2019: A year of results

2019 saw new collective agreements for 14 groups, new scientific integrity policies, Phoenix compensation and progress on the new pay system. Together, we made this all happen.

Our collective bargaining strategy was successful – bringing home historic leave for survivors and victims of domestic violence, increases in family leave, first language on workplace harassment, and cost of living increases for all groups. Members in the Computer Systems (CS) group continue to work hard for a new collective agreement. We stand together with them and all groups working toward a new collective agreement!

We’ve had advances on Phoenix. We made the government understand that Phoenix must be replaced and that we must be consulted. Our calls for the government to commit funding to the Next Generation Human Resources and Pay System were successful. We won compensation for members paid through the failed Phoenix system. And we agreed to a settlement framework that will ensure individual members are compensated for financial losses and serious damages. You will get the money you are owed.

We built on our previous round of bargaining where we secured new language on contracting out. We’ve monitored government contracting practices, filed hundreds of policy grievances when we’ve seen public service work being contracted externally. We have seen progress in shifting the mentality of politicians and executives.

We ushered in the implementation of scientific integrity policies in all departments that have more than 10 scientists. We are protecting public scientists and science.

We made clear that Canadians and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) professionals want to see tax loopholes closed. Seventy-seven percent of Canadians and 87% of CRA professionals agree that e-commerce companies like Netflix, Google, Amazon and Uber should be subject to taxes for business carried out in Canada.

During the federal election, we let Canadians know that federal scientists think climate change is a crisis in need of immediate action. And that Canada is not currently doing enough.

We were present on Parliament Hill - lobbying, testifying at committees and providing our expert advice in written briefs and public consultations. We held discussions with Members of Parliament and Senators on our annual Lobby Day.

We worked hard to make our collective voice heard loud and clear by Canadians and our elected officials.

It has been a big year. So many important wins. Through our membership survey, we know that eighty-one percent of our members are pleased with the work of our union. And we are proud of all that we have accomplished together.

We are building progress in our union – we are leading progress in Canada.

Learn more about our work in 2019:


15 January 2019
The New Year will see the Institute continue to be very active in defending the interests of its members, and I would like to take this opportunity to keep you informed of some of the key issues we will be facing over the next twelve months.

11 January 2019
Like many Canadians, I was sorry to learn yesterday that Treasury Board President and Minister of Digital Government Scott Brison is leaving Cabinet and will not be seeking re-election later this year.

4 December 2018
While PIPSC, alongside our union partners at the National Joint Council Dental Care Board of Management, is still negotiating hard to improve the majority of our members’ dental plan (NJC Component 55555), I am very pleased to announce that we have nailed down the following significant improvemen

30 November 2018
Earlier this year, in its 2018 Budget, the federal government announced its intention to replace the catastrophic Phoenix pay system with a new, functional alternative.

10 October 2018
On October 4, 2018 I made a presentation to the Government Operations Committee of the House of Commons about the current state of the federal public service hiring process. This was very timely, as the government had just released its own study of the issue.

1 October 2018
On September 26, 2018 Member of Parliament Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, NDP) introduced Private Member’s Bill C-414, which seeks to extend by one year the deadline by which employees of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories can continue contributing to their public service pension plans.