In Memoriam: Desmond Chiang

It is with deep sadness that we must pass along the news of the sudden passing of our cherished colleague Desmond Chiang.

This is a shocking and terrible loss for Desmond's family and those who worked closely with him at RCMP O Division. Desmond was a devoted RCMP Steward who worked diligently to represent PIPSC members in O Division. 

He is being remembered as a valued and trusted civilian member who was always smiling and ready to help a colleague. Desmond was a loving husband to his wife May Chow and the devoted father of Stephanie and Christopher. 

We join Desmond’s family in mourning his passing and offer our sincere condolences to them. May he rest in peace.

Funeral details can be found at: https://www.arbormemorial.ca/scott-brampton/obituaries/desmond-sieng-huong-chiang/86481

Pension plans don’t have to be invested in dodgy companies or environmentally destructive projects to grow funds for retirement. 

You can have a strong pension plan that generates valuable returns – and one that does so responsibly.

Many members have voiced concerns about where their pensions might be invested. In 2020, we learned the Public Service Pension Plan (the PSP, a plan most PIPSC members belong to) was the sole owner of Revera – a for-profit company running the long-term care facilities responsible for hundreds of deaths of senior citizens. It was later exposed that the company also had a record of dodging its taxes while issuing dividend payments. 

The federal government’s most recent budget included plans to add 2 union representatives to the governance committee of the Public Service Pension Investment Board (the fund manager of the Public Service Pension Plan). 

This provides a unique and long-awaited opportunity to have a say in where our pension funds are invested – and apply what’s known as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

We know our members expect evidence-based policies. 

Over the next few months, we, along with other unions, will work with investment experts and independent researchers to understand if implementing ESG criteria will make a real difference – and evaluate the costs. Our hope is that this research will help us build our own ESG policy so we can advocate to fund managers and governments to do better. 

PIPSC currently sits on the board and oversight committees of several pension plans. We contribute to plan governance through consultation projects and public-interest advocacy before government bodies. Having a specific ESG policy will ensure our collective efforts are aligned with your values, particularly as federal unions prepare to take a new seat at the Public Service Pension Investment Board.

PIPSC member pensions are big players in the investment world – to the tune of about 1 trillion dollars. With funds this large, where they get invested can have a big impact on the environment, economy, and human rights – whether that’s positive or negative. 

Other major investment funds have championed many financially-sound ESG initiatives, including the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Not too long ago, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board divested from 2 US private prison companies with terrible human rights records – investments that their board wasn’t even aware of. By doing this research, we’ll have a better understanding of the investments of our members’ pension plan, and what we can do to make it more values-aligned.

Based on the recommendation of the PIPSC Pension Advisory Committee, the initial ESG proposal will consider criteria like environmental sustainability, human rights, inclusion and diversity, labour rights, evidence-based public policy/interests, protecting Canadian jobs, and advancing the public sector. Members are welcome to submit further suggestions to pensionsbenefits@pipsc.ca. 

A final proposal will be brought before the 2022 Annual General Meeting for approval.

PIPSC has partnered with the Future Skills Centre on a new project, Navigar, to help members understand, prepare for, and make the most of opportunities to advance their careers. 

With this new PIPSC initiative, members will have access to evidence-based research and insight into how their careers are changing. It will recommend relevant and accessible training opportunities to keep members ahead of changes in their jobs.

As a thank you, each member who answers will be entered into a draw to win 1 of 40 $25 Tim Hortons gift cards.

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The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) has released its latest guidance on the hybrid workforce.

PIPSC and the other federal public service unions submitted recommendations to the TBS on this issue earlier this year, as part of ongoing discussions around this future public service model – one that TBS President Mona Fortier has publicly committed to.

While the guidance focuses on telework, it is unfortunately based on the current policy that was developed pre-pandemic. We have been pushing the Treasury Board for over 2 years to provide a full, clear and consistent definition of the hybrid workforce. We expected a more substantial document that took our recommendations into account.

At a time when businesses, organizations and other unions across the country have started to embrace the new normal of 21^st century work – a model that includes remote work – the government is showing that it lacks flexibility and remains stuck in a pre-pandemic mentality.

Its failure to evolve means it risks falling behind – and it will likely result in losing experienced public service professionals who will take their talents to employers that better embrace this new way of working.

A recent PIPSC survey found that a majority of our members preferred to continue working from home:

• Over 60% prefer full-time telework
• Over 25% prefer a hybrid model
• 11% prefer returning to the workplace full time, with some flexibility to work occasionally from home

The survey also found that 60% of members indicated they can do all of their work from home. 25% said that most of their work can be done from home. Only 3% said that they cannot work from home.

We need to ensure that access to hybrid and telework arrangements is provided equitably, accommodates member preferences, and is approved without bias or unreasonable criteria. Accessibility and accommodations need to be considered. Home office expenses such as high-speed internet should be paid by the employer.

In addition, measures are needed to protect the right to disconnect and work-life balance. Departments and agencies must be transparent and work with our representatives on their plans to open up worksites. They must respect collective agreements and all applicable legislation.

Finally, there needs to be a clear plan and approach to open offices. Workplace strategies like hot-desking and hotelling need to be re-examined. 

We will continue to push the Treasury Board to improve and deliver on its commitment to a remote and hybrid work model. We will keep our members updated on a regular basis.

PIPSC filed a policy grievance (in English) on Friday, May 13, 2022 against the Mandatory Vaccination Policy for all members of the Core Public Administration including the Royal Mounted Police for all members who remain on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) beyond April 6, 2022. As for all other existing employer mandatory vaccination policies that require review, we are monitoring the timelines. Policy grievances will be filed in due course.

The Treasury Board has failed to review the Policy for Mandatory Vaccination within the 6-month period as required by the policy. Together with other unions, we have called for a review given the changed circumstances surrounding the pandemic.

The employer’s failure to review the policy in the face of loosening COVID-19 restrictions is a flagrant abuse of management authority in the workplace. The Treasury Board has broken their commitment to review and update the policy.

Continuing to keep (or place) unvaccinated employees on LWOP beyond April 6, 2022 is an unjustified and excessive measure in light of the current context. 

It’s important to remember that PIPSC continues to support vaccination and the health and safety objective of the policy overall. However, given the shifting landscape of the pandemic, we believe the employer’s policy is now unreasonable. 

As it is generally the case when filing a Policy grievance, we recommend that members also file an individual grievance against their LWOP beyond April 6, 2022. These individual grievances will act as a placeholder for members to seek individual redress while we advance the policy grievance. Individual grievances will be placed in abeyance pending the outcome of the Policy grievance. Once the Policy grievance outcome is known, we can address any pending individual grievances as appropriate. Using the grievance template we have created will facilitate the filing and handling of your grievance. Should you wish to file a grievance, please complete Section 1 of the template and contact an Employment Relations Officer.

Note that if we are already assisting you with an ongoing grievance related to the Policy (accommodation request or other), it is not affected by the Policy grievance. Even if you have an ongoing grievance, we recommend filing a new individual grievance as described above to contest your continued LWOP beyond April 6, 2022, in the event that your initial grievance was not successful.

For those members working in separate employers and agencies that have identical policies, we are working on policy grievances and accompanying individual grievance templates that will correspond to each employer’s expected review date. More info will be made available as these are filed.

Please also review our Mandatory Vaccination FAQs as well as the Treasury Board’s Policy for Mandatory Vaccination.

Please contact an Employment Relations Officer should you have further questions.

Representation matters! Our latest webinar dives deep into gender bias in science and how we can continue to advocate for women in STEM.

This webinar asks the question: What are the gendered barriers to science today, and how might we overcome them? 

The webinar includes a panel discussion with our speakers, Dr. Emily Choy and researcher Jasmeen Sidhu, followed by a presentation on the Women in Public Sector Science (WIPSS) Network and a participant question period. 

After nearly a year of discussions (and 3 years of delays), the Treasury Board continues to reject forward-thinking strategies to upgrade the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP). 

The PSHCP is reviewed every 5 years. The Treasury’s Board’s opposition means more delays to the review process and that members remain covered by an outdated plan which hasn’t been meaningfully updated in 16 years.

While the Treasury Board has been open to discussions and some benefits improvements, they remain opposed to changes necessary to modernize the plan, deliver better results at lower costs, and meet the changing needs of members. 

This includes measures to direct money away from excessive drug costs, and toward things that actually make a difference to plan members. Most large employers including Bell Canada, the CBC/Radio-Canada, and the Ontario Public School system have introduced strategies to lower runaway drug spending without reducing access. These include independent reviews of certain high-cost drugs by specialist pharmacists, or partnering with mail-order pharmacies to offer lower prices on routine medications. 

On the flip side, the PSHCP continues to pay for most drugs whatever the price – resulting in a plan that prioritises pharma's profits over delivering comprehensive care.

Modernizing how the plan treats costly drugs means savings – and means more money for reinvestments in greater health coverage and member benefits.

We continue to work with our partners to ensure that this review addresses these and other changes that plan members are calling for.

The PSHCP is an employer-sponsored health care plan for current and retired federal public service employees and their families. Benefits for public service workers are not negotiable under the law, so PIPSC and its partners play an active advisory role during periods of review and bring forward your suggestions and concerns.