processors within the finance staff will be pressured to process and pay them all within a three week period.
As a result, it is expected that PIPSC would hire additional casual staff following large events to process claims. The cost of this additional assistance is estimated at $65K.
F-7 GROUP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING DURATION
Whereas the CS AGM is the governing event for the CS Group and impacts all CS members and the direction of the Group, the current format of one day does not leave sufficient time for all of the required business and training; and
Whereas the current networking meeting held on the Friday before the AGM is a required event and the current PIPSC event policy allows for meetings on Friday, Saturday or Monday, and that the Regional Council and Stewards Council are a day and a half;
Be it resolved that for all Institute Groups, that the duration of a Group AGM be increased up to two days at the discretion of the Group Executive.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: The incremental cost would be $230K.
F-8 PIPSC POLICY ON GROUPS
Whereas the purpose of a constituent body Annual General Meeting is to govern that constituent body; and
Whereas regular members of group should be able to meaningfully influence and modify the direction of the Group Executive; and
Whereas there are significant fixed costs to holding a Group AGM, regardless of delegate cost; and
Whereas Group Executive size is based on the need to represent regional and departmental diversity, which also applies to Group AGM delegates,
Be it resolved that the PIPSC Policy on Groups be revised to read:
“for meetings made up of delegates, the number of accredited delegates will be the members of the Group Executive plus either: one delegate per two hundred (200) members of the Group, or, one greater than the size of the Group Executive as calculated in By Law 10.1.5, whichever is greater.”
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: This would increase the number of delegates by 328 therefore, the incremental cost would be $590K.
F-9 VISIBILITY ITEMS FOR CONSTITUENT BODIES
Whereas there are a number of events throughout the year when visibility items are required by a Region and its Branches; and
Whereas PIPSC has a difficulty in distributing appropriate visibility items to constituent bodes in a timely fashion;
Be it resolved that Regions be allocated $5,000 per year from the PIPSC national budget to order visibility items for their constituent bodies in a timely manner.
Resolutions Sub-Committee Comments: Regions used approximately 25% to 70% of their annual allowance leaving more than $10K per year available for visibility items. All Regions have budgets for visibility items and varies between $1,500 and $11K per year. The cost of this resolution would be $30K.