To all AFS members in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA),
As you are aware, the CRA has begun rolling out its GTA Service Modernization initiative across the region.
Although the employer claims that this is not a Workforce Adjustment (WFA) situation, it will have a huge impact on nearly one thousand of our members in the GTA, who are understandably upset at a management decision taken without any input or consultation from their bargaining agent.
Dear Members,
Last week I was invited to speak with the cabinet-level working group on Phoenix to discuss potential solutions to the Phoenix pay system.
I brought to them a number of problems and possible solutions to help fix the disastrous Phoenix pay system. Public servants are still facing hardship and ongoing problems and we all desperately want to see relief and a solution soon.
I urged them to make sure all of their cabinet colleagues understood the severity of the problem and that priority pay was available to all employees wherever they work in the public service. I reiterated that problems like those faced in processing our SP Group members’ retroactive pay were unacceptable. I also offered the Cabinet Ministers a concrete plan to engage our government IT community. I proposed they train 30 to 40 CS Group members on the pay system. This would begin to build a strong in-house team to do the necessary upgrades and maintenance the Phoenix pay system requires. It would also help tackle the “end to end” issues, including the integration of HR systems. It would build on what a small team of our CS members have been doing since last November to help find long-term solutions to the problems plaguing the system. Last year we issued a call to CS members, jointly with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), and these brilliant members are now working in the office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at PSPC, getting results right out of the gate.
We know that the government’s decision to outsource this project wholesale to IBM was a mistake. I got the sense that the ministers are finally coming to the same conclusion and that's why they're starting to involve government IT professionals to find the necessary solutions. To that end, I expressed deep concerns about a Request for Information (RFI) for the ongoing maintenance of the Phoenix pay system, cautioning the government against outsourcing even further.
The Ministers were open-minded, listened and asked questions. They committed to action. Follow-up meetings have already been scheduled by the PMO at the staff level.
Though progress is painfully slow, we are beginning to see some results from our work with the Treasury Board. Most recently, after much urging by unions, cases involving missing pay for maternity and parental leaves are being resolved. We are also seeing more proactive measures being taken by departments to ensure employees get timely access to priority pay. We are still urging all levels of government to improve their communications to ensure that employees know what resources are available to them. Mandatory team meetings with standard information should be required.
In the event that your pay issue is not resolved, we continue to encourage you to contact your local Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in the regional office nearest to you to help resolve the issue, and to access emergency or priority pay.
In closing, I want to urge each and every member to wear our "Fix Phoenix" buttons. It's a small gesture, but helps to keep the focus on fixing the plagued pay system. It's thanks to your hard work and solidarity that we have managed to elevate our Phoenix pay issues to the list of cabinet priorities. We must keep up the pressure until we see a resolution to this crisis!
Better Together!
Debi Daviau
President, PIPSC
On 17 June 2017, at the Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, the PIPSC DND NCR OTTAWA/GATINEAU Branch held a SGM to elect an 11 member executive.
Supervising the event was NCR Executive Member, Stacy McLaren, acting in her role as NCR Branch Co-ordinator.
The NCR executive appointed election team was led by, NCR Executive Member, Brian Hassall, and his elite team which included Susan Amog-Hassall, Terry Sing, and Wayne Lee.
The following persons were elected to the inaugural Branch executive
On June 20, 2017, your Bargaining Team signed a Tentative Agreement with the Employer. An information session will be scheduled shortly to discuss the content of this agreement.
Immediately following the information session, a ratification vote will be held.
SUN-MET Bargaining Team
Bargaining Teams for the YHC Group and the Yukon Hospital Corporation reached a Tentative Agreement on or about June 1, 2017, concerning the renewal of our Collective Agreement covering PIPSC members working at the Whitehorse General Hospital, the Watson Lake Community Hospital and the Dawson City Community Hospital. Your Bargaining Team worked hard and is unanimously recommending acceptance of this Tentative Agreement.
The SH Group was formed in 1999 and is comprised of nine (9) different professions: Dentistry (DE), Medicine (MD), Nursing (NU), Nutrition and Dietetics (ND), Occupational and Physical Therapy (OP), Pharmacy (PH), Psychology (PS), Social Work (SW), and Veterinary Medicine (VM). One of the main duties of the SH Group Executive is to deal with collective bargaining issues and monitor the implementation of our collective agreement. The SH Group also aims to further the professional interests of its members.
Your Bargaining Team reached a Tentative Agreement with the Sunnybrook Radiation Therapists to renew the Group's Collective Agreement. On June 23, 2017 members had the opportunity to vote on this and a strong majority of members have ratified the Tentative Agreement.
Your bargaining team,
Thanks.
To: AU-CO-PG (AV Group) Classification Members of PIPSC working in Gatineau QC:
DATE: Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Location: Place du Centre Shopping Mall between Place du Portage II and III – look for PIPSC tent next to food court and the Dollar Store
Time: Morning session 7am to 9am and Noon to 1:00pm session
7am to 9am session - Complimentary coffee, tea and timbits
Noon to 1pm session - Complimentary water bottle
We are celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday by asking AV Members (AU-CO-PG) to share a story about their summer vacation in Canada with PIPSC.
Contest Rules: Contest starts on July 1st, 2017 and ends on September 6th, 2017. Winners will be selected by the AV Communications Committee (Darlene McKay, Jacques Laperriere, and David Chu). Vacation must be taken in Canada as this is to celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday.
The “Holland Cross Debates” sessions are intended to offer an open discussion with some PIPSC officials about key issues in the collective bargaining and other career related issues. It is one thing to get the views of the local audience at each Debate, but the “Holland Cross Debates” are also keen to find out what the rest of PIPSC members think about the issues we raise.