77th Quebec Regional Council Hôtel Chéribourg, Magog-Orford May 5–6, 2018
MEETING MINUTES
Quebec Regional Director
BRODEUR, Yvon C. – Retired
Delegates
AHAD, Élie – Retired
ALAIN, Janot – NR-DND
BÉDARD, Jean-Luc – NR-DND
BÉGIN, Francis – CS-NRCAN
BINETTE, Jean-Sébastien – NR-DND
BOURQUE, Julie – S&A-CFIA
BROUILLETTE, Daniel – AFS-CRA
CAISSY, Denis – CS-DND
CAMPANOZZI, David – AFS-CRA
CARRIER, Francine – AFS-CRA
CHOUINARD, Sébastien – AFS-CRA
CLAVET, Dominic – AFS-CRA
CORNEA, Maria – AFS-CRA
COUILLARD, Jean – AFS-CRA
DAHBI-SKALI, Hassan – NR-DND
D’AMOURS, Erick – CS-SSC
DOYLE, Richard – SH-CSC
DUBÉ, Lucie – AFS-CRA
DUCHESNE, Manon – AFS-CRA
EAST, Richard – AFS-CRA
FINETTE, Olivier – AFS-CRA
FORGUES, Karina – AFS-CRA
FRECHETTE, Stéphanie – SA-CFIA
FRÉCHETTE, Steven – CS-CSC
GABOURY, Christian – CS-SSC
GALVIN, Christopher G. – AFS-CRA
GARIÉPY, Stéphane – SP-AAFC
GAUTHIER, Jean-Pierre – AFS-CRA
GENDREAU, Noémie – AFS-CRA
GIRARD, Josée – SH-DND
GRÉGOIRE, Guylaine – AFS-CRA
GUERTIN, Mario – AV-DND
GUIARD, Renaud – CS-PSPC
HA, Stephan – AFS-CRA
LACROIX, Martine – SH-CSC
LANDRY, Hugo – CS-ECCC
LANDRY, Kaven – AFS-CRA
LAPORTE, Sophie – AFS-CRA
LAROCQUE, Lyne – AV-ISED
LAVOIE, Nancy – CS-CSC
LEDUC, Pierre-Yves – SH-CSC
LEMAY, Christine – AFS-CRA
LESSARD, Martin – RE-AAFC
LÉVESQUE, MÉLANIE – AFS-CRA
MARCOTTE, Guillaume – PC-ECCC
MASSÉ, Rachel – S&A-CFIA
MASSEY, Eric – SH-CSC
MICHAUD, Réjean – AFS-CRA
MOISAN, Donald – SH-CSC
MORIN, Pierre C.M. – AFS-CRA
MURRAY, Mélanie – CS-SSC
NEFOUCI, Abel – AFS-CRA
NOËL, Damien – AV, PSPC
NOLET, David – AFS-CRA
PARENT, Steve – AFS-CRA
PELLETIER, Benoit – AFS-CRA (Rimouski)
PELLETIER, Georges – SP-NRCAN
PICHETTE, Chantal – AFS-CRA
POTVIN, Johanne – AFS-CRA
POULIN, Yanick – AV-IDEC
RACINE, Lisanne – VFS-CRA
RENNA, Gerlando – AFS-CRA
RICHARD, Pierre G. – NR-TC
ROY, Éric – CS-SSC
SIDIBÉ, Cheick O.T. – VM-CFIA
SIOUI, Patrick – AFS-CRA
STEVENS, Linda – SH-CSC
TELLIER, Robert – CS-SSC
TOUSIGNANT, François – NR-PSPC
TREMBLAY, Christian – AFS-CRA
VANASSE, Hugues – AFS-CRA
WOOLGAR, Isabelle - S&A-CFIA
Montréal Office Staff
CHARETTE, Valérie
Manager, Quebec Region
RENAUD, Anne
Office administrator
Guests speakers
DAVIAU, Debi
President, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
GUAY, Benoit
Elections committee
Observer
JASMIN, François
Friday, May 4, 2018 – 1:15 p.m.
Opening of the 77th Quebec Regional Council
Y. Brodeur called the meeting to order.
Approval of the Agenda
R. Tellier moved that the agenda be approved. R. Guiard seconded the motion. Carried unanimously.
Moment of Silence
Y. Brodeur proposed a moment of silence for members who had passed away this year.
Approval of the Minutes of the 76th Regional Council
D. Noël proposed an amendment to the report by the Ville-Marie Branch under Branch Presidents’ Reports: that the following be added to the very beginning: "R. Guiard started by clarifying a delicate situation in March 2017 concerning the AV Group: a text written by a person outside the Sub-Group was distributed to members and posted on the PIPSC website. The content was inaccurate and could lead to a misleading and negative interpretation. The local Executives have requested that this text be deleted and that an explanation be circulated to the members concerned.
R. Guiard, seconded by D. Noël, moved that the 2017 minutes be approved as amended. Carried unanimously.
Director’s Report
Y. Brodeur followed up on the issue of bonuses for isolated posts in Gaspé, referring to his 2017 report. The case is now in arbitration but is not optimal. So Y. Brodeur tasked D. Daviau and Magali Picard (currently Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada at the national level) with pursuing the issue from a policy standpoint.
He went on to give an overview of the regional committees:
Training Committee: He reiterated that the « Train the Trainer » initiative for the Stewards was a success. He also wants Stewards to be able to take mediation training.
Youth Committee: They are doing a fine job. They are going to recommend another symposium in Ottawa in 2018.
Status of Women Committee: The committee is looking for new members. They would like to have a standing committee of the Board, just like the Young Professionals Committee.
Pension Committee: R. Michaud delivered the information session and Y. Brodeur is very proud that the Quebec delegates can be independent in the region.
Political and Social Action Committee: This is a committee in the process of being formed. It will really take off this year.
Communications Committee: A video capsule was made on science at Environment and Climate Change Canada to show what our scientists are doing.
Diversity Task Force: Our efforts were not successful last year, but this year we are trying to get back on track.
Presentation by PIPSC President
D. Daviau made some preliminary remarks, especially to say that she was going talk about the issues but also about the successes, as it is very important to highlight them.
Using a PowerPoint presentation (which can be obtained on request), she began by talking about PIPSC. She gave an overview of the Groups and members through a number of statistics, such as the percentage of members by occupation. She continued by talking about the main services PIPSC offers to its members and presented an organizational chart with PIPSC’s divisions and sections. She also recalled PIPSC’s purpose, mandate and vision and the ensuing strategic objectives. She then invited the members to contribute to these objectives by sharing their reality with PIPSC representatives.
D. Daviau went on to discuss the main issues facing members.
Phoenix
Phoenix is the number one issue. D. Daviau listed some concrete actions PIPSC has taken and supported services it has provided to overcome the difficulties created by Phoenix, especially with regard to critical cases (sick leave, parental leave, etc.). She explained that a special position was created to deal with Phoenix issues because the number of cases was expected to decrease but the opposite happened. Therefore, she demanded that other resources be made available to members. It took time because it was impossible to predict the extent of the problems, but it was done. PIPSC responded as quickly as possible.
Tax Fairness
Based on surveys, it is clear that Canadians, and especially our members, support us on the tax fairness issue. In the eyes of the Canadian public, we have the role of tax-haven watchdog.
Public Science
We have had great success, marked mainly by the inclusion of scientific integrity in collective agreements following the Harper years. In addition, the Chief Science Advisor is an ally, but as surveys show, there is still much to be done. We need to restore the positions lost under Harper.
Outsourcing
D. Daviau said she is concerned about outsourcing because she comes from the CS Group, a group that very threatened by outsourcing. This is an issue that has not advanced as much as others, but we must continue to fight. At least Phoenix was an example of the misuse of outsourcing. This does not exclude working with the private sector, but our members must be involved. We must ensure that the positions remain in the federal government. She cited other disastrous examples. In short, we must continue to expose the dangers of misusing outsourcing.
Equity and Diversity
Much has been accomplished in the past year in the areas of youth, women in science, diversity and inclusion, and the fight against harassment and domestic violence.
Increased ability to expand our message
We are taking the necessary steps to expand our message through 1) digital engagement; 2) optimal government relations so that we have a place at the politicians’ table and so that we are sure they are listening to us; 3) relationship-building with civil society partners to validate and expand our messages to the general public (e.g. Canadians for Tax Fairness campaign); and 4) optimization of our media relations (being more visible, maximizing the impact of our research reports and taking advantage of opportunities as they arise).
D. Daviau concluded by sharing her to-do list: find a workable pay system, settle Phoenix cases including damages, put an end to outsourcing, ensure scientific integrity, make telework more accessible and provide more flexible work arrangements (not Workplace 2.0), and increase PIPSC’s media presence across the country. She added that the last few years have been difficult but said to feel free to ask her questions and provide feedback, both positive and negative, while remaining courteous.
A question period followed.
L. Larocque tabled a motion to reconsider changing the order of the agenda. V. Charrette’s presentation could be made before the election since the election could take a long time. The presentation could also be deferred until the following day or later in the afternoon, if possible. The motion was seconded by R. Tellier. Carried unanimously.
2018 Quebec Regional Executive Election - Election Report
L. Larocque announced the start of the election period and introduced the members of the Election Committee who were working with her, B. Guay and R. East.
She explained the problem they had with posting bios on the site, which meant they had to remove the online bios. Paper copies were distributed at the time of registration. All positions were up for election this year. L. Larocque named the candidates one by one and asked them to stand up so that everyone could see who they were. She did not indicate all of the positions they were running for.
Daniel Brouillette
Hassan Dahbi Skali
Richard Doyle
Olivier Finette
Stéphanie Fréchette
Renaud Guiard
Martine Lacroix
Hugo Landry
Nancy Lavoie
Christine Lemay
Réjean Michaud
Damien Noël
Steve Parent
Benoit Pelletier
Gerlando Renna
Patrick Sioui
Robert Tellier
Christian Tremblay
L. Larocque explained how the election would proceed. The positions would be voted on in the following order:Secretary, Treasurer, 4 Branch Presidents and 4 members.
Health Break
L. Larocque announced the results of the vote for Secretary.
Secretary:
L. Larocque named the candidates for the position of Secretary: D. Brouillette, R. Doyle, M. Lacroix and R. Michaud.
Following the vote count, L. Larocque announced that R. Michaud was the successful candidate. She also announced the number of votes each candidate received.
The election continued.
Treasurer:
L. Larocque announced that two candidates had withdrawn their candidacy (B. Pelletier and R. Tellier) and that the ballots were amended accordingly. She named the candidates running for Treasurer: D. Brouillette, H. Dahbi Skali, G. Renna and P. Sioui.
Following the vote count, L. Larocque announced the successful candidate, G. Renna. She also announced the number of votes each candidate received.
Four Branch President Positions:
L. Larocque asked the Branch Presidents to leave the room and vote among themselves. She drew attention to two bios for which there were no names: O. Finette and D. Noël.
Following the vote count, L. Larocque announced the successful candidates, namely R. Doyle, S. Fréchette, B. Pelletier, and C. Tremblay. She also announced the number of votes each candidate received.
Four Member positions:
L. Larocque explained that the ballots would be changed to delete the names of the four candidates already elected in the vote for the four members. Following the vote, L. Larocque suspended the election so that V. Charette could give her talk while the votes were being tabulated.
L. Larocque suspended the election.
Quebec Regional Manager’s Report
V. Charette thanked Y. Brodeur and the Executive for inviting her. She was here to talk about the work done by the labour relations team in Montréal. It was a big year, mostly because of Phoenix. There are 834 active labour relations files in the office, distributed among the LROs.
Last year, they welcomed Justine Lacroix, an intern working towards a master's degree in Industrial Relations at the Université de Montréal, one of our partners. This is a one-year internship, three months of which she spent doing labour relations work in the office, three months conducting research and six months working on mobilization and negotiations. At the end of her internship, she was offered a position and therefore remains with PIPSC. V. Charette indicated that another intern, Nicolas Daignault, will be arriving in mid-June and doing a similar internship.
She then took a look back at the past year. Of course, Phoenix created a lot of work because the problems have been going on for several months, even years.
The most difficult cases involve anything related to leave without pay, termination of fixed-term contracts, Sun Life cases, leave with income averaging, part-time employees, etc. In short, several members were in a precarious financial situation.
V. Charette then referred to the assistance program that D. Daviau had talked about. This assistance was crucial to two members, one of whom was a few days away from losing her home. She was a single mother with three children who, thanks to the program, received a loan and was able to keep her home. The other person was on medical retirement, with treatments costing $3,000 per month, and her insurance coverage was cut for some unknown reason. She too received a loan for the period during which her insurance coverage was being reactivated.
V. Charette then thanked the Stewards on behalf of the members and her team, indicating how much their contribution is appreciated, especially in the Phoenix cases that have an impact on employees as well their families.
She then talked about a class action suit. The Superior Court ruled on it on April 3. The Court allowed the remedy for certain groups of employees (e.g. students, casuals, and others), but excluded it for public service employees who have a right to grieve.
Thus, Phoenix took at least 50% of the LROs’ time because these cases were considered a priority. Among the other files not related to Phoenix, there were many complaints of harassment or workplace violence, as well as health-related files, especially mental health, which is a topical issue. These cases are tough because the employees involved need assistance, support and guidance.
V. Charette then shared a job description regulation that came into effect at DFO following a grievance that lasted a number of years. She then highlighted the contribution of G. Pelletier, a new Steward at Natural Resources Canada who has made it his mission to provide career progression opportunities for BIs in his department.
She ended with a general overview of some recent decisions dealing with reliability status at the CRA, disciplinary measures imposed just before retirement, workforce adjustment and excessively long delays in the context of arbitration causing hardship.
A question period followed the presentation.
L. Larocque announced a return to the election and presented the results.
Following the vote count, L. Larocque announced the successful candidates, namely M. Lacroix, H. Landry, N. Lavoie and R. Tellier. She also announced the number of votes each candidate received.
L. Larocque thanked R. East and B. Guay for their assistance in preparing and running the election.
R. Tellier moved that the ballots be destroyed immediately at the end of the session M. Guertin seconded the motion. Carried by majority vote
C. Tremblay intervened to explain that the policy recommends keeping the ballots for 30 days in case there is a request for a recount.
A motion for reconsideration was tabled by G. Renna, seconded by R. Tellier: destruction of ballots will be postponed for 30 days to comply with PIPSC’s election policy. Carried by majority vote.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, May 5, 2018 – 8:30 a.m.
Y. Brodeur opened the meeting by showing a video capsule on science.
Amendment of the By-Laws and Regulations (see Appendix for full text)
L. Laroque and R. Guiard took the floor to present the resolutions. L. Larocque began by explaining that there was a problem with the amendments adopted in 2015. They were not submitted to the Board of Directors. Thus, they have been resubmitted for inclusion in this year's minutes, but there will be no vote because they have already been adopted. There are four changes. L. Larocque asked Stéphanie Fréchette to bring them to the By-Laws Committee this year.
1.A revisit of the 2015 resolutions: Minor amendments to the By-Laws (mainly language-related)
Amendment of By-Law 5.2., adoption of a new Regulation R5.2.3.2.2.1 and adjustments to By-Laws 6.5 and 9.2. L. Larocque indicated that these will be submitted to the By-Laws and Policies Committee. The Committee will in turn submit them to the Board for inclusion in the Quebec Region By-Laws.
2. Revisit of resolutions tabled on behalf of the Region at the National AGM
R. Guiard explained that the resolutions were procedural resolutions that had no impact on the By-Laws or on finances and that they were already tabled at the previous National AGM.
P-1: Email messages in HTML – referred to the Board, with the distinction that the IT Services Committee had to deal with it.
P-2: Reporting on Activities outside the Institute - require that a member who attends an external activity funded by PIPSC prepare a report - adopted
P-10: Access to Details of Committees’ Financial Transactions - adopted
R. Guiard explained that in 2017, resolution P-11 and and the subsequent resolutions were sent as a package to the Board because of the lack of time to address them at the AGM. He gave an overview:
P-11: Promoting Union Values in Hiring Processes; it was referred to the Board in 2016 and 2017. Y. Brodeur will follow up and prepare a report to send to the Quebec Regional Council members.
P-12: Regional Youth Committee Leaders - to promote the establishment of youth committees in other regions; it was submitted in 2016 and deferred to 2017.
P-13: Bilingual Chair for the Institute’s AGM; submitted in 2016 and deferred to 2017. R. Guiard explained that the AGM was chaired by two co-chairs in 2017, one in French and one in English, although this model is not mandatory. We will therefore insist on submitting the resolution again this year.
R. Guiard clarified that when resolutions are referred to the Board, they do not come back to the constituent body that submitted them.The Board submits them to the Advisory Council and they are sent back to the Board with a report.
P5: Order of Resolutions at AGMs; that the resolutions submitted by individuals be presented just before the Late Resolutions to give priority to resolutions adopted by the various constituent bodies.
3.2018 Resolutions
1.A revisit of P-5. Be it resolved that resolution P-5 (Order of Resolutions) be referred to the Institute for renewal as is at the 2018 AGM.
Moved by R. Guiard, seconded by H. Landry, carried unanimously.
2.A revisit of P-13. Be it resolved that the Institute’s By-Laws be amended to reflect: “General meetings must be bilingual and chaired by two co-chairs, one francophone and one anglophone.”
Moved by R. Guiard, seconded by H. Landry, rejected by a majority.
M. Guertin, as Chair of the Human Rights Committee, was outraged by the Advisory Committee's decision not to respect the rights of Canada's two official languages and insisted that his comment be included in the minutes.
3.Be it resolved that the Institute By-Laws be amended to reflect: “General Meetings shall be bilingual and shall be chaired by two co-chairs, one francophone and one anglophone” at the 2019 AGM.
Moved by J. Alain, seconded by M. Guertin.
G. Marcotte proposed an amendment: add “be put on the agenda of the 2019 Regional Council”, seconded by M. Guertin, adopted unanimously.
Discussion and vote on the main resolution. Be it resolved that the Institute By-Laws be amended to reflect the following: “Annual General Meetings shall be bilingual and shall be chaired by two co-chairs, one francophone and one anglophone” and that it be added to the 2019 Regional Council agenda; carried unanimously.
Health Break
4.Resolution on inviting the youngest Steward to the AGM, moved by L. Racine for the Québec City Branch, seconded by D. Caissy.
G. Marcotte proposed an amendment: add "if the Steward has not already used this provision . . . as an observer", seconded by H. Landry, adopted by a majority.
Discussion and vote on the main resolution.
H. Landry proposed a resolution to refer to the Executive, seconded by D. Caissy, with instructions to consult with the Young Professionals Committee to ensure that the intent of the resolution is implemented for the Quebec 2018 AGM and to prepare a resolution for the 2019 Regional Council to be presented at the 2019 AGM.
R. Tellier moved to postpone the resolution to refer until after the presentation of the Region’s financial statements, seconded by P. Morin, adopted by a majority vote.
Report by the Young Professionals Committee
D. Campanozzi introduced the current members of the committee: D. Campanozzi, V. Painchaud, R. Guiard, M. Murray, H. Landry, S. Lavigne and G. Marcotte.
He listed the committee meetings that were held either in person or remotely (online), and continued with the year's achievements, reporting the results of a summary demographic analysis of youth across Canada. A happy hour was held in Québec City and, of even greater importance, the first edition of the Youth Symposium. They attended the Broadbent Institute's Progress Summit. They also prepared a report that will be available later this year. They participated in the FTQ youth orientation camp to identify union issues for youth in order to train the next generation, increase networking beyond the Montréal area, promote awareness and recruitment activities, and encourage youth involvement in union forums to ensure learning and mentoring.
He took a look back at the 2017 Quebec Regional Council. This was an opportunity to invite young members and coach them throughout the Council meeting, which led to the recruitment of a new committee member. Finally, the committee is developing a document to welcome new members. The document has been given to the Executive for feedback. D. Campanozzi invited the Council members to contact the committee to obtain a copy of the draft. He concluded with the objectives for the coming year: creating a youth section on the PIPSC website, making changes to the Travel policy (e.g. carpooling) and the Balancing Union and Family Life Activity policy to accommodate young families, reworking the demographic analysis and holding a 2018 symposium focused on recruiting new youth and new Stewards.
A question period followed.
Report by the Status of Women Committee
Fréchette introduced the members: Stéphanie Fréchette, I. Vermette, I. Mercier, F. Lavaud, and L. Larocque as liaison officer. The committee is recruiting at the moment and there are already a few people who have expressed interest.
She named the meetings that had been held this year, both face-to-face meetings and videoconferences. The Committee is not self-sufficient yet, so she thanked Y. Brodeur and D. Daviau for their financial contributions. For the moment, it is the only PIPSC committee of its kind, but Stéphanie Fréchette is involved in Status of Women matters with the FTQ.
She went on to talk about the other achievements of the year: 1. Production of a retractable card holder, with the committee’s logo and e-mail address. She delegated responsibility for distribution to the Branch Presidents and asked them to let her know when they ran out. She thanked all those who helped make them; 2. Survey: She thanked R. Guiard and A. Renaud for their help in preparing the survey, as there was no help from the IT department in Ottawa. R. Guiard gave a link to access the survey and some of the results. Stéphanie Fréchette invited those attending the meeting to complete it. The committee has asked for a tab on the site. Stéphanie Fréchette concluded by indicating that priorities will be determined through the survey results.
Report by the Peer Committee
E. D'Amours returned to last year's presentation, which provided a good overview of the committee, and he invited those attending to contact him for a copy.
He took a look back at a question he had been asked last year: most of the cases handled are between PIPSC members, e. g. breach of confidentiality, complaint against Stewards, etc. He gave a brief overview of cases submitted to the Committee during the year. Of all the contested cases, none of the applications for revocation were successful, except for one case in which the revocation was reduced from three years to two years. The purpose of the peer panel is not to cause harm. It is there to enforce the rights of PIPSC members.
Presentation of Financial Statements and Budget
R. Tellier presented the Quebec Region’s financial report (2017 financial statements and 2018 budget) for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2017.
A question period followed.
R. Tellier moved that the financial report with the 2017 financial statements and the 2018 budget be approved. Seconded by B. Pelletier but he asked that the Youth Committee resolution be addressed before voting on the financial report.
R. East proposed an amendment: add two additional lines to the budget’s expenditures section for the Branch Presidents' Strategy Meeting and one additional Executive meeting; seconded by S. Parent, carried unanimously.
R. Tellier moved that the vote on the financial report be deferred until after the vote on the youth resolution; seconded by Y. Brodeur, carried by a majority.
Lunch
R. Guiard reintroduced the Youth Committee resolution (observer).
H. Landry moved to refer the Youth Committee resolution to the Regional Executive, adopted by a majority vote.
R. Tellier presented the budget as amended, adopted by a majority.
Regional Training Committee Report
R. Tellier introduced the members of the committee: Y. Brodeur, B. Pelletier and R. Tellier. He continued with some statistics: 13 stewards/trainers, employees from the Montréal Office, 125 learners were trained in various disciplines. R. Tellier listed the courses offered and the FTQ training sessions attended this past year.
B. Pelletier named the courses that were planned for this year and indicated where to find the training schedule on the PIPSC website. He went on to explain that the Quebec Region has an influence on PIPSC’s training practices (e.g. peer training).
R. Tellier added that if someone wants to take a course in English, they can take it through the NCR. Likewise, those who would like to take a course in French can do so in Quebec. He also explained the right to retraining. You are eligible if it has been five years since you took a basic skills course and if you are interested in a FTQ course (see the catalogue on the FTQ website). Those interested must send an email to the person in charge of the Quebec Training Committee.
B. Pelletier concluded by saying that they are working to improve processes and communication.
R. Tellier thanked D. Noël for his contribution to the Training Committee over the past few years.
A question period followed.
Y. Brodeur indicated that the report would be adopted later, along with the other reports.
National and Regional Committee Reports
Finance Committee
B. Pelletier gave an overview of the year’s meetings and reviewed the committee's mandate, which is mainly to make recommendations that will later be taken under advisement by the Board and ultimately at the AGM. He specified that financial information is available on the finance portal, which is in protected mode. In short, he reported that PIPSC is in a good financial situation. For specific questions, he encouraged members to contact him, Sean O'Reilly or Dennis Britt.
Member Services Committee: The report had already been presented during the discussion on the Training Committee.
By-Laws and Policies Committee: Stéphanie Fréchette took over from L. Larocque and R. East. This committee is responsible for the Branches and Sub-Groups in the Quebec Region. S. Fréchette invited anyone who needs help related to the By-Laws to contact her.
Scholarship Committee: Y. Brodeur said that the Region does not have any representatives on this committee. R. East, who was previously a member, provided some details, including eligibility criteria, the July 13, 2018 deadline and how to apply.
Human Rights Committee: Mr. Guertin is the new representative on the National Committee. He discussed the difficulties encountered by people with disabilities and explained the importance of influencing the choice of hotels. He wants the committee mandate to be expanded so that they can get accomplish things. He invited members to contact him if they need help, insisting that those with limitations do come forward.
Diversity Task Force: This is a regional committee that was established to discuss diversity and inclusion. Some people have expressed interest but unfortunately nothing has materialized. M. Guertin extended an invitation to the Board members to join him.
Branch Liaison Committee: R. Guiard said that a meeting was held the previous day.
Science Advisory Committee: Y. Brodeur said that he has not received anything from J. Bérubé.
Better Together Committee and Mobilization Committee: S. Parent represents both committees. No Better Together meetings were held last year because the committee does not really exist anymore, but there are still funds left over that need to be requested from Stéphane Aubry. However, mobilization is at a low point as members are exhausted following negotiations. The Better Together Committee is redefining itself. He explained that topics of interest need to be found to mobilize members, e.g. Phoenix, sick leave plan. At this time, we are starting a new round of negotiations, so we must mobilize the members again in order to achieve our objectives. S. Parent added that he is also on the Region’s structure committee with P. Sioui, and their goal is precisely to clarify the processes, e.g. selection for certain courses, etc.
A question period followed.
Professional Recognition Committee: J. Potvin presented a document in English that explains PIPSC’s mandate and objectives. She provided an overview of the committee’s mandate and five-year plan. She described what they had done at their last meetings, specifically the work on the professional integrity clauses to promote the professionalism of all members in the collective agreements. For example, Thomas Landry is supposed to come and speak at the next Stewards Council to discuss the scientific integrity clause. They created links to professional bodies and associations. In addition, the committee was mandated by D. Daviau to consider whether CSs (information technologists) would like to form a professional body. She invited anyone interested to visit her and submit their comments. Finally, in conjunction with the communications section, they will participate in National Public Service Week because Canada’s professional public service employees are ranked number one in the world, and we must let the employer know it.
Y. Brodeur announced that the Science Committee is being revisited because P. Morin is a friend of the Science Advisory Committee. He explained the strategic plan for research. Basically, we are far behind in terms of research. Another objective is to value professionalism, work with policy makers, bridge with other unions and improve working conditions. There is a complete manual (in English only for the moment) on the committee that still needs to be refined. The government is giving billions to businesses and we need to talk to the decision-makers to keep Canada competitive.
Information Technology Committee / Information Services and Projects Committee
H. Landry explained that he has just been appointed to this committee. Its purpose is to provide advice to boards and constituent bodies with computer-related questions or projects. It is composed of one member per region. He reviewed last year's achievements (email improvements, website redesign, e-claims, etc.) and outlined plans for 2018 (migration to Office 365 and Exchange for staff, CVENT and Concur, G-Suite, establishing a communication and committee-training strategy, etc. He ended by giving his email address, itsp@pipsc.ca, for all those who need to consult the committee.
A question period followed.
R. Tellier, seconded by R. East, moved that all of the committee reports be approved. The reports were approved unanimously.
Branch Presidents’ Reports
Abitibi-Témiscamingue: R. East said that his report was online. He announced that he is retiring this year and that the Branch should get a new president, unless he decides to become a retired member, in which case he would stay in the position.
Haut-Richelieu: H. Dahbi Skali was not present in the room.
Montréal-Rive-Nord - CSC: R. Doyle reported that there was a good turnout at the AGM and reported on other activities that had taken place over the year. He explained that the Branch covers a large territory, so there is a lack of human resources.
Laval: P. Morin indicated that they had some great meetings. As for their objectives, the Branch wants to get some PIPSC promotional cups made to avoid using paper cups. He reported a small decrease in participation, but the Phoenix event was a success. The CRA is starting to be affected. The objective remains to have members from other departments, such as Finance, participate. He ended with a specific personal case but emphasized the importance of mobilization at all levels. He said that we must stand up for our professionalism and that it is important to be seen so as not to be forgotten.
Lennoxville: M. Lessard outlined the year’s problems, especially those related to Phoenix, in addition to the work transfer program that was ignored and that they are trying to resurrect. He spoke of two great events that had been held in the past year, a méchoui and a lunch and learn with a talk by Serge Marquis via YouTube.
Mauricie: C. Tremblay said they had Phoenix issues and other problems. The Branch is mainly composed of AFS members so they have changed the date of their AGM to accommodate the Trois-Rivières AFS Sub-Group. Enthusiasm is slowly building and they hope to recruit new delegates soon.
Montérégie: H. Vanasse indicated that the Branch is very active. The AGM was a success; he noted their retirement event, which always attracts many members.
Montréal-Est: M. Guertin said that he did not have much to report because their AGM had not yet taken place, in addition to no longer having a Vice-President, R. Tellier is the only one remaining on the Executive. He needs people to help him.
Montréal-Ouest: H. Landry reported that the Branch consists mainly of members from Environment and Shared Services, in addition to NFB and Transport. He shared the year’s activities and showed some Fix Phoenix signs that had been designed by a Branch member and sold out in a week. Other constituent bodies wanted some so he encouraged members to contact him or Linda Martel to get them made. They plan to get t-shirts made with the same design. The Branch pressured management to hold a pre-retirement course at the employer's expense; a second one is planned for the near future. He ended by presenting a video called “Mein Phénix”, which was about the fall of Phoenix.
Québec City: D. Caissy said that the Branch is still very active with its 1100 members. He named the members of the Executive. He reported on the year's meetings and activities, including the AGM. A fairly balanced Executive was elected at the AGM, including some younger members. In June 2017, the Branch held a happy hour with a talk on improving our lives together, following the tragic Quebec mosque incident. A family celebration is being planned to reach more members than usual.
Eastern Quebec: B. Pelletier said that his report is online. He highlighted the new members of the Branch and Sub-Group, which bodes well for future leadership.
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean: K. Landry said that the report is online. He described the makeup of the Branch and reported on the activities that took place, including one in the fall to which R. Michaud was invited to give a talk on pension plans. Other activities included P. Potvin and Y. Brodeur, who dealt with several subjects including violence in the workplace. He named the various groups that belong to the Branch. He is looking into having aprons or placemats made for those who eat at work.
Sherbrooke: C. Galvin indicated that the report is online. They have been very busy this year. One of the most popular presentations was on the structure of PIPSC. Since they work in an institution that oversees several groups (e.g., Canada Border Agency, Service Canada, Natural Resources, CSs), they invited those groups to each of their activities, in addition to FTQ representatives and local politicians. This formula helps meet the Better Together objectives and works well for the Branch.
St-Hyacinthe: Stéphanie Fréchette announced that the Branch had gotten back on track and that some people had volunteered to serve on the Executive. Everything is going smoothly with this new start.
Ville-Marie: R. Guiard described the makeup of the Branch and spoke about the main activities of the year, including a speak easy, a whiskey tasting that was attended by members of the Young Professionals Committee, as well as the AGM, during which promotional items were distributed, including those from the Status of Women Committee.
Health Break
M. Guertin, seconded by R. East, moved that all of the Branch Presidents’ Reports be approved – reports approved unanimously.
Regional Council Assessment / Opportunity for Stewards to Speak
Y. Brodeur invited the members to share their impressions of the Regional Council.
Call for Nominations – Jacques-Caron Award
Y. Brodeur indicated that members will receive an email explaining how this award works.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment
Y. Brodeur thanked the election candidates who have contributed to the regional Executive for several years, namely R. Guiard, P. Sioui, S. Parent and D. Noël. He also thanked V. Charette for her talk. He then thanked the Elections Committee, consisting of L. Larocque, R. East and B. Guay. He concluded by thanking M. Guertin for his photos and A. Renaud for her excellent work. He spoke of L. Larocque's contribution over the years, which was crucial to him. He concluded by ensuring that transparency and communication will be priorities for the new Executive.
R. Tellier moved that the meeting be adjourned, seconded by R. Doyle, carried unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 p.m.
Appendix A - Resolutions
1.0 AMENDMENTS TO THE QUEBEC REGION BY-LAWS - 2015
1.1 Amendment to By-Law 5.2
5.2 The Executive is comprised of the following:
- Regional Director, who acts as President
- a Secretary
- a Treasurer
- four (4) other members elected by the Council
- four (4) Branch Presidents designated ex-officio by their peers with the approval of the Council
The By-Law should only refer to Executive positions. References to the election format should be part of the Regulations. The Regulations are clear for member positions but not for Branch President positions.
I would like to suggest adding the following regulation:
NEW R5.2.3.2.2.1 Only Branch Presidents may vote for the four (4) Branch President positions. If a Branch President is unable to attend, the Branch President may appoint a member of his or her Branch as a replacement. The said President shall submit the replacement’s name to the Elections Committee.
Resolution proposed by Richard East, seconded by Kaven Landry. Carried unanimously.
1.2 Amendment to By-Law 6.5
R6.5 Nomination Committee The Nomination Committee shall be comprised of three (3) members of the Executive Region as determined by the Executive.
Resolution proposed by the Quebec Regional Executive.
Seconded by Richard East.
Carried unanimously.
1.3 Amendment to By-Law 9.2
This Regulation makes it possible for a Branch to appoint a representative for the election.
9.2 All proposals for amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted, in writing, to the Executive no later than six (6) weeks prior to the Council. Proposed amendments may be submitted by any member of the Region. The notice of the Council at which the amendments will be considered shall include:
a) the article to be amended;
b) the new wording.(See 8.1.2) (See 4.5.1)
8.1.2 does not exist. Correction for reference only.
Proposed by Richard East, seconded by Kaven Landry. Carried unanimously.
APPENDIX B – NEW RESOLUTIONS FOR 2018
A look back at the 2016-2017 resolutions
===========================
P-1 Changing the Content of Email Messages (QRC 2017 –
Referred to the Board of Directors with instructions for the ITSP Committee)
P-2 Reporting on Activities Outside the Institute (QRC 2017 - Carried)
P-10 (2016) Access to Details of Committees’ Financial Transactions (QRC 2016 - Carried)
P-11 (2016) Promoting Union Values in Hiring Processes (QRC 2016 –
Referred to the Board of Directors)
P-12 (2016) Regional Youth Committee Leaders
(QRC 2016 – Referred to the Board of Directors)
P-13 (2016) Bilingual Chair for the Institute’s AGM-
REVISED (QRC 2016 – Referred to the Board of Directors)
P-5 Reporting on Activities Outside the Institute (QRC 2017 –
Referred to the Board of Directors)
NEW RESOLUTIONS FOR 2018
=======================
1.– Be it resolved that resolution P-5 be referred to the Institute to be renewed as such at the 2018 AGM.
Moved by Renaud Guiard, seconded by Hugo Landry; carried unanimously.
2.Be it resolved that the Institute By-Laws be amended to reflect
"General Meetings shall be bilingual and shall be chaired by two co-chairs, one anglophone and one francophone."
Moved by Renaud Guiard, seconded by Hugo Landry; defeated by majority vote.
3.Proposal to divide resolution P-13 into two parts:
Be it resolved that the Institute By-Laws be amended to reflect “General Meetings shall be bilingual and shall be chaired by two co-chairs, one francophone and one anglophone” at the 2019 AGM.
Moved by Janot Alain, seconded by Mario Guertin
Motion to refer: Regional Executive
Moved by Hugo Landry, seconded by Denis Caissy
Point of order by Christian Tremblay: We cannot make a motion to refer after the debate has begun (Code Morin)
Amendment proposed by Guillaume Marcotte: Added to the 2019 Regional Council agenda; seconded by Mario Guertin; carried unanimously.
Vote on the main motion:
Be it resolved that the Institute By-Laws be amended to reflect “Annual General Meetings shall be bilingual and shall be chaired by two co-chairs, one francophone and one anglophone, be added to the 2019 Regional Council agenda”; carried unanimously.
4.Inviting Youngest Steward to Institute AGM – Sponsor: Québec City Branch
Whereas the Institute’s AGM is our highest democratic forum;
Whereas we must do everything in our power to encourage young people to become involved;
Whereas the union must ensure that it properly represents the interests of the new generation in order for young people to develop a feeling of belonging to their union;
Whereas, to ensure the sustainability of the Institute, we must train tomorrow’s leaders by passing on to them the organization’s knowledge and values;
Be it resolved that the youngest Steward in each Region, if they have not already availed themselves of this provision, be invited to the Institute’s AGM as an observer and that the required money be set aside for that purpose;
Be it further resolved that these observers be added to the regular participants and that they not replace those already specified in the policies.
Moved by Lisanne Racine, seconded by Denis Caissy.
Amendment proposed by Guillaume Marcotte, seconded by Hugo Landry.
Amendment carried unanimously.
Motion to refer to the Regional Executive proposed by Hugo Landry and seconded by Denis Caissy, with instructions to consult the Young Professionals Committee to ensure that the intent of the motion is applied for the 2018 AGM for Quebec and to prepare a resolution for the 2019 Regional Council in order to present it at the 2019 AGM.
In cooperation with the Young Professionals Committee, assess the feasibility of the spirit of the resolution for the Quebec Region’s participation in the 2018 AGM;
Hugo Landry moved to resurrect the motion, seconded by Robert Tellier.
Amendments proposed by Hugo Landry
1.In cooperation with the Young Professionals Committee, assess the feasibility of the spirit of the resolution for the Quebec Region’s participation in the 2018 AGM;
2.In cooperation with the Young Professionals Committee, prepare a resolution in that regard to be presented at the 2019 Regional Council for the 2019 National AGM.
Motion to delay the motion to refer until after the presentation of the Region’s financial statements proposed by Robert Tellier and seconded by Pierre Morin.
Motion to delay carried unanimously.