On February 20, 21 and 22 your NRC your RO/RCO negotiating team met with NRC management in Ottawa for the third round of contract negotiations. The parties have exchanged and discussed wage demands. We are proud to announce that we have signed off on the Scientific Integrity package and improvements to leave that we have seen in the core public administration.
Audit, Commerce & Purchasing Group Executive Elections
At the request of the AV Group executive (and as per PIPSC By-Law 17.3.2.1) the PIPSC Elections committee is conducting the 2018 National AV Group elections to positions on the executive.
As per PIPSC By-Law 10.1.5, the AV Group executive may consist of 13 positions. We are calling for nominations to the following positions:
This is your invitation to this year’s AGM. Please join us to hear about PIPSC in 2017 and plans moving forward. This year’s guest speaker will be Barb Byers, former president of the Saskatchewan Government Employees Union (SGEU) and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL).
DATE: March 28, 2018
Meet and Greet: 5:30 p.m.
Dinner: 6:15 p.m.
LOCATION: Travelodge Hotel, 4177 Albert Street South, Regina
Agenda:
Fellow members of the AV,CS,NR, RE, SH and SP Groups:
Your respective collective agreements stipulate that vacation and compensatory leave earned during the previous fiscal year and outstanding on a certain date (most commonly March 31st) is to be automatically cashed-out.
2018 SH GROUP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice and Call for Delegates
DATE: March 9, 2018
TO: All SH Group Members
FROM: Joanne Bouchard President, SH Group
The 19th Annual General Meeting of the Health Services Group (SH) will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau.
We'd like to provide an update on the PSTAR grievances, FPSLREB File Nos. 566.34.9832 & 9833 (Myles & Alcock). The Institute and the CRA had a pre-hearing conference on January 23 to resolve a number of procedural issues designed to streamline the hearing itself. The major issue is that the CRA asserted that the case itself should be split in half so that they could raise a technical objection to the Board's jurisdiction. Essentially, the CRA wanted to prevent a hearing on the merits (i.e. whether our members were entitled to severance).
We are taking advantage of this 2018 International Women's Day to encourage you to respond to a short survey prepared by your Quebec Regional Status of Women Committee. This survey aims to know the needs of the members of the Quebec Region and/or certain problems encountered in our various workplaces.
You can complete the survey by following the link below:
You are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Edmonton Chapter, Retired Members Guild to be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 28, 2018 at the New Tan Tan Restaurant (10133 97 Street NW, Edmonton). The Edmonton Chapter AGM will precede the Annual General Meeting of the Edmonton Branch at the same venue. The agenda is printed below. The Chapter Executive looks forward to seeing you there.
March 8, 2018 marks the 107th anniversary of International Women’s Day, which was first held to commemorate the 1857 strike that led to the formation of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
That rally is a reminder that the advancement of women and the achievement of equality regardless of gender is a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and should not be seen in isolation as a women’s issue.
As members of PIPSC, we can be proud that our union has a strong track record of supporting gender parity.
As early as 1979, 12 years after becoming a bargaining agent, PIPSC filed pay equity complaints against the employer with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
In 1995, the Treasury Board and PIPSC settled complaints affecting 1,700 members in three bargaining units. The employees’ pay equity adjustments totaled close to $72 million.
PIPSC supported a landmark eight-year pay-equity battle that, on July 3, 2012, resulted in approximately 1,000 health professionals being awarded a milestone $150-million settlement.
In 2016, President Daviau appeared as a witness before the Parliamentary Special Committee on Pay Equity.
The Institute was pleased to see our recommendations on pay equity included in the special Parliamentary Committee on Pay Equity’s subsequent report to Parliament.
The 2018 Federal Budget’s commitments to pay equity and improved parental leave are steps forward for gender equality in Canada.
This year the government will introduce pay equity for workers in federally regulated sectors. The Institute is ready to work with the government to end pay discrimination and bring Canada in line with human rights legislation as well as international commitments made under the ILO Convention 100.
This week, the Institute released a report, Women in Public Sector Science: From Analysis to Action to focus attention on challenges faced by women in science careers in the federal public service.
This initiative is part of the Institute’s efforts to strengthen diversity and inclusion in our union and in the broader public service.
Furthermore, the Institute has achieved a Memorandum of Agreement with Treasury Board for a joint working group on workplace support for members affected by domestic violence. Our working group is now preparing recommendations to the Employee Wellness Support Plan Committee. This initiative has the potential to effect change in the Canada Labour Code.
Gender equality is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
And yet, despite the slow but steady progress made towards gender equality, the World Economic Forum reported in 2017 the gap between men and women across health, education, politics and economics widened for the first time since records began in 2006.
We need to pay attention to the gender gap not only because such inequality is inherently unfair, but also because research shows gender parity is fundamental to determining whether and how economies and societies thrive.
Ensuring the full development and participation of half of our total talent pool has a vast bearing on the growth, competitiveness and future-readiness of our economy and our society.
It is our moral responsibility as individuals who care about human rights to advance the lives of women and girls everywhere, and to reverse the widening gap.
Across Canada, events and celebrations are taking place for International Women’s Day, and we invite you to participate.
Click here to find an event in your area.
We have achieved a great deal over the years – fairer salaries and benefits, rights and respect both inside the workplace and outside of it.
But we can do better together.
The results of a 2017 survey of federal scientists and engineers who are PIPSC members reveal challenges that are holding women back from fully contributing their unique perspectives and expertise to federal public science. The role of women in science is now a major focus for many stakeholders in Canada and around the world because diverse perspectives enhance research excellence and innovation.
In general, women are under-represented in the Institute’s core science groups. There is a low availability of women in scientific professions, and beyond this, the number of women in two major science groups (RE and NRC-RO/CO) is lower than the number of qualified women in the workforce. Also, in many cases, there is a diminishing proportion of women to men occupying higher-level positions. Fewer women than men hold government science positions, fewer women scientists are in the labour market, and fewer women apply to high-level science jobs. It’s 2018 – why is this still the case?
Members under 30 were twice as likely as older members to believe that men are favoured and get better treatment in recruitment and selection processes. Older generations may perceive less gender bias today compared with their past experiences. The belief that gender discrimination has declined more rapidly than data shows can cause diminishing concern for women’s rights and fewer resources allocated to alleviating gender inequality.
Overall, 42% of women said that gender bias is a barrier to their career progression, and one in four women (27%) believed that men are favoured in opportunities for leadership roles. In 2017, some 73% of those surveyed by the Joint Union-Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion in the Public Service identified bias as a top barrier to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. To mitigate bias, we need to critically reflect on the notion of ‘fit,’ and become cognisant of our desire for sameness.
Women were significantly more likely than men to identify dependent care responsibilities as a barrier to their career progression. Significantly fewer women than men believe they are able to satisfy both their job and family or personal responsibilities. Women continue to disproportionately bear the burden of dependent care. More could be done to evoke a cultural change, not only inside the workplace but in the wider community.
One in four women (23%) said lack of access to mentors was a major barrier to their career progression. While female mentorship and role models are vital for encouraging young women to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers, men’s participation in mentorship programs for women is also critically important.
PIPSC is looking to influence change for women in science by:
The value of diversity in science extends beyond the benefits to diverse groups themselves; indeed “removing gender bias can open science and engineering to new perspectives, new questions, and new missions.” Diversity is a fact and inclusion is a choice, and PIPSC is prepared to work with the federal government to make the right choice.