The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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RE Group - PIPSC Resolution 3 - 2019

Resolution for endorsement to PIPSC AGM #3

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the RE Group endorse the following motion for submission to the PIPSC AGM:

“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.”

Commentary

Approximately 5-10 years ago PIPSC Finance overruled the RE Constitution, which had specified a 24 delegate AGM, and began providing funding according to what has since been codified in the Policy on Groups - 1 delegate per 200 members, as per the formula for the PIPSC AGM.

The change in Policy coupled with cuts to government research, has had the result that the RE Group AGM has had fewer delegates than Executive members.  As such, the Executive can outvote the regular members on any motion, which turns votes into a rubber stamp.  It also makes it very difficult to represent the diversity of our membership in the delegate population - the RE Group has members in 17 Departments and Agencies, many of which have significant sub populations (e.g., Forestry, Earth Sciences, and Minerals and Metals in NRCan). 

This will not affect most Groups that have more than 2800 members (13 person Executive and 14 or more delegates), except for the SH Group (which has a 15 person Executive, and currently has 15 delegates as per the latest count).  Nor will it affect Groups that have an open rather than delegated AGM.  It appears most likely to affect the RE Group (2 additional delegates), SH Group (1 additional delegate), and potentially the CFIA S&A and NRC RO/RCO Groups.