SP - Tunney’s Plus Subgroup
2016 – Year End Dinner and Annual General Meeting- MINUTES
Tuesday, Dec. 06, 2016 4:30 - 8:00 p.m.
BC Bldg, Cafeteria
Executive / Membership : Position / Designate : ATTENDING
1 / Lisa A. Kelly : President : NO*
2 / Michael Goodreid : Vice - President : YES
3 / Helen MacDonald-Piquard : Secretary / Recording : YES
4 / Frederic Langlois : Secretary / Operations Officer : YES
5 / Kathees Anandavel : Treasurer : NO**
6 / Sally Hanna : Member At Large : YES
7 / Nadial Roufaiel : Member At Large : YES
8 / Mervat Mikhail : Member At Large : YES
9 / Marlene Shehata : Member At Large : YES
10 / Farzana Saadat : Member At Large : NO
11 / Abdelghani Ouassal : Member At Large : YES
12 / Jean-Bernard Bitchoka : Friend of the Committee : YES
* duties with PIPSC SP Bargaining Team - to remain as a Member at Large ** on duty travel
TOPIC : INFORMATION / ACTION
Welcome, Registration / Sign-in & Introduction
- rules of engagement, housekeeping, etc.
- guest introduction / welcome
- planning, preparations
- est. attendees = 61 + 9 executive + 1 guest = 71
- door prize (drawing, from list of registrants)
61 registrants (including executive + guest)
9 executive members
1 guest
| Promotional Items: | AVAILABLE | TAKEN | REMAINING | NADIA | MARLENE |
| PIPSC coffee cups (white, ceramic, blue lettering) | (5) | 5 | none | 4 recorded delivered | |
| PIPSC mugs (blue, ceramic) | (41) | 6 | 35 | 4 recorded delivered | |
| PIPSC tumblers | (40) | 22 | 18 | 22 tumblers (N), | 23 (M) recorded delivered |
| PIPSC SP small sling bags | (24) | 10 | 14 | ||
| PIPSC small backpacks | (2) | 0 | 2 | ||
| PIPSC blue lunch bag | (20) | 14 | 6 | ||
| PIPSC jolt chargers | (23) | 23 | none | 23 recorded delivered (chargers). | |
| PIPSC scarf | (1) | 1 | none | ||
| PIPSC mouse pad | (2) | 1 | 1 | ||
| PIPSC white grocery bag | (2) – Helen | 2 | none | ||
| TOTAL ITEMS REMAINING - | 160 | 84 | 76 | ½ (125) of purchase order remaining. |
PIPSC SP promo pens were also made available (30 remaining).
Overview of PIPSC
- Advisory Council, Board of Directors, Committees of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Consultation Teams
- NCR (Region), Branch, Group, Subgroup organization
- ongoing activities; direction for engagement
- http://www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/website
Review / Discussion / Adoption of Previous (2015) AGM Minutes
- copy provided
- amendments, revisions discussed
Moved:Frederic Langlois
Seconded: Mervat Mikhail
VOTED: All agreed (no objections)
Review and Acceptance of the Agenda
- additions, deletions or amendments NONE
Moved:Frederic Langlois
Seconded: Dipanker Chakravarty
VOTED: All agreed (no objections)
TRIVIA GAME - Introduction, Rules, Prizes
- 2 games; several questions to be asked / answered
- separate marking (restrictions on internet access), per answer sheets
16 Tim Horton's gift cards (TOTAL)
$20 on each card.
Total cost: $320
Business Arising from the Minutes / Prior Events
- Introduction of Stewards
- PIPSC AGM Stewards Council (Sept. 09, 2016)
Stewards attending:
Simon Jones
Felix Omar
Latif Adawi
Mervat Mikhail
Nadia Roufaiel
Sally Hanna
Marlene Shehata
Fred Langlois
GUEST SPEAKER - Ms. Shannon Bittman, PIPSC Vice-President
Ms. Bittman provided (in the absence of Lisa Kelly, who is currently negotiating at the bargaining tables), some discussion of the successes / strategies in collective bargaining, the disastrous implementation of the Phoenix pay system and PIPSC
Bargaining -
A brief history of the current collective agreement, and an overview of the current collective agreement bargaining was provided. Treasury Board had initially offered an insufficient 0.75% economic increase (PSAC had requested 3% in each of 3 years; PIPSC had requested 4% in each of 4 years).
PIPSC bargaining strategy was agreeable to splitting the discussions with the classification bargaining groups (those with specific pay demands) from the service-wide proposed revision for sick leave - to be managed at a separate table for negotiating.
PIPSC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (2013) with other bargaining groups for solidarity, expressly for negotiating the sick leave plan issue.
PIPSC retains the following contract bargaining principles, for the proposed revised sick leave plan:
- documented within the collective agreement
- requirements for improvements, not concessions
- gaps for new employees addressed (i.e. 65 day service minimum to transition to Long Term Disability (LTD)
- interpretations for those with chronic/recurrent illnesses or injuries
- not administered by a third party insurer
PIPSC initially opposed the first iteration of the plan, requiring 26 weeks on STD, not the current 13 weeks, but now considers supporting this, as the revised/proposed plan indicates there will be 100% income coverage, for members, for that period.
The 2015 plan for PIPSC, was to enter contract negotiations without negotiations on the sick leave plan contributing to the discussion. PIPSC-TB are engaging in an MOU to proceed with bargaining, and provided additional study / solutions for the sick leave / long term disability plan, at a later date.
Phoenix Pay System - ~ 1600 PIPSC members affected
- Members advised to contact the PIPSC President directly, in the event of extreme financial emergency (provision of some emergency funds is available through the Institute)
- A PIPSC - TB sub-committee is currently active to assess the tax implication of the Phoenix system errors (Shannon Bittman attending); with advisories to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the issuance of revisable T4s, and to have those T4s automatically trigger a reassessment (previously required submission of a T1 adjustment request)
- Members affected are advised to contact their departments and CRA directly.
- Additional effects on members’ banking (NSF charges, interest charges), credit ratings / security checks are discussed.
Members were advised to work within the departments’ system / resolution process, and to LSO contact the PIPSC Employment Relations Officer (ERO) for Health Canada: Mr. Eric Langlois.
Questions / Information:
- There was an inquiry regarding the application of interest on the overdue salary payments held back in the collective agreement, e.g. in practicality a ‘loan’ to the federal government for 3 years, without fair practice (some, at least with a very small percentage interest applied).Previous financial policies required the government to pay within 90 days of a final ruling on contracts.
It was agreed that there was not, at present, an incentive for the employer, Treasury Board, to solve the outstanding contract issues.
Members were advised to check the accuracy of information (in tabs) in PeopleSoft (as that database - 2005 version - originally used to populate fields into the Phoenix database system contained an unfixed error), i.e. start dates, hours worked, etc.
- There was a query on the number of pay issue cases generated since June, after the introduction of the pay escalation centres. Particular issues are indicated for lack of acknowledgement for issues noted / correspondence, and lack of timely resolution for issues.
TED Talks, BUFFET DINNER SESSION
Trivia Game - Prize Distribution - Round 1
Winners (team of 4): 4 cards ($80)
Random Draw (non-winners) (team of 4): 4 cards ($80)
ELECTIONS COMMITTEE - EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS
2 Positions - on the Executive Committee (no function indicated)(open to the floor)
Changed in agenda order -
Moved: Nadia Roufaiel
Seconded: Mervat Mikhail
VOTED: All agreed (no objections)
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS By-Law 7
12 executive meetings per year (min.)
- eligibility of candidates
- voting for executive committee positions
- counting / tabulation of ballots /votes
NOMINATED:
Sally Hanna (by Mervat Mikhail)
J.B. Bitchoka (declined)
- number of nominees moves the number of executives from 11 to 10
VOTED: Sally Hanna (acclaimation)
President’s Report – Union. Group, Subgroup Activities
- copy provided - See notes, attached (5 pp.)
Activities, Bargaining Update - issues
PIPSC President’s Meeting
PIPSC AGM (Nov. 18 - 19, 2016)
New PIPSC Resolutions, incl. dues increase
Treasurer’s Report – Financial Accounting
- copy provided
- Approval of the Budget - 2016, 2017 NO AMENDMENTS
2014 actual - $xxxxx.xx revenue, $xxxx.xx expenses, $xxxx.xx surplus
2015 actual - $xxxxx.xx revenue, $xxxx.xx expenses, $xxxx.xx surplus
2016 estimate - $xxxxx.xx revenue, $xxxx.xx expenses, $xxxx.xx surplus
2017 estimate - $xxxxx.xx revenue, $xxxx.xx expenses, $xxxx.xx surplus
Approx.:
1/3 spent on AGM
1/3 spent on Lunch & Learns
1/3 spent on travel & special education / training (executives and members
Other: included $xxx for Stewards’ Event, $xxx in support of the sub-group members attending the 2016 SP AGM, and approx. $xxx is executive visibility articles.
It is not known, at present, how the 15% PIPSC dues increase may be reflected in the sub-group allowances.
Open to the Floor
Members provided the following suggestions for additional training (supports), particularly for the younger demographic:
- Green Book Training - overview/interpretation of collective agreement
- Leave Options - with Labour Relations (e.g. grey areas for interpretation for several leave classes)
- Fair Management Practice - interpretations of ‘operational requirements’, fairness in telework authorizations
- Expanding scope / capacity of Lunch & Learn sessions
- Wills, Estates, Retirement Planning sessions - options for providing recording sessions, webcast formats
- Youtube sessions available for member training
It was agreed, on efforts to streamline the outreach activities for every employee.
TRIVIA GAME - Part 2
PRIZE AWARDS
Winners: (team of 4) - tie, winner drawn at random 4 cards ($80)
Random Draw (non-winners) (team of 1): 1 card ($20)
Remainder (team with same score as the winning team:3 cards ($60)
Gift card winners in round 1 were ineligible to win in round 2; so members eligible for only 1 prize win.
Secretary’s Report - Administrative, Information
http://www.pipsc.ca/groups/sp/subgroups/sp-ncr
http://www.pipsc.ca/groups/sp/subgroups/sp-tunneys-plus/
Members were urged to access the information links, as provided, and to share the list with colleagues / other members.
Publications / Forms:
http://www.pipsc.ca/member-tools/forms
Invitation was made to contact executive members with any questions or concerns, and to attend the proposed Tunney’s Tuesdays events.
Tunney’s Mobilization FaceBook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/887969474574915/
Copies of all SP Tunney’s Plus Subgroup Meeting Minutes are available on request, to any executive member.
Members were urged to participate in the engagement / mobilization activities, with the other union events (e.g. PSAC, CAPE).
DOCUMENTS - filed to Office of the Executive Secretary of PIPSC
- draft minutes of AGM, annual financial report and elections report
Helen MacDonald to submit, as required.
Roundtable & Reminders
- feedback / requests / any other issues ?
THANK YOU to all Executive Members and catering staff!
Adjournment 8:00 p.m.
Moved: Dipanker Chakravarty
Seconded: Fuhu Wang
VOTED: All agreed (no objections)