In collaboration with colleagues in the HR Diversity and Employment Equity team, an inclusive working group of players across Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) came together. Representatives from the Employment Equity team, the Labour Relations team, employee unions, and the departmental PRIDE network developed the guide, Support for Trans Employees: A Guide for Employees and Managers (currently unavailable).

The purpose of this guide is to provide a safe, respectful and inclusive work environment for all employees, including trans and gender variant employees.

PIPSC’s Gordon Bulmer, a member of the working group, said that this work illustrates that "the Government of Canada can be a leader in social justice, not just a follower." The guide has received a Public Service Award of Excellence and is considered to be the beginning of a movement within the public service.

We celebrate this important step forward and are proud of our members who contributed their energy, expertise and passion to this project. Trans members deserve to thrive in their public service workplaces!

Launch of new Federal Public Service Workplace Accommodations Study, May 6 to 24, 2019

Dear colleagues,

The Office of Public Service Accessibility at Treasury Board Secretariat is conducting a study of existing workplace accommodation practices in the federal public service. Its objective is to identify common experiences, best practices and opportunities to remove barriers and improve workplace accessibility. Information gathered from this study will provide a baseline that can be used to measure progress as improvements are delivered over time.

The first phase of this study is a survey intended for current federal public servants who requested a workplace accommodation for themselves or for one of their employees in the past 3 years. Between May 6 and May 24, employees and supervisors can provide their comments directly through this online survey or review the questions in an accessible Word format and respond by email at accessibility.accessibilite@tbs-sct.gc.ca. Links to the online survey and accessible versions are available on the OPSA GCPedia page, using a Federal Government computer. If you are not able to use the link, you can also use the MS Word version of the survey (attached) and send your completed survey by email to accessibility.accessibilite@tbs-sct.gc.ca

The PIPSC Human Rights and Diversity Committee (HRDC) is committed to helping build awareness about accessibility issues and promoting an inclusive and welcoming work environment where all public servants can thrive. We encourage all PIPSC members to participate in this study. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the HR&DC if you have any questions or comments.

In solidarity,

Waheed Khan

Chair, HRDC

Director, NCR

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is asking for our support. The current parliamentary session will end mid-June and the AFN is asking us to sign three crucial petitions.

When passed, Bill C-262 will be a commitment from the federal government to act in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Bill C-91 will create the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages to protect and promote the fifty-eight distinct languages and ninety dialects in Canada. Languages are central to First Nations’ identities, cultures, spirituality, histories, and self-determination.

Canada must address the thousands of First Nations children taken from their families and placed in government care. Bill C-92 aims to protect First Nations children by prioritizing prevention over apprehension and ensuring children are kept in their homes or communities whenever possible.

SIGN THE PETITIONS

President Debi Daviau has signed the petitions, please take the time now to add your support. These important pieces of legislation must be addressed before the parliamentary session ends. If not, this work will be lost and new bills will need to be introduced after the next federal election – a major setback on these issues.  

This week, May 6-12, is National Nursing Week. We take this time to celebrate the incredible contributions nurses make to our public health care system and our communities. We are grateful.

We stand in solidarity with nurses across the country fighting for safe workplaces and to protect the public health care system that we all depend on. Take a moment to sign the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions petition calling for an end to violence in health care.

At the central bargaining table, we are fighting for pay protections, improved family leave and stronger anti-harassment measures. Nurses in our membership need these improvements to protect themselves at work and afford a healthy and sustainable work-life balance.

Show your support for our nurses and sign the Do Better pledge!

Sign the Pledge

Women from across the globe gathered in New York for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. At this sixty-third gathering of its kind, our own VP Norma Domey represented us as a part of the Canadian Labour Congress delegation.

This year’s meeting of the commission focused on social protection systems, access to public services, sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Themes which hold particular importance for trade unions.

VP Domey attended many sessions, official meetings, trainings, NGO briefings and valuable networking events. One of the many sessions focused on enhancing the role of women in the negotiation process as well as in building peace and security. The panel discussed best practices, women’s experiences, and identified possible entry points, mechanisms and recommendations to enhance women’s roles.

“It was an honour to represent my union and an inspiration to be organizing with so many powerful women from around the world. There is no doubt we have a long way to go, and in many ways these are tough times, but we have so much to work with.” Domey says.

On April 2nd, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) held its first-ever Indigenous Lobby Day on Parliament Hill, which was the first in Canadian labour history.

The CLC had 129 participants from 21 different union affiliates meeting with 78 Members of Parliament and Senators on Parliament Hill.  

Settler and Indigenous advocates alike stood together to call for:

Issue 1: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Inquiry

Issue 2: Access to Clean Drinking Water on Reserves

Issue 3: Honouring Residential School Children and Indigenous Education

Issue 4: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Our PIPSC lobby team of Steve Malenfant, Cheryl Morris, Charlotte Young, Tammy Okemaysim, Jordon Loverock, Greg Scriver, Kimberley Skanes (Atlantic Regional Director) and Norma Domey (Vice President) were in attendance. Our members are invested in Truth and Reconciliation and are passionate about equity and justice for Indigenous Peoples. 

Thank you to PIPSC’s CLC Indigenous Representative Greg Scriver, who helped coordinate, co-lead and organize this historical first-ever CLC Indigenous lobby day in collaboration with the CLC’s Anti-Racism and Human Rights Director Mojdeh Cox. This is important solidarity work and will continue until justice and equity is achieved.

The Canadian Labour Congress has released a must-read report on Islamophobia in the workplace. Islamophobia at Work: Challenges and Opportunities explores the rise of anti-Muslim attitudes and discrimination in Canada. It provides recommendations for employers, trade unions, and governments on how to address this pernicious phenomenon.

The report comes just weeks after the horrific terrorist attack at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Those attacks were a stark reminder of the urgency of addressing Islamophobia in our communities.

There has been a steady rise in hate crimes targeting Muslim communities in Canada over the past several years. In 2017, a young man consumed by hatred killed six men attending prayers at a Québec City mosque. His name was even cited by the New Zealand terrorist. 

That same year, reported hate crimes targeting Muslims rose by 151 percent across the country, which is alarming since many such crimes are often not reported due to a fear of backlash and reprisal. Meanwhile, members of far-right groups continue to mobilize online and offline, organizing anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rallies which further demonize these communities.

This report aims to address the impact of this harmful climate on Canadian workplaces with specific recommendations aimed at reinforcing the responsibility of employers to educate management and staff about legal obligations around human rights and religious accommodations. It further encourages governments to do more to support anti-racism awareness campaigns and develop strategies to address online hate. According to the report, trade unions must play an important role in championing fairness, equity and social justice for Muslims in Canada.

As a champion of the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, PIPSC contributed to the development of the report Building a Diverse and Inclusive Public Service, which makes recommendations to identify and address barriers to racialized people joining and advancing in the public service, and contributing their talents to serve Canadians. We continue to encourage the Treasury Board Secretariat to implement each of these recommendations as soon as possible.

We at PIPSC join the collective labour movement in denouncing all Islamophobia and racism and encourage our members to take part in anti-harassment and inclusiveness initiatives in their workplaces. We are now at the bargaining table fighting for stronger anti-harassment measures to ensure the public service is a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.

If you have any questions, please contact the Human Rights Committee, chrd-cdpd@pipsc.ca.

08 March 2019

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY traces back to the 1900s, rising from the labour movements in North America and Europe, signaling a growing movement for women to participate equally in society. The United Nations recognized 1975 as International Women's Year and began celebrating International Women's Day on March 8, later adopting a resolution designating March 8 as International Women's Day.

It is an opportunity to celebrate the progress made to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment and to reflect on the improvements made and strive for momentum towards gender equality worldwide. It is a day to recognize the extraordinary acts of women and to stand together, as a united force, to advance gender equality around the world.

This year's theme for calls for action, to harness the power of technology to create a more equal world. Innovation and technology represent opportunities, but trends show a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and design (STEM). It is a barrier to developing and influencing gender-responsive innovations and achieve transformative gains. It is imperative to remove the barriers facing women in STEM, so new ideas and solutions will be unleashed that will transform our society and strengthen our economy.

PIPSC invites members to celebrate, recognize and acknowledge the achievements of women in their life!

#IWD2019 #WomensDay #InnovateForChange #BalanceforBetter #WIKI4WOMEN

Status of Women Canada
https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/iwd-jif/theme-en.html

United Nations - International Women’s Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/index.shtml

UNESCO - Priority Gender Equality
https://en.unesco.org/genderequality

PIPSC 2019 Human Rights and Diversity Committee
Email chrd-cdpd@pipsc.ca