2022 AGM Resolutions - Regions and Groups

Presented to the PIPSC 103^rd Annual General Meeting

F-4 Welcome Back to In-Person Gathering Events for Members of Sub-Groups and Branches (E)

Be it resolved the Institute fund all Sub-Groups and Branches that request it to hold an in-person gathering event by December 31, 2023, in recognition of their members' continued excellent service to Canadians during the pandemic. The funding will be as follows:

Sub-Groups and Branches shall be able to request funding at the rate of $15 per member who attend the in-person gathering event.

Resolutions Sub-Committee Comment – As advised by the Finance Section, this resolution would have a maximum cost of $2.1M.
Based on projections, PIPSC has approximately 3,000 active members. This resolution could result in up to 50% more members attending, for a total of 4,500 members, therefore the outcome could have a projected additional cost of $135K.

B-3 By-Law 17.6.2 – Finance Committee Mandate (E)

Whereas PIPSC BL 17.6.2 does not properly reflect one of the primary functions of the PIPSC Finance Committee,

Be it resolved that BL 17.6.2 be amended as follows;

17.6.2 - The Finance Committee shall be responsible to review budgets, financial statements, the management of Institute assets, financial policies, member reimbursement appeals and other financial matters of the Institute and shall make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

Resolutions Sub-Committee Comment - This aligns with the Finance Committee’s terms of reference.

B-4 By-Law 17.10.1 - Awarding a Science Advisory Committee Seat to a Member of the Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP) Executive (F)

Whereas the Science Advisory Committee, as per BL 17.10.2, has the mandate to:

17.10.2 Mandate The Science Advisory Committee shall advise and make recommendations to the Board on how to address concerns or issues identified in the Workplace which related to science and public science issues, and the Institute’s efforts to present itself as an advocate for public science in Canada and for restoration of a science-based departmental funding (A-base budgets). To achieve its mandate, it will:

• monitor issues in the field of science and technology related to the work of members and the Institute in this field, including issues of science workplace ethics, and
• coordinate and distribute information on public science within the Institute and help coordinate the Institute’s outreach through its communications to Canadians on these issues, under the goal of focusing the public discussion of science issues in the language of science, by scientists, and
• provide an ongoing forum where Public Science-related issues and the Institute’s interests in this issue can be discussed and studied.

Whereas the Science Advisory Committee is representative of all professions involved in science; and

Whereas the composition of the Committee responds to BL 17.1.3 proposing regional representation and does not necessarily ensure equitable representation of all professions involved in science; and

Whereas only the members of the Committee, and not the "friends of the Committee", have real decision-making power and voting rights in addition to benefiting from financial compensation such as salary compensation and travel expenses; and

Whereas the SP Group represents 14% of the total membership of the Institute and is the largest Group working exclusively in the sciences; and

Whereas the SP Executive already deals with issues affecting their members in science and many of the issues addressed by the SP Executive are also addressed by the Science Advisory Committee,

Be it resolved that while considering regional representation, one member seat on the Committee be specifically allocated to a member of the SP Executive and therefore amend BL 17.10.1 as follows;

17.10.1 Composition - There shall be a Committee of the Board to be known as the Science Advisory Committee consisting of five (5) to seven (7) members. Composition of the Committee should be representative of Science and Technology Membership, which includes research, engineering, and science-related activities.

In selecting Committee members based on regional representation, the Committee Chair shall specifically assign one of the positions to a member of the Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP) Group Executive. The SP Group Executive will provide the Committee Chair with a list of candidates from various Regions for the duration of the regular term.

No comments

B-5 By-Law 7.1 - Regular and Retired Members (F)

Whereas retired members are not affected by collective agreements,

Be it resolved that BL 7.1 be amended as follows:

7.1 Regular and Retired Members Only Regular and Retired members have the right to be candidates for office, to vote for officers, to otherwise participate in the affairs of the Institute, and, subject to By-Law 7.1.1, the affairs of the constituent bodies of the Institute. Only Regular and Retired members shall be eligible to attend General Meetings of the Institute. Only Regular members shall be eligible for appointment as Stewards and to sit on bargaining teams.

Resolutions Sub-Committee Comment – As recommended by the General Counsel, the AGM Chair should be ruling this resolution out of order as it is contrary to BL 7.1.1, which provides who can determine the level of participation of retired members.

P-2 Service Standards for Communications Prioritization, Review, Translation, Publishing, and Distribution (E)

Whereas timely communications with members is essential for the function of the PIPSC and constituent bodies; and

Whereas translation is required so that communications are delivered in both official languages; and

Whereas the function of constituent bodies has been negatively affected by excessive delays in the processing and release of communications; and

Whereas it is commonplace for organizations to have standard delivery timeframes for these services,

P-2 - A : Carried 

Be it resolved that PIPSC develop, adopt, publish, and adhere to service standards for communications prioritization, review, translation, publishing, and distribution; and

P-2 - B : Carried

Be it further resolved that PIPSC track each request and report metrics on service delivery performance semi-annually to the constituent body executives.

No comments

P-3 Concur Payout of Claims in Waiting of Three Weeks or Longer (E)

Whereas PIPSC members use their own funds to attend PIPSC events; and

Whereas the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation speaks to ensuring members are not out of pocket to attend events; and

Whereas members rely on these reimbursements in order to pay for incurred expenses; and

Whereas not having being able to rely on a reasonable repayment schedule becomes a barrier to participation; and

Whereas the Finance Section has a processing average of 21 days,

Be it resolved that if a member’s claim has not been paid during the third week from the date of filing, it shall be advanced to the member at 70% of the non-salary portion of the claim and 100% of the salary claim less normal salary deductions.

No comments

P-4 Banning Single-Use Plastic Items (F)

Whereas according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, only 9% of plastic used in Canada is recycled and the rest ends up in landfills; and

Whereas at the G7 in 2018, Canada signed the Charter on Plastics in the Oceans committing to move to a more sustainable approach to the production, use and management of plastic and committing that all plastic will be designed for reuse and recycling; and

Whereas according to the Single-Use Plastics Ban Regulations (SOPR) adopted by the Government of Canada, the designated items are: single-use plastic rings for beverage containers, single-use plastic stirring sticks, single-use plastic straws, single-use plastic food containers, single-use plastic shopping bags, single-use plastic utensils; and

Whereas the Single-Use Plastics Ban Regulation (SOPR) prohibiting the manufacture, import and sale of the six categories of single-use plastic articles will not be fully implemented until June 2024; and

Whereas in order to combat the effects of climate change, concrete actions must be taken by everyone,

Be it resolved that all items made of single-use plastic be banned from the events, activities and meetings of the Institute and its regional offices, including visibility and promotional items, effective immediately.

No comments

P-5 Funding of the Strike Fund (E)

Whereas PIPSC has a $13.6M Strike Fund as at June 30, 2021; and

Whereas in 2021 PIPSC changed to a Fund basis of accounting and it became apparent that the Strike Fund had no actual money in it; and

Whereas the purpose of a Strike fund, is to have a fund of money available to fund job actions and it is both normal and the practice to fund Strike Funds; and

Whereas because of inflation and the need to reduce the enormous federal deficit, it is reasonable to believe that there may be an increase in job action in the coming years; and

Whereas given, PIPSC had a $16M surplus for the year ended June 20, 2021; and

Whereas given, PIPSC had a $42M of cash and investments at June 20, 2021 and is in a position to put funds in the Strike Fund,

P-5 - A : Defeated

Be it resolved that the Institute transfers $5M into the Strike Fund;

P-5 - B : Out of Order

Be it further resolved that the transfer of $5M into the Strike Fund would be a reduction of the $13,647,058 owed to it by the Operating Fund and not an additional levy.

Resolutions Sub-Committee Comment – As advised by the Finance Section, the current strike fund balance is $14.2M and is contained in the PIPSC investment portfolio of $38M, with a historical five year rate of return between 10% - 12%.