August 28, 2024, Montreal (Virtual meeting)
Present: Cathy Cheung, Simon Drouin, Stephan Grosse, Rokib Hassan, Alex Ko, Jewelle Smith-Johnson, Dongfang Yang, Mary Zborowski, Franco Amato (PIPSC)
Regrets: Benjamin Colbourne, Laurel O’Connor
1. Welcome: The meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m. and was chaired by Jewelle Smith-Johnson.
2. Approval of agenda: The Agenda was reviewed and approved.
3. Minutes of June 2024 meeting: Cathy made minor adjustments to the June minutes. With these adjustments, the Minutes were approved.
4. Actions from June meeting
a) Summary Minutes: It was agreed that we will follow this practice and review it in several months.
b) Executive Manual: Progress ongoing. ACTION: Jewelle and Cathy, to continue
c) RAND discussions: Nothing to report. Emails about new hires are still not being received. ACTION: Stephan, to raise at JCC; Dongfang, to monitor; Laurel, to monitor discussions at PIPSC AC.
d) By-Laws: PIPSC has approved the By-Law changes, and they have been posted on the website. Regarding the draft AGM Minutes which were posted (E&F) to the website, Mary has asked for them to be removed for now (as they are yet to be approved at the 2024 AGM) and this has been done.
e) Telework: Franco will report later in this meeting
f) Ombuds: Stephan and Laurel have raised the Team Lead topic (discussed with Ombuds at Apr 2024 exec meeting) for JCC and the discussion has been pushed to the next JCC meeting in September.
g) Election report: Martin Loignon is now considered resigned from the executive committee. Concerning the election term imbalance, Mary has contacted the By-Law committee, whose response was discussed by the executive team.
h) JCC: Laurel will be monitoring and recording issues which we have been raising at JCC, as well as responses or refusals.
i) AGM planning: In progress. Discussed below
j) Election process; Discussed below
k) Executive roles: Ongoing. ACTION: Stephan, to ensure guidance documents are sent annually to stewards; Cathy, to include details on procedure in Executive manual.
l) Consultation: Discussed below
m) Group AGM: ACTION: Laurel to bring up travel issues with smaller PIPSC groups, e.g. at Advisory Council, for consideration of a coordinated strategy going forward.
n) Guest speaker: Not complete. Further discussion in AGM planning discussion below. ACTION: Simon, to contact Doug Johnstone
o) NRC Gym facilities: Stephan reported that information is incomplete. ACTION: Dongfang to request list of NRC gym facilities at next COSH meeting.
p) PIPSC AGM delegates: Complete. 3 stewards expressed interest in attending. Laurel has submitted delegate names to PIPSC: Mary, Jewelle, Stephan, Cathy, Dongfang, Rokib, Felicity Stark, Zoran Ljusic, and Lawrence Mak as observer.
q) Roundtable issues: Laurel has been keeping these issues in mind during meetings with the President.
r) New employees: Dongfang has updated the letter, but we are still waiting for alerts re new hires. NRC maintains they send the list to PIPSC monthly. ACTION: Franco, to inquire if new hire information could be obtained from PIPSC membership services; Dongfang and Mary, to check member list if/when necessary going forward, and to send welcome gift.
5. Update on Election process: Rokib reported. All is ready to go for posting. The call for nominations must have a closing date of not later than Sept.20.
- Document sent to Communications: August 23, 2024
- Call for nominations start: September 5, 2024
- Call for nominations end: September 20, 2024
- Review of documentation/Election tool kit created + Creation of the online election: September 20, 2024 to October 10, 2024
- Election tool kit sent to the members and published online: October 15, 2024
- Voting start: October 21, 2024
- Voting end: November 1, 2024 (this can also be extended if need be)
6. Financial Report: Alex provided this report. The current balance is $19,625.
7. Group AGM planning (Nov. 22)
a) Guest Speaker: Simon is continuing to communicate with Doug Johnstone (President’s science advisor and head of PREAC), to speak at the lunchtime meeting.
b) Swag or door prizes: It was decided to offer to registrants, to add their addresses if they wish to receive a small gift (probably a mouse pad or pin). Mary agreed to do the mailing. Those attending in person will receive a bulkier gift (like an umbrella). ACTION: Laurel, to include text re this in invitation letter/AGM registration form.
c) Location: Uplands is being considered (120 members). Organization includes room request, food planning, and communication with labour relations. ACTION: Rokib/Cathy, to inquire and try to find an organizing contact from U61 or U89, and if not, to consider other Montreal road locations, and then organize meetings with help from Cathy and maybe Mary.
d) Agenda: ACTION: Laurel, Stephan and Cathy, to work on this.
8. Bargaining Update: Franco presented slides showing an overall view of various timelines, both for NRC and other employee groups. Most PIPSC federal public service groups have reached agreements which will expire in 2026.
9. Consultation Update: We still need to identify/recruit a Consultation Team President and back-up/vice president. (Because of the involvement of JP Leduc/PIPSC, we are able to continue with consultation discussions.) Stephan, Cathy and Laurel are still participating at JCC. Cathy has drafted a document to identify the responsibilities of a Consultation Team President and Vice-President. ACTION: Cathy, to finish this document. Some of our stewards could be suitable to consider and approach, and then NRC will need to be asked to allow a certain time percentage for these representatives to work on consultation issues.
10. NRC Updates
a) IRAP/CIC: No updates are available, but this item remains on the Agenda for upcoming months. ACTION: Jewelle to find out when the last PIPSC IRAP/CIC working group meeting was held.
b) Update from meeting with NRC President: Cathy, Laurel, and JP Leduc met with Mitch Davies on July 2 and explained the challenges encountered for the Consultation Team president in recent years and the steps being taken by the group and PIPSC to make this role more reasonable. Another meeting with Mitch will be arranged (targeting the fall 2024).
c) Life Sciences Leadership Program: Simon reported that Life Sciences is preparing a 2-phase Leadership program, a move supported by the President.
11. PIPSC updates
a) Strategic Bargaining Committee: covered in Franco’s bargaining update (item 8)
b) Advisory Council: not discussed
c) PIPSC Election: Coming up in November 2024 for new 3 year terms. Candidates to be announced in the fall. Everyone should vote.
12. New Business:
a) There was no new business
13. Meeting schedule:
- Oct 1 or 2 – 1-hour virtual call to review group AGM prep – ACTION: Cathy to set up meeting
- Nov. 9-10 – PIPSC AGM, Toronto
- Nov. 22-23 – Group AGM and Executive meetings
14. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:00 p.m.