The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Executive meeting on June 15, 2020 (3rd of the year)

Meeting by videoconference via Zoom — Beginning of the meeting: 8:30 am 

 

 

  1. Welcome and call to order:

Yvon welcomed everyone and will chair the meeting.

In attendance: Yvon Brodeur, Richard Doyle, Stéphanie Fréchette, Martine Lacroix, Hugo Landry, Nancy Lavoie, Réjean Michaud, Benoît Pelletier, Gerlando Renna, Robert Tellier and Christian Tremblay.

Regrets: None.

 

  1. Approval of the agenda:

All in favour — The motion is carried following a few minor changes.

  1. Approval of the previous meeting minutes (April 24, 2020):

The minutes of the April 24th meeting were unanimously approved.

  1. Business arising from the minutes:
  • a) Joint holding of the Regional Council (RC) and the Steward Council (SC):

As a result of the continuing pandemic, PIPSC has banned all meetings involving more than 50 people until December 31, 2020. The joint RC and SC are therefore cancelled for September 2020.                          

  • b) 2020 AGM: PIPSC will hold its 2020 AGM virtually on December 5, 2020. In the meantime, bids have been launched to find a service provider.

Action: Yvon

  • c) PIPSC 100th Anniversary Project: According to Yvon, it will be difficult to award one or several prizes in Québec, as it is a bit late to get organized. Robert suggested that quotes could still be presented at the regional level.

Action: Yvon

  • d) Masks or face covers: Richard informed us that the masks ordered have been received and distributed to the right people. Those that have not been used by the people who received them could be redistributed. Following the last Board of Directors meeting, PIPSC is asking the Regions to order their next masks via the E-Store. Benoît points out that the obligation to order through the E-Store goes against a motion adopted in 2016 that cancelled the continuation of the online store. Each Region became responsible for ordering their materials according to the established criteria.

Action: Stéphanie

  • e) Virtual training in 2020: this topic will be discussed at the next TEC meeting, which will take place on June 29, 2020. Yvon sent us a document prepared by Kimberley Skanes regarding upcoming training sessions. This document suggests, among other things, that the following three training courses (Basic Delegate, OHS and Harassment) would be given by EROs. Yvon asked us to read it and to share our comments with him and Martine. Martine pointed out that the document presented goes against our way of doing things in Quebec, and Robert added that we could lose our grant from CNESST if we change our OHS training.

 

  1. Regional Directors Meeting:
  • a) Virtual training: The majority of managers do not seem to be in favour of this type of training. Martine anticipates, among other things, possible communication problems between the co-trainers. According to her, this type of training is fine for now, but it should not become the rule. Robert adds that the FTQ does not recommend this type of training in the long term.
  • b) Forthcoming training courses (Basic Delegate, OHS and Harassment) given by the EROs: see point 4e).
  • c) Next TEC meeting (June 29, 2020): possible discussions on the document prepared by Kimberley Skanes.

Action: Martine

  • d) Mask or face cover: PIPSC says it is possible to obtain some from the E-Store, but we will ask for clarification on this matter (see point 4 d)).

Action: Yvon

  • e) Recruitment: Yvon informed us that 36 people have indicated their intention to become a steward. He wondered about the training to be given and how it will be given. Robert suggested working with groups and Hugo believes that it is best to work individually with members wishing to become a steward. Martine will talk about this at her next TEC meeting and Stéphanie suggested that we should devote more energy to the retention and well-being of our current stewards. Benoît reminded us that inviting non-steward members to our activities remains a good practice and PIPSC, for its part, is once again talking about mentoring.

Action: Martine

 

  1. Meeting of the Board of Directors on June 12 and 13, 2020:
  • a) Virtual 2020 AGM: see point 4 b).
  • b) Update regarding Phoenix: Yvon sent us a document prepared by Stéphane Aubry for us to give him some feedback if we wish.  
  • c) JLP (Joint Learning Program) during the pandemic: Yvon sent us a document via Google Drive for us to give him some feedback if we wish.  
  • d) Virtual training: see points 4 e) and 5 a).
  • e) Mask or face cover: see point 4 d).
  • f) Motion for the acquisition of COVID-19 masks: see point 5 d). A motion previously passed by the AGM must be brought back to another AGM to defeat it.

 

  1. Virtual Meeting on June 16, 2020, at 6:30 pm — Chapter Presidents:

Richard prepared an agenda which he sent out on the drive. A small group of Executive members will take part in the meeting.                  

 

  1. Miscellaneous:
  • a) Robert participated in a meeting with the FTQ Education Committee. The latter does not currently intend to reinvent their training. However, the partners around the table seemed to be comfortable with webinars and virtual training. Robert feels that our concept of training is backsliding and that our policy statement is not ready to be accepted by PIPSC. 
  • b) Richard: At the level of the Advisory Council, he points out that we (PIPSC) are last in line compared to other unions. He wants future collective agreements to contain language regarding union releases and employer reimbursements. In addition, he would like our representative on the National Joint Committee, Dejean Toncic, to forward meeting reports. Yvon suggested that an elected official might do a better job.

Action: Yvon

  • c) Hugo wonders what happens to the AGMs of the various constituent bodies. Stéphanie will send us PIPSC’s guidelines for AGMs and elections.

Action: Stéphanie

 

  1. Round table:
  • a) Gerry asked the Executive members to send him the outstanding invoices in order to close the books for the previous fiscal year.
  • b)Christian asked the Executive members if they have heard of any stewards who would currently have difficulty doing their work, given the current context caused by the pandemic and certain constraints imposed by management.
  • c) Yvon (Return to Work Program — RTP) asks people if there is a RTP in their respective agencies or departments. Rumour has it that there may be job cuts in the federal public service. At the CRA level, Christian told us that a return was being considered as of June 26, but this was postponed until the end of the summer. Benoît added that the CRA is allowing employees to take up to 12 weeks of income averaging this year. For his part, Richard informed us that at the CSC, there hasn’t really been a work stoppage, but a lot of changes in work schedules. Employees have been affected by this state of affairs. At the IT department level, Nancy added that employees report to the workplace one day a week on a rotational basis.

          

  1. Date of next meeting and adjournment:

Our next meeting (the 4th of 2020) should take place in July by videoconference, following the next Board meeting.

Ideally, this meeting would be held in the morning at 8:30 am.

 

Adjournment:

Proposed by: Hugo                                       Seconded by: Benoît

Published on 29 March 2021