Meeting Minutes
PIPSC Science Advisory Committee (SAC)
Date: Jun 21, 2024
Place: Zoom
Meeting time: 9:00 AM—5:00 PM ET
Meeting minutes taken by: Coralie Leduc
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Present: |
Regret: |
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Norma Domey - SP - Chair & Board Liaison Terri D’Souza - CFIA – Member Violina Lozeva-Thomas - SP - Friend of the Committee Ho Yin (Stanley) Poon - RE - Friend of the Committee |
Dongfang Yang - NRC - RORCO - Friend of the Committee Julie Bourque - CFIA – Member Alebachew Demoz - RE - Friend of the Committee Coralie Leduc - Staff Support |
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Guests: |
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No guests. |
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1.Call to Order and Adoption of Agenda |
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The meeting is called to order. The agenda is adopted with the following changes:
Lawrence Mak moved the motion to adopt the amended agenda, with Terri D’Souza and Ira Hill seconding it. |
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2.Reviewing the Minutes from the Previous Meeting |
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Review of the April 22nd, 2024 SAC Meeting. The minutes are approved with minor modifications. Moved by Matthew MacLeod and seconded by Lawrence Mak. Comments on Action Items from the April 22nd Meeting in date of June 21st:
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3.Business Arising from Previous Meeting |
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3.1 SAC Strategic and Operational Plan 2024-2027 The members develop a tentative for the following Items:
3.1.1 Reviving Women in Science Learning Labs The chair, Norma Domey, would like to revive the Women in Science Learning Labs, as they have the potential to improve working conditions for 50 percent of our members. During the last Learning Labs, 6 virtual projects were implemented across the country, with Violina attesting to their importance in promoting opportunities to get involved with PIPSC. In the future, consider holding the Labs in a hybrid format and getting gender-non-conforming members involved. The committee must create a strong business case justifying the expenses and submit it to the Board of Directors. These labs should take on an intersectional approach that includes other underrepresented communities, and an anti-patriarchal lens to address the negative impacts on men. The objective is to provide more opportunities for women to voice their concerns and to collaborate, building a network of support. Other topics to tackle include the future of work and the evolution of workplaces. The committee is considering creating a task force comprised of non-retained SAC applicants to ensure the successful implementation of the learning labs, help with member engagement, and decrease pressure on staff. 3.1.2 Challenges to Employment Equity An important gap in Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada for Fiscal Year 2021 to 2022 is touched on. Specifically, although the report captures representation in groups and levels and also promotion levels, the promotion rates within professions are not captured and, therefore, do not help us identify profession-specific issues - in particular potential systemic barriers and biases in incumbent-based promotions. Interdepartmental consultation committees are crucial to avoid the singling out of individuals when populations of researchers and scientists in departments are too small. Employers also must develop clearer language on career development opportunities and ensure that reasons for denial are provided and well-documented if applicable - this has been negotiated into the RE and SP agreements. This is especially relevant when it comes to second language training to meet job requirements, which consolidates the existing glass ceiling - in the most recent round, the RE Group explicitly added language training as a form of professional development affected by this article (see Annex A). The committee can reach out to the Official Languages Inclusion Team (OLIT). Potential course of action:
Other Resources:
3.2 Governance Committee - Update SIP 2.0 red flags - Matthew MacLeod shares major red flags with the “model scientific integrity policy 2.0”, highlighting general issues and concerns, and suggesting clarification questions to ask. 3.3 2024 Science Member Survey - Update The SAC updated the questions and Lionel met with the Research lead, Ryan Campbell, to discuss the implementation process to send the email to members. The 2024 survey is ready for distribution, and the committee wants to launch it soon. 3.4 SI Steward Training - Update There remain frequent misunderstandings between employers and professionals about what the Scientific Integrity Policy (SIP) means, which has caused grievances and other forms of formal or informal complaints related to SI. Norma is collaborating with Consultation Presidents who work with Consultation Managers. Training for Stewards on SIP is ongoing. |
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4.Regional Reports on Science Activities |
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At the previous SAC meeting, Norma asked regional representatives to get involved in regional events, research potential allies, and contact PIPSC Groups by requesting time on stage at least a month prior or submitting written reports. BC and Yukon - The BC/Yukon Regional Council was held from June 7-8th, 2024, in Kelowna, BC, and Terri presented a report on the SAC during the Committees of the Board session. Terri gave a brief overview of the SAC committee and its work since March of this year. Terri contacted branch presidents, stewards, group and sub-group executives, and relevant constituent bodies to compile the BC/Yukon Regional report. Their feedback can be consulted in the following written report: BC-Yukon Report SAC June 21 2024.docx. Atlantic - Lawrence sent a written SAC report to the Regional Council, but there was no response. The NRC is looking to fill the recently vacated role of Consultation Team President. Prairies and NWT - Ira echoes the main issues in the B.C. and Yukon regional report. An important challenge concerns travel funding budgets and how not only are they reduced, but there is also an inability to spend the budget, which leads to even more cuts. Severe time restrictions at Regional Councils also make it difficult to obtain any item on the agenda. Quebec - The regional representative has withdrawn from the committee. Ontario - The regional representative is absent, but Norma confirms that Tina submitted a written report to the Ontario Regional Council. NCR - Norma submitted a written SAC report to the Chair and Executives of the NCR Regional Council. It was not confirmed if it was shared with the Regional Council delegates. Chair’s report - Norma shares the “Science Advisory Committee (SAC) 2024 Report” submitted to the board. When sending their region a written report, committee members can ask to obtain a copy and modify it accordingly. Members should ask for 5-15 minutes to present at the upcoming Steward Councils in the Fall, and can ask for the report to be translated a few weeks in advance. |
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5.SAC budget |
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According to a report from finance on June 17, 2024, YTD SAC spending is currently at $15,617 out of a $50,000 budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The 2024-2025 fiscal year budget for the SAC is $82,018. The committee would like to know whether unused funds are transferred over to the next fiscal year or not. |
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6.Planning for the Next Meeting |
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7.Round Table |
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There is a round table so that members and friends can share other issues they are hearing about in their respective regions, groups, or departments, and what the Consultation Presidents are bringing to the Labour-Management Consultation Committee. There are two main issues that the PIPSC membership are talking about:
This hinders scientists and researchers’ ability to do their jobs, and is reducing Canada’s visibility and influence internationally - including in NATO. |
8.Meeting Adjourned.
Action Items:
- Everyone to provide feedback on the SIP courses when possible. The links to the CSPS modules that don't include the terms S.I. are provided:
- Ira and Lionel to update EDIA language in the strategic plan to the most recent terms.
Lionel find out the best time for the SAC to be consulted on the Institute’s pre-budget draft and let the committee know.Lionel to provide a copy of the latest pre-budget economic asks.Norma is invited to the next Working Group on consultation meeting and will try to promote the SAC while talking about the SIP.Lawrence to send an email to Lionel about tracking federal science funding over the years in Canada compared to other G7 countries, and copy the committee.- Norma to invite Eric Hortop to discuss the Institute Demographics survey methodology.
Violina, Ira, Lawrence, and Matt to come up with the wording and justification for the learning labs business case.- Complete it as soon as possible and send it to the committee via email.
- Committee members to review the case and sign it.
Lionel to reach out to Michael Urminsky about the 2019 Learning Labs and share information with the committee.Norma will try to add the Learning Labs Business Case to the agenda for the next Executive Committee meeting.Norma to see if it is possible to have a workshop at the AGM on tools for conflict management with emotional intelligence.Lawrence to send Lionel his written SAC report.- Lionel to create a list of main issues and concerns to share with the National Joint Council.
Darius to share with Norma the main concerns for scientists.Matt to send Norma the letter to Ministers/open letter/op-ed he prepared on science travel funding that he sent the President’s office, but has yet to be actioned
Annex A - RE Group language on Professional Development
The RE Group negotiated the addition of part ‘C’ to 19.03(b) in the last round. However, note that as of 2 August 2024 there is an editorial problem in the posted agreement, where the old A and B were run together into one clause, and the new ‘C’ was added as ‘B’. Treasury Board has committed to fixing the problem.
19.03 (b) Professional development
i. The parties recognize the desirability of improving professional standards by giving employees the opportunity:
- to conduct research or to perform work related to their normal research programs in institutions or locations other than their normal place of work, including non-public service locations,
- to carry out research in the employee’s field of specialization not specifically related to the employee’s assigned work projects when in the opinion of the Employer such research is needed to enable the employee to perform the employee’s assigned role more adequately, or
- **to participate in language workshops, or courses or immersion programs to attain, improve and/or maintain their language competencies.
This works in tandem with the existing article 19.04, requiring the development of selection criteria (19.04(a)):
19.04 Selection criteria
- The Employer shall establish selection criteria for granting leave under clauses 19.02 and 19.03. A copy of these criteria will be provided to an employee who so requests and to the Institute representative on the Departmental Career Development Consultation Committee. The Employer, on request, will consult with the Institute representative on the Committee with regard to the selection criteria.
- All applications for leave under clauses 19.02 and 19.03 will be reviewed by the Employer. A list of the names of the applicants to whom the Employer grants leave under clauses 19.02 and 19.03 will be provided to the Institute representative on the Departmental Career Development Consultation Committee.