The AFS Bargaining Team met with senior CRA officials on Thursday, March 29th to sign the new AFS Collective Agreement and bring it into force.  This collective agreement runs from December 22, 2014 to December 21, 2018.

We are pleased that this new agreement introduces numerous improvements to our members’ rights and brings in long awaited pay increases for all of our AFS members.

Your CFIA-IN Bargaining Team will be holding a town hall via teleconference to explain the ratification process and discuss the tentative agreement. Please join us on the call if you have questions regarding the ratification process or the tentative agreement.

Ottawa, March 28, 2018 - Earlier this year, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) conducted an internal survey asking 27,878 of its members entitled to a back pay to tell their union if the Phoenix pay system has correctly paid out what is commonly known within public service as retroactive pay.

Of the 7,726 survey respondents:

  • Over 67% reported they can't be certain that their retroactive pay is correct.
  • More than 9% were still waiting to receive their retroactive pay, a direct violation of their collective agreement.
  • Only 1 in 5 reported that they received the correct payment.

The government - their employer - is bound by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act (FPSLRA) to implement the provisions of a new collective agreement within the period specified in the collective agreement (i.e. 120 days from the date of the signing of the collective agreement in the case of the AV, CS, RE, SH groups) and if no such period so specified in the collective agreement, within 90 days after it is signed in accordance with the FPSLRA.

Despite the government’s numerous guarantees that full, accurate retroactive pay would be paid on time, and despite our members best efforts, good will and patience, being without a contract agreement for close to three years, the Phoenix pay system has failed them again.

“Here is further proof, if any is needed, that Phoenix is blatantly not fit for the job. It can't be trusted to pay our members correctly and certainly can't be trusted to pay out the retroactive pay our members earned,” said Institute President Debi Daviau. “It's time for a new system that works. It's time to rebuild the trust that has been broken by Phoenix.” 

PIPSC represents some 57,000 public-sector scientists and other professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government.

For further information:

Johanne Fillion, (613) 228-6310 ext. 4953 or (613) 883-4900 (cell), jfillion@pipsc.ca

 

BACKGROUND NOTE:

 

Group

 

 

Without CA Since

 

New CA Signed  

 

Timeframe

SP

September 2014

May 14, 2017

90 days

AV

June 2014

April 28, 2017

120 days

CS

December 2014

July 4, 2017

120 days

RE

September 2014

June 1, 2017

120 days

SH

September 2014

July 6, 2017

120 days

 

In the fall of 2017, the Institute had no choice but to file policy grievances on Phoenix-related issues, accusing the Treasury Board of failing to implement the terms of the Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP), Audit, Commerce & Purchasing (AV), Computer Systems (CS), Research (RE) and Health Services (SH) Group collective agreements within the specified timeframe (above). The Institute is asking the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) to order the Treasury Board to immediately implement the terms of these collective agreements, and to compensate employees for all losses, financial or otherwise, resulting from the breach of the agreements.

The survey was sent to 27,878 members eligible for retroactive pay from the AV, CS, RE and SP Groups. 7,726 members responded to survey.

 

Invitation to All Members Meeting Thursday April 5, 2018

WTEG and WPEG members

Your bargaining teams met again in Beausejour, MB on March 20, 21, & 22 2018. Additional dates are scheduled for April. Federal Mediators continue to facilitate the discussions. The discussions during the three days concluded with discussion of pay, merit, performance management and professional development.

Our Chapter is at a cross-roads and we need your input. We live in busy times, even in ‘retirement’, and there are many ways to stay informed with Institute activities and matters related to retired members. Over the past few years our attendance has dropped and we are wondering if we still need to have a physical chapter in the Valley?

Earlier this year, PIPSC asked 27,878 membersNote [1]  to tell us if the Phoenix pay system has successfully paid out their retro pay.

The preliminary results of the survey reveal that more than 9% of members, as of February 2018, were still waiting to receive their retro pay which is in direct violation of the collective agreement.

Only 1 in 5 of survey respondents reported that they received the correct retro payment. There is a clear lack of trust and certainty about the amounts they have received. 

Note [2]

Retro Pay Survey ResultsNote [1]

37% are unsure as to whether the retro pay is correct and over a quarter (28%) believe they have been underpaid.

Over 67% of members can't be certain that their retro pay is correct.

Note [3]

Retro Pay Survey Results

It's clear, Phoenix can't be trusted to pay our members correctly and certainly can't be trusted to pay out the retro pay our members are entitled to under contract. It's time for a new system that works. It's time to rebuild the trust that has been broken by Phoenix.

Take action by today to Nix Phoenix, visit: https://action.pipsc.ca/nixphoenix to send an email to the Working Group on Phoenix.

 

Note [1] Members surveyed were in the following groups:  AV, CS, RE, SH, SP.

Note 2]  Have you received your retro pay?
Yes = 20.67%                                   
No = 9.32%
Don't know/Prefer not to answer = 2.94%
Yes, but I do not know if it is correct = 37.21%
Yes, but I believe I've been underpaid = 28.45%
Yes, but I believe I've been overpaid = 1.41%

Note [3] Yes = 21%
No = 9%
Yes, but I believe I've been underpaid, overpaid or don't know if it is correct = 67%
Don't know/prefer not to answer = 3%

It was a beautiful, albeit cool, first day of spring on the NRC Montreal Road Campus in Ottawa so members of the PIPSC RO/RCO Group gathered for a hot drink and a photo-op. This “Spring into Action” event was organized to show support for the bargaining team who are in session next week. Many members wore their “blues” and the really dedicated ones even dyed their hair!

members also sprang into action