Pandemics are real. People are real. Jobs are real. Federal deficits are just a construct. Sometimes we forget. Hopefully this time we remember.

We are in the midst of a terrifying and historically significant crisis. To meet the challenge, Canadians have clearly voiced they want the government to use all resources at its disposal to protect them and reduce human suffering. Whether or not the cost fits into existing budget plans is irrelevant.

Containing COVID-19 and protecting those on the front lines is the top priority. But, it also means shutting down entire industrial sectors. Doing so resulted in 4 million people applying for Employment Insurance within a few weeks. These people need to be protected. In the short run they need income support so they can stay home, isolate themselves and prevent the spread of the virus. Eventually, when we come out the other end, it means sustained economic stimulus for years to come.

The immediate response from policy makers has been big, bold and fast. Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan outlines measures to support individuals, big business and everyone in between. There are flaws, naturally, but also an ongoing commitment to go further and keep people from falling through the cracks. Price tag be damned!

Public discourse about debt and deficits has changed in step with the development of these sweeping policies. Questions about affordability are rare and land as if they were beamed in from a different universe. The threat to the economy does not come from spending, it comes from not spending enough. The real human cost of inaction easily outweighs the cost of increased federal debt. The first phases of the response passed parliament with unanimous support.

In the alternate reality we all lived in a few weeks ago, critical questions would have seemed appropriate. If the finance minister had released a budget with a $185 billion deficit (8.5% of GDP), it would have caused an uproar from the opposition. The 2015 federal election was fought over which political parties would balance the budget and which would run a deficit in the range of 0.9 % of GDP. But that was a different time. Or was it?

It was not. There’s only one reality we live in and, in the last few weeks, policy makers have broadcast loud and clear which one it is. We live in a world where the responsible policy to meet the challenge is to spend whatever’s necessary. “Conventional wisdom” about debt and deficits is completely out of whack and seems petty in hindsight. It may be tempting to compartmentalize debates into two categories, before and after COVID-19, but it would be wrong to do so.

It is crucial that we not return to pre-existing deficit politics once the crisis is contained. There will need to be years of enhanced stimulus spending to ensure people get back to work.

During the 2008 financial crisis, a minority parliament agreed on a substantial fiscal stimulus package. However, shortly thereafter, the Conservative government began dismantling it. They aggressively attacked the deficit, restricting growth at a time when the economy needed investment. Estimates show that austerity measures in 2014-15 alone stunted GDP growth by 0.84% and resulted in approximately 90,000 job losses across the public and private sectors. All for the political goal of balancing the budget before the 2015 election.

Recall that to combat the early 1980s recession federal deficits reached this same peak in the mid-80s (8.1% of GDP). Mobilization during World War II required deficits almost three times as large (22.5% of GDP). The Canadian economy persevered.

After COVID-19 is contained, there will be economic fallout. In response, we need to protect the people who lost their jobs for the sake of limiting the spread of the virus. If we can’t tolerate higher deficits, these people will face very real hardship. We need to prioritize the real impacts of higher unemployment and poverty over the intangible costs of increased debt.

Collectively, we seem able to grasp the irrelevance of deficit politics during the critical moments in history, but then we forget. The job of the federal government is to do everything within its power to mitigate the negative effects of the impending downturn. Government has fiscal capacity to spend as much as necessary. That means providing swift, broad and bold support right now and prolonged stimulus spending in the coming years.

Originally posted on National Newswatch on April 10, 2020.

You are making Canadians proud. And it is not going unnoticed.

You are providing critical IT, healthcare, procurement, working on the front line to deliver more supplies and services, developing a vaccine, approving medical devices, ensuring the food chain stays up and volunteering to do other critical tasks!

"In this time of crisis, Canadians are witnessing the extraordinary value of our public servants, many of whom are PIPSC members. You’ve not only reassured Canadians, you’ve given us confidence and hope that together we can overcome the pandemic. While working from home or from virtually abandoned offices, you’ve not only kept the services going, you’ve volunteered to help repatriate Canadians, built an income relief program from scratch, and financially secured Canadians who saw their incomes disappear in a matter of days. Canada has, bar none, the best public service in the world. Thank you for your outstanding efforts."

Greg Fergus, MP Hull-Aylmer

This week we specifically celebrate our members involved in the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB).

Members at CRA and SSC have been working around the clock to build the system and update their processes to handle the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

Thousands of our members volunteered as call center agents to assist CERB applicants without hesitation. They all came together and delivered what Canadians needed when they needed it. In one day alone, 788,510 people successfully applied for the CERB, processing an estimated 1,000 applications per second. The rapid delivery of the CERB was a complete in-house operation – public servants stepping up to take care of everyone in Canada.

Our AFS members completed a project that was estimated to take 9 months in 2 weeks – tested and implemented!

As we know, the government needs in-house experts. Not higher cost, lower quality outsourced services.

Your contributions have been recognized by the Canadian Government, the Canadian Labour Congress and the Canadian people, who are truly grateful and deeply impressed. Thank you to all of our dedicated and hardworking members who continue to deliver critical government services. 

Every day, PIPSC members like you work to protect Canadians, keep them safe and perform critical services.

During these unprecedented times, we rely on our public service professionals more than ever. From nurses to agricultural workers, IT professionals to scientists, we thank you for the work you do.

Recognize a fellow PIPSC member or share your own story about how we are working hard for Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis.

We will collect these stories to share on social media. Let’s celebrate the amazing work you do.

If you are a PIPSC member with a story to share about your work or the work of another PIPSC member, please let us know by submitting the form below.

Before starting her day ensuring the welfare of New Brunswick livestock, Dr. Nicole Wanamaker wakes up bright and early to care for her children and tend to her dairy farm. 

Nicole is the Chief Veterinary Officer for the province of New Brunswick’s vet service. She works to protect Canadians by ensuring the health and welfare of our animals.   

“As the manager of the provincial veterinary service, I want to ensure that New Brunswick animals entering the food chain are safe for human consumption,” Nicole says. 

From cows to chickens, her team of 20 field veterinarians test and treat animals in every corner of the province. According to Nicole, having a provincially funded veterinary service is integral to rural farmers who otherwise may not be able to afford care for their animals. 

She and her team make sure help is there when farmers need it and at a rate they can afford. 

“As a provincial vet service, all of our fees are standard, be it driving five minutes from the clinic or two hours from the clinic, it’s still the same visit fee and hourly professional fee.” 

On a daily basis, mobile veterinarians who treat large livestock experience an array of challenges. 

“Some of the hazards that large-animal veterinarians face are things like getting kicked or bitten or shoved or pushed into things, as well as sharp injuries,” she says.  

Nicole does her best to ensure her team has the resources they need to succeed, but being a woman in science and having a rigorous line of work can make it hard to build a healthy work-life balance. 

PIPSC helps retain veterinarians in rigorous environments by bargaining for better salaries and more flexible work time to support members. According to Nicole, there is a shortage of Canadian veterinarians interested in working with large livestock. For this reason, it’s important that people in the field receive proper compensation, training and protection for their jobs. 

“PIPSC has stepped in to make sure we have personal protective equipment, such as steel toe boots, coveralls, and has made us more aware, as veterinarians, about some of the hazards and working conditions,” she says.  

Nicole is proud to be a PIPSC member and is proud of the great work she does bringing veterinarians from across New Brunswick together.

“What I’m most proud of in my career is the fact that, as I am now manager of the provincial vet service, I can connect veterinarians across the province and provide a service to livestock owners that is necessary and universal,” she says.  

It's PIPSC members like Nicole who protect our public health and safety every day.

Working on the front lines in Ontario’s hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic response? Understand your rights and responsibilities in situations that may arise. Ontario’s Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) requires employers to:

• keep a safe and well-maintained workplace
• take all reasonable precautions to protect workers from illness and/or injury
• provide information about the hazards in the workplace, proper safety equipment, training, and competent supervision

As workers, you have a corresponding duty to work safely and not take risks, report hazards, and use equipment and protective devices properly where required.

On March 27, Premier Jason Kenney suggested that federal public servants were refusing to go to work after a case of COVID-19 was linked to a meat processing facility in Drumheller, Alberta.

Premier Kenney was quoted saying:

“We’re seeing a huge increase in demand for those products and we can’t have the CFIA essentially impairing our entire livestock industry by people refusing to go on the job... For heaven’s sake, we have millions of Canadians who are losing their jobs right now who need government benefits,” he said. “I would ask folks across the broader public sector to realize in a way they’re fortunate that they continue to get a paycheque when many in the private sector are being laid off by the millions right now.”

President Debi Daviau sent a letter to Premier Kenney making it clear that we support our members at the CFIA and our members in Alberta. They are working through extremely difficult circumstances to make sure that people in Canada can access the public services they rely on. Our members have and always will put the safety of Canadians first.

In reality, in the case in question, workers were prevented from entering the Harmony Beef facility by CFIA managers – unionized workers did not unilaterally decide to walk off the job, as was suggested.

In the letter, President Daviau further underlined that our members, and those of our CFIA colleagues represented by the Agriculture Union, will remain at their posts and continue to perform their critical work despite the threat posed by COVID-19. She reminded the Premier that it is paramount that their work environment is deemed safe by public health authorities.

President Daviau called on the Premier to "cease from making offensive and inaccurate statements. Our members and all employees at the CFIA are first-line defenders of our citizens’ health and well-being. They are needed by all Canadians and they are committed to getting the job done."

We are currently facing a tragic global pandemic, this is not the time for petty attacks on public servants. PIPSC is committed to working with all employers to get through this crisis effectively and expects the same in return.

Read President Debi Daviau's letter to Premier Kenney.

The PIPSC Board of Directors met on March 27, 2020, to review and further assess how we can do our part to adhere to government and health agencies’ COVID-19 recommendations and restrictions. 

PIPSC in-person union activities are postponed until June 30, 2020. The Board of Directors will re-assess this decision no later than June 12, 2020. 

Some activities will be moved online. Unfortunately, some trainings have been cancelled. Any travel arrangements that have been made by PIPSC will be cancelled directly by our team. 

In these unprecedented circumstances, the Board of Directors has suspended all associated by-law due dates or requirements of constituent bodies that may be impacted by the postponement of events. Further details will be shared directly with constituent body executives in the coming days.

During this stressful time, we want to thank PIPSC members for their cooperation. Our team will work with constituent bodies to make alternative arrangements.

As front-line professionals delivering critical health care in our province, we want to recognize the demanding and stressful time that our members, their colleagues, families and loved ones face.

PIPSC President Debi Daviau, on behalf of all PIPSC members, joins all Canadians in expressing appreciation to our members in health services for their dedication and commitment in responding to this crisis.

We are working hard to respond to the concerns identified by the following ON Groups:

• Sunnybrook Mechanical and Electronic Technologists (SUN-MET)
• Sunnybrook Radiation Therapists (SUN-RT)
• Radiation Therapists - Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC)
• Radiation Therapist - Thunder Bay Regional (TBH-RT)
• Windsor Radiation Therapists (WRH-RT)

On March 21, 2020, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced it was implementing “Extraordinary Steps to Ensure Health Care Resources are Available to Contain COVID-19.” This temporary order provides hospitals with the ability to cancel and postpone services to free-up space and valuable staff, identify staffing priorities, and develop, modify and implement redeployment plans.

Under this temporary order, hospitals including Hamilton Health Sciences, Niagara Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Windsor Regional Hospital, will be able to respond to, prevent and alleviate an outbreak of COVID-19 by carrying out measures such as:

1. Redeploying staff within different locations in (or between) facilities of the hospital;
2. Redeploying staff to work in COVID-19 assessment centres;
3. Changing the assignment of work, including assigning non-bargaining unit employees or contractors to perform bargaining unit work;
4. Changing the scheduling of work or shift assignments;
5. Deferring or cancelling vacations, absences or other leaves, regardless of whether such vacations, absences or leaves are established by statute, regulation, agreement or otherwise;
6. Employing extra part-time or temporary staff or contractors, including for the purpose of performing bargaining unit work;
7. Using volunteers to perform work, including to perform bargaining work;
8. And providing appropriate training or education as needed to staff and volunteers to achieve the purposes of a redeployment plan.

When utilized by hospitals, these redeployment plans temporarily supersede the provisions of a collective agreement. This could include lay-offs, seniority/service or bumping provisions, allowing for the redeployment of staff to address the containment of COVID-19 without restriction or delay.

This time-limited order is valid for 14 days unless revoked or renewed in accordance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

These exceptional and unprecedented measures are concerning for our members.

President Daviau has written to the Presidents of Hamilton Health Sciences, Niagara Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Windsor Regional Hospital to express our commitment to collaborate and ensure the response to the crisis is effective and all risks for patients and staff are minimized to the greatest extent possible.

In return, we asked for the hospital’s commitment to consult and collaborate with our representatives to draw upon their experience and knowledge to ensure the most effective, sustainable and safe response.

The success of this crisis response ultimately relies upon the capacity of the workforce to maintain services under stressful circumstances for an extended period.

The health and safety of hospital employees must be maintained. This includes:

1. Where redeployment is considered necessary, ensuring employees are adequately equipped, trained and qualified to perform the required work;
2. Should reassignment or rescheduling be considered necessary, ensuring adequate notice to allow employees to manage family responsibilities, including childcare, elder care and sufficient rest periods;
3. Ensuring that work from home arrangements for employees not required on-site are utilized and supported to the fullest extent possible;
4. Providing paid leave to employees forced to stay home due to sickness, quarantine or family care in those situations where alternate care cannot be arranged; and
5. Ensure Personal Protective Equipment is deployed when appropriate, without exception.

PIPSC staff are taking immediate steps to address these items further with the hospital and your group representatives.

If you feel your health and safety or that of a patient or colleague is jeopardized by a task or assignment that you are being asked to perform, please contact your steward immediately.

For questions about your rights and responsibilities in the workplace, please fill out the COVID-19 Help Form to reach our Labour Relations team.

PIPSC stands behind our members in ensuring they have the support to fulfill their professional responsibilities.

We were recently informed that RCMP Human Resources would not be approving any request to rescind discharge requests that were submitted by employees – many of which are now our members - in anticipation of deeming.

There was no indication in the RCMP’s latest communications to employees that discharge requests would now be considered irrevocable.  While the RCMP knew full well that members would reconsider their discharge if deeming were to be delayed, it did nothing to forewarn applicants of this possibility, or provide notice of this change in approach.

On March 18, we wrote to Commissioner Lucki urging her to take immediate steps to rescind this decision and permit members to withdraw their discharge notices, if they so desire.  We also wrote to the federal government’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Nancy Chahwan, on this matter.

We are pleased to report that Commissioner Lucki wrote back that same day telling us that she had instructed her officials to stop processing Form 1733 at this time, until she has the opportunity to look into it further.  We are in regular contact with her office, and will update our civilian RCMP members on this and other issues as soon as possible.