PIPSC would like to provide members of the CP Group with an update on the status of the CP Group Elections.
As you know, after the CP Group election results were announced on June 1, it was discovered that retired members were not afforded the proper time to vote, which was a violation of the CP Group’s by-laws. PIPSC paused the election results to give retired members the opportunity to cast their ballots. Retired members were given until July 23 to vote.
A fair election is of the utmost importance to us all. After carefully reviewing the situation and the concerns raised by members of the CP Group, the PIPSC Board of Directors, acting on the advice of the General Counsel, declared the May election, for which results were announced on June 1, to be null and void, and ordered a new vote take place in accordance with the CP Group’s by-laws. Only existing candidates listed in April’s voter kit will be permitted to stand for election in the new process; we will not be accepting new nominations.
The votes received from retired members up to July 23 were not tabulated and it is unknown how they would have affected the final outcome.
Voting for regular and retired members to cast their ballots will open on August 26, 2024. The elections are being held exclusively online. Voting closes on September 26, 2024, at 12:00 PM ET (Ottawa time). Ballot keys have been sent to CP Group members by email.
The CP Group Executive that was in place prior to the CP Group AGM held on June 1 will remain in their positions until the new final election results are confirmed.
PIPSC sincerely regrets the error and apologizes for the inconvenience caused. We appreciate the patience that CP Group members have shown during this difficult time. The Board is committed to ensuring that this does not happen again. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
If you have not received a ballot by Thursday, August 29, 2024 or should you require any assistance casting your vote, please contact Erica-Martine Jean, emjean@pipsc.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What went wrong when the election was conducted in May?
An administrative error resulting in the exclusion of retired CP members from the initial distribution of ballots caused retired members to receive their ballots at a later date. As a result, the members were not afforded the proper time to vote.
What happened following the discovery of the error?
Once the error was discovered, retired members were sent their ballots and the voting period was extended, allowing the members five (5) days to vote.
On June 13, a complaint was filed with the Elections Appeal Committee arguing that the CP Group’s bylaws were violated by not affording retired members four weeks to cast their ballots. On June 20, the Elections Appeal Committee found that the rights of retired members of the CP Group were violated under CP By-laws 4.1 and 7.3.2, and directed that retired members be given four weeks to vote as required by CP Group by-laws.
Voting for retired members opened on June 25, 2024, and was scheduled to close on July 23, 2024.
Why are votes from retired members not simply being added to the votes cast in May?
After carefully reviewing the situation and the concerns raised by members of the CP Group, the PIPSC Board of Directors, acting on the advice of the General Counsel, declared the May election, for which results were announced on June 1, to be null and void, and ordered a new vote take place in accordance with the CP Group’s by-laws.
Why are CP Group members being asked to vote again?
A free and fair election is of the utmost importance to PIPSC and its members.
Was the Board of Directors aware of the final results of the CP Group election with the votes of retired members included?
No. The votes received from retired members up to July 23 were not tabulated and it is unknown how they would have affected the final outcome.
What is being done to ensure that this does not happen again?
New administrative measures have been undertaken to prevent errors like this from happening in the future.
Does this decision infringe upon the voting rights of CP Group members?
No. The decision to re-run the election has been taken to preserve the voting rights of all CP Group members, regular and retired, with the goal of producing a fair and transparent outcome. Every CP Group member who voted in the previous election will be permitted to vote in the new election.
Who is allowed to be a candidate in this new election?
Only the voting part of the process is being conducted again, so therefore only existing candidates listed in April’s voter kit will be permitted to stand for election. New nominations will not be accepted.
The positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Prairies/NWT Regional Representative, and National Capital Regional Representative are being contested. All other positions were acclaimed.
Who is in charge of the CP Group while the new vote is happening?
The CP Group Executive that was in place prior to the CP Group AGM held on June 1 will remain in their positions until the new final election results are confirmed.