The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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In solidarity with the PSAC strike, PIPSC President Jennifer Carr has suspended consultations with the federal government. 

Carr sent the following letter to PIPSC’s Consultation Presidents: 

Dear Consultation Presidents,

At the request of the Public Service Alliance of Canada in support of their upcoming general strike, effective April 19th, 2023, PIPSC will be suspending our participation in consultation with Federal Government Employers which will include all TBS Departments, Federal Crown Corporations, Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, until such time as the PSAC strike has concluded. PIPSC representatives are not to attend consultation meetings of any kind (in-person and/or virtual) with the exception of meetings related to Occupational Health & Safety.

PIPSC has committed to unwavering support to the Public Service Alliance of Canada and our 155,000 PSAC brothers and sisters employed by Canada Revenue Agency and Treasury Board who will be going on strike if a tentative agreement is not reached by tonight, April 18th, 2023 at 9:00pm EST.    

The decision to suspend our consultation activities was not easy. We know that you are involved in many important discussions with the employer, on behalf of our members, and that the suspension of these discussions is not ideal but it is necessary for us to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters at the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

I thank you for your support and commitment to our members!

Jennifer Carr

 

Published on 18 April 2023
When could the PSAC strike begin?

As of April 12, 2023, PSAC confirmed that its members voted to strike. PSAC then has 60 days to call the strike. Before any strike begins, employees should receive direction from their employer about how to handle the strike.

Are PIPSC members currently in a legal position to strike as well?

No - only PSAC-represented members are in a legal position to strike. PIPSC members are expected to report to work as scheduled.

Am I allowed to picket with PSAC members?

PIPSC members are encouraged to show their support and solidarity for PSAC members during their days off, unpaid lunch period, or before/after work hours by joining in picket lines.

There is a picket line at my workplace, what do I do?

Should you encounter a picket line, members are strongly encouraged to consider the following:

  1. Respect the picket line
  2. If possible, have some form of PIPSC identification with you to show to the picket captain. You do NOT need your membership card. ID can be anything from showing a PIPSC email you've received, or a button
  3. Should the picket line not let you cross or you fear for your safety, please contact your manager/team lead to request an escort into the building or directions on how to get into the building. When requested, an escort must be provided.
  4. While waiting to enter the building due to a picket line, members are still considered to be “at work” and should not be expected to make up additional time.
How do I get my membership card?

A digital membership card from PIPSC is available for your use through the Service Plus infinity program. To access your downloadable ServicePlus membership card from PIPSC, please visit www.serviceplusgroup.ca If you already have your ServicePlus account, simply login, click on your name at the top of the page, then  Manage my account to download your card. If you do not already have your free ServicePlus account, simply visit https://serviceplusgroup.ca/sign-up to create one, then download your card as above.For any questions related to this, please contact  info@serviceplusgroup.ca for assistance.

I feel unsafe crossing the picket line and my manager still requires me to report to work. What should I do?

If you feel unsafe crossing a picket line, please contact your manager/team lead to notify them of the situation. You are encouraged to request for an escort to cross the picket line. When requested, an escort must be provided. Do not attempt to cross a picket line you believe would put your personal safety at risk.

I was asked to complete the tasks of an employee on strike, what do I do?

If you are requested at any time to perform any duty of an employee on strike, you should comply to ensure you are not insubordinate (which could result in disciplinary action), unless you believe the assigned work would be a threat to your safety or security. While members should comply with the direction, they are encouraged to raise their concerns with their manager/team lead as it relates to their job description. 

Members should not be asked or assigned work that they are not trained or qualified to perform. Should this occur, please contact your local PIPSC Steward. 

After arriving at the office management sent me home to work as a result of the picket lines. What are my expectations?

If you were sent home by management to complete your work day due to an inability to cross the picket line, you should not be responsible to work additional hours to make up your travel time to and from the office. If you are directed to work additional hours, please contact your local PIPSC Steward.

I was told to work from home on an in office day due to the strike, what are my expectations?

If you are told not to report to work in the office on a day that you were previously scheduled as a result of the picket lines, members should continue to work from home as they normally would. If you are unable to work from home, we encourage you to discuss this with your management to find alternative options. Members should not be expected to make up the in office day if instructed by management to stay home. If you are directed to work additional hours, please contact your local PIPSC Steward.

What should I do if I have issues with reporting to the office?

Any issues that members encounter should be raised to their manager/team lead. Members are also encouraged to contact their local Steward should they have any questions or concerns regarding the picket lines.

What if I am a substantive PIPSC-represented employee but am acting in a PSAC-represented role?

If you are acting in a PSAC role, you should be following the terms and conditions of the PSAC position and therefore be subject to the strike. If you have specific questions about the strike or the picket lines as an acting PSAC member, please contact your PSAC representative.

What if I am a substantive PSAC-represented employee but am acting in a PIPSC-represented position?

If you are acting in a position outside of the PSAC bargaining unit, you are not eligible to participate in the strike vote or take strike action. You must continue to work as you normally would along with other PIPSC members.

My manager told me that I have to stay on-site at lunch and if I leave the work premises, I have to make up any time as a result of the pickets or be subject to leave without pay. Is this true?

Members should not be required to work additional hours or be subject to leave without pay as a result of the pickets, nor can the employer force employees to remain on site during a meal break. If this occurs, members are encouraged to request the direction in writing and immediately contact their local PIPSC Steward. 

We also encourage our members to clearly communicate with their managers their time of arrival at the picket line, whether in the morning or at the end of their meal period.  For example, if you leave the building at 12pm and are back at the picket line trying to enter the building at 12:58pm, you should immediately inform your supervisor that you are finished with your meal period and are waiting to be escorted through the picket line. 

I do not have access to toilet facilities while waiting to cross the picket line to enter my work site, what can I do?

We encourage you to clearly communicate with your supervisor as soon as you arrive at the picket line at the beginning of your day to request an escort. If you are waiting in line for an extended period of time and need to leave your place in line to use a restroom, advise your supervisor and ask for directions. You must be allowed to leave the line and return at the back of the line within reasonable time. Upon your return to the back of the line, inform your supervisor of your return.
Should your employer tell you not to leave the line, immediately contact a PIPSC steward.

Does the NJC Travel Directive apply when my employer asks me to work from a location that is not my designated workplace? Is this considered a change to my designated workplace and therefore my working conditions?

If the employer requires you to work from a location other than your permanent workplace on a temporary basis for a period of less than 30 consecutive days, you would be considered on travel status. Being on travel status subjects employees to the relevant provisions outlined in the NJC Travel Directive. 

For cases involving a temporary location change, the NJC Travel Directive states that transportation shall be provided to the temporary workplace, or the kilometric rate paid for the distance between the home and the temporary workplace, or between the permanent workplace and the temporary workplace, whichever is less. 

If this occurs, employees are encouraged to contact their local PIPSC Steward in the event this occurs for further direction on the specifics of your case.

Published on 17 April 2023

We are greatly saddened to announce that our colleague and friend, Terry Sing, passed away suddenly on Sunday, April 10, 2023. 

Terry was a passionate and collegial person with a friendly disposition and helpful nature. He served PIPSC members in many Executive positions including Commerce & Purchasing (CP) Group before his retirement and continued serving after his retirement. He was currently serving as Vice President of the Retired Members Guild, and an active member of the National Capital Region, where he often volunteered to help organize events for PIPSC members. He was and was a friend and mentor to many in this Region, and was recognized by PIPSC for his significant contributions, on several occasions.

To offer final respects, friends and colleagues can visit the West Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 150 Woodroffe Avenue (at Richmond Road) Ottawa, on Sunday, April 16th from 1-3pm and 6-8pm and on Monday, April 17th after 9:30am until the Funeral Service in the Chapel at 11am. More information is available at Terry Sing|Hulse, Playfair & McGarry Funeral Homes.  The Funeral Service will also be LiveStreamed.

Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to his spouse, Cleo, and the rest of his family and friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace! 

 

Published on 14 April 2023

PSAC members at Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency are voting on a strike mandate in their fight for a better deal. In the coming days, PSAC will announce the results of these votes.

We stand in solidarity with PSAC members and call on the employer to return to the table with our PSAC colleagues to present an offer that meets their demands for fair wage increases in the face of the cost-of-living crisis.

In this round of bargaining, PIPSC's Treasury Board groups have chosen the arbitration route as their strategy for resolving a potential stalemate at the bargaining table. Our AFS group, representing members at CRA, is on a strike route in case of a stalemate. However, the AFS group's bargaining process is not as far advanced as PSAC's, whose contract expired a year before our members' contract.

Regardless of the timing and strategy, one thing is clear: PIPSC and PSAC stand in solidarity together. If our PSAC colleagues choose to take collective action, we will inform our members about actions they can take to show their support for their PSAC colleagues.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS:

You might be asking yourself: What do I do if the building where I work has a picket line of workers from another union?

PIPSC members are required to respect the provisions of their own collective agreements and to report to work even if it is being picketed by workers from a sister union. However, under no circumstances should members place themselves at risk.

Upon arrival at a worksite where there is a picket line, you should immediately contact your supervisors and seek instructions on how to enter safely.

If it is unsafe to cross a picket line, you should exercise your right to refuse work and contact your supervisor and union representative.

Published on 6 April 2023

As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, we at PIPSC would like to extend our warmest wishes to all our Muslim members. 

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion for Muslims around the world. At PIPSC, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment that respects the beliefs and practices of all our members.

To facilitate the participation of all our members in PIPSC events and activities, we will be accommodating dietary restrictions based on religious beliefs, including those related to fasting during Ramadan. If you will be fasting and attending a PIPSC event or activity, please inform the organizer in advance that you will not require meals and refreshments at the meeting.

In lieu of the meals and refreshments at the meeting, PIPSC will provide you with a per diem reimbursement. This reimbursement can be used towards your sehri and iftar meals, allowing you to observe your religious practices while still being an active member of our union.

As an inclusive organization, PIPSC is dedicated to ensuring that all members feel welcomed, valued, and supported. Your contributions to our community are invaluable, and we are proud to stand by your side as you observe this important time of the year.

We wish you a peaceful Ramadan.

Published on 20 March 2023

To mark Mental Illness Awareness Week PIPSC teamed up with the Canadian Mental Health Association for a workshop on mental illness in the workplace. Unlike mental health, mental illnesses are diagnosed conditions that affect the way we think about ourselves, relate to others, and interact with the world around us. Host, Alexandra Petrisano, BASc, PGCert, will provides training on many topics, including:

  • Overview of common mental illnesses
  • How mental illness impacts employees
  • Supporting colleagues and teammates
  • How to respond with compassion and empathy

Email bettertogheter@pipsc.ca to get a link to watch the webinar!

Published on 9 March 2023

Approximately every 6 days, right here in this country, a woman is killed by her intimate partner.

The pandemic has led to an increase in crisis calls and demands for shelter. Sexual assault is the only violent crime in Canada that isn’t declining – and hasn’t since 1999.

We could spend all day talking about the stats but taking action is what’s going to change things. 

We’ve partnered with internationally recognized women’s rights advocate and public educator, Julie Lalonde to bring you 2 workshops on taking action to end gender-based violence:

  • Bystander intervention to build community care
    • Teaches you how to step-in when you see inappropriate or aggressive behavior, including in the workplace, and how you can step in to support others who may be dealing with intimate partner violence.
  • Creating consent culture with your youth
    • Learn how to discuss the important topics of consent, party culture and harassment with the young people in our lives, and help turn the tide for the next generation.

 Watch the workshop: Bystander intervention to build community care 

 

Watch the workshop: Creating consent culture with your youth 

 

Published on 2 March 2023

This was the last straw for Patent Medicine Price Review Board member Mathew Herder. 

Recently, he and several high profile staffers resigned after the government's U-turn on its repeated promises to properly regulate drug prices in Canada. 

In 2016, in response to big pharma's twenty year failure to deliver on domestic research and development spending commitments, the government adopted legislation to reform the decades old drug pricing model which artificially inflated new drug prices. These evidence-based reforms were to put an end to price-gouging on new medications and bring prices in line with peer countries. They were also meant to introduce pharmacoeconomic analysis – where a drug's maximum price is based on its effectiveness when compared to existing medications.  Independent evidence demonstrates that this would have no negative impact on access to new drugs or drug supplies.  

Lobbyist and industry front groups came out in force, bumping into PIPSC representatives and Canadian Labour Congress advocates at public consultations.  Slowly but surely, the government caved – first when it failed to appeal pharma's court challenges against the reforms, and again when it issued a never ending stream of postponements.  We called on the government to do better. 

These challenges have left the law as a shadow of its former self which, in turn, sets Canada even further behind in achieving the long promised public pharmacare system.  Pharmacare and reasonable drug pricing is not just fair – it is effective public policy that improves health outcomes and saves money long term.  

PIPSC continues to urge the government to stay true to its word and recommit itself to drug pricing reform and public pharmacare.  Covid has proven this is more essential now than ever. 

Published on 2 March 2023

For the last 3 years, PIPSC members have worked hard to get Canadians through a global pandemic. Now our employer has the opportunity to show up for us the way we have shown up for them.

But we know it won’t be easy. 

The experience of other federal public service unions at the table shows that this government will continue to try to short-change us.

We need to come to the table united – and ready to fight for a better deal: the leave we need, the pay we deserve and the flexibility to keep giving our best.

Here are some core issues for the employer to tangibly demonstrate the recognition and respect public servants deserve. For specific demands we’re making at the table, please refer to your group bargaining team.

Pay

It is crucial that our members are paid at a rate that reflects both the value of their work and the skyrocketing costs of living. Otherwise, we are essentially taking a cut in pay. Strong salaries are also a key pillar in recruitment and retention efforts we need to build a strong public service. PIPSC will continue to fight for competitive pay that keeps up with inflation and keeps top talent like you.

Telework

Some of our members are needed on the frontlines to provide essential services, but others are now able to do their best work from their own homes. Forcing employees back to workplaces without rhyme or reason shows a lack of trust and respect. PIPSC will continue to fight for a return-to-office plan that is safe, flexible, and based on the “presence with a purpose” principle – and we’ll continue to push to negotiate telework at the table, where it belongs.

Right to disconnect

PIPSC members regularly go above and beyond during their work days, and they shouldn’t have to field work-related emails, phone calls, and meeting requests once that day is over. This is a recipe for burnout and resentment. PIPSC will continue to fight for work-life balance for employees, complete with rest periods that are essential to wellness, health and safety. If Doug Ford’s government can offer its employees the right to disconnect, so can this one.

Leave

Employees are human people with their own lives. Sometimes those lives come with individual or family challenges that require workers to take time away from their jobs. When these challenges arise, you should be able to count on the support of your employer. PIPSC will continue to fight for leave policies that recognize the variety of valid reasons our members might require time off.

Solidarity and belonging

Everyone deserves conditions that allow us to give our best. For some this means working from home, for others, this means being able to show up as our true selves – without having to worry about harassment or social exclusion. In fact, our employer should be celebrating and accommodating our differences in ways that enable us to do our best work. PIPSC will continue to fight for modern and progressive employment policies that ensure no workers are left behind.

Published on 1 March 2023
1. Where can I find my current collective agreement?

All members of PIPSC are part of a group. Your group is determined based on their work, classification and employer. This structure allows each bargaining unit to determine its bargaining priorities and strategies. It also allows each unit to deal with concerns specific to its members' professions.

Your group has an executive team, elected by you and your colleagues. Your group also selects the bargaining team that will represent you in negotiations with your shared employer. You can find your current collective agreement on your Group Page.

2. Why should I pay attention to the bargaining process?

Bargaining is collective. That means rather than negotiating your terms of employment individually, the union leverages the collective power of all members in your group to ensure you get the best deal possible.

This bargaining process is what shapes your collective agreement, and your collective agreement is what shapes everything from your working conditions to your salary. The more you follow this process – and participate where you can – the more likely you are to end up with working conditions that meet your needs.

3. How does the union keep in touch with me during this process?

We will send you regular updates via email or text message to let you know how the bargaining process is going. We will also post updates on this page, and on our social media platforms. Make sure your contact information is up to date, and that you are following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you have specific questions during bargaining, you can send them to your shop steward or group bargaining teams!

4. Is anything expected of me during the bargaining process?

First of all, collective bargaining begins and ends with members, so it is crucial that you make sure your bargaining team knows your priorities. How can they represent you to the employer if you’re not telling them what you want? So when your bargaining survey comes out, please always take a few minutes to complete it.

Secondly, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to your bargaining team throughout the process through events (online and in-person) and via email. Your bargaining team wants and needs to hear from you.

Finally, it is very important that you read all communications from your Group, and that you show up to events. This will ensure that you have the most current information on the process. It will also enable you to chat with your colleagues about bargaining. You can even host a lunch and learn in your workplace to make sure everyone knows how to stay informed.

5. What sort of issues are discussed during collective bargaining?

Through negotiations, PIPSC bargaining teams and the employer’s representatives reach a collective agreement which contains provisions establishing the terms and conditions of employment, paid and unpaid leave, rates of pay, hours of work, and the rights and duties of the parties to the agreement.

6. Are there any issues not on the table during bargaining?

There are some issues that we do not bargain. There are other issues where ability to bargain varies from employer to employer.

For example, for federal government employees, we cannot bargain on your pension, your health or dental benefits, classification and staffing of positions, or administrative system changes (such as the dreaded Phoenix).

This is not to say the union doesn’t advocate for improvements and action on these important issues, but that work is done outside of bargaining. As an example, we have been working with other unions and partner organizations to review and improve the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP).

7. Will any salary changes be retroactive?

Generally, yes. Once your new collective agreement is ratified and signed, the implementation of the new agreement begins. This will include any pay increases that need to be applied retroactively. The retroactive payment period starts from when the previous collective agreement expired, and ends when your salary is adjusted to reflect the new rates of pay.

You are entitled to a personalized retro payment based on your work history, which includes things like overtime, acting assignments, etc. Some compensation is not subject to retro pay however, such as shift premiums or lump sum allowances.

Once your new collective agreement is ratified and signed and implementation begins, your bargaining team will provide updates on how and when you can expect your retro pay.

Published on 1 March 2023