Leading Progress: The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada 1920–2020 by Dr. Jason Russell, Canadian labour historian, is now available to all members in an e-book (epub) format.

Published on the centennial of PIPSC’s founding, Leading Progress is the definitive account of our evolution from 1920 to now – and a rare glimpse into an under-studied corner of North American labour history.

Author Dr. Jason Russell draws on a rich collection of sources, including archival material and oral history interviews with dozens of current and past PIPSC members. The story that unfolds is a complex one, filled with success and struggle, told with clarity and even-handedness.

After decades of demographic and generational shifts, economic booms and busts, and political sea change, PIPSC members will look towards our next hundred years with the same important mission that has guided us thus far: to advocate for social and economic justice that benefits all Canadians.

Get your free copy

Download your free copy of the e-book (epub) today: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1d1BtjV_vUd4AK3PyevR5y4HbtnC3NlAK?usp=sharing

Share it with your colleagues. 

Contact LAllan@pipsc.ca for a printed copy of the book.

About the book

The book has garnered praise:

 “Jason Russell’s stirring and comprehensive history of the first century of PIPSC’s innovative organizing among public professionals tells a marvelous story about the power of unionism – not just to lift the standards of work, but to build a stronger economy and society.”

• Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work

“Public sector unions remain one of the most vital structures for the protection of workers’ rights, but they also underpin many important values of our democratic institutions, including independence, neutrality, the unbiased use of evidence, equal treatment, and inclusion. In this excellent history, Jason Russell reminds us that we cannot rely on politicians alone to protect the values of our democratic system, and PIPSC exists to defend not only their hard-won rights, but also the rights of all Canadians.”

• Ken Rasmussen, Director, Professor and Graduate Chair, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina

“Leading Progress fills an important gap in labour studies literature, as it considers public employees and professionals, two constituencies whose unions are often understudied. By looking at the history of PIPSC inside and out, it gives a voice to many staff, leaders, and members of the organization through extensive interviews, showing that a union is not only a structure but also the reflection of workers’ identities and the ways they relate to their jobs as well as their communities.”

• Thomas Collombat, Associate Professor of Political Science, Université du Québec en Outaouais

From coast to coast, PIPSC members planted hundreds of trees to celebrate our 100^th anniversary.  PIPSC members are proud to promote environmental stewardship, which is more important than ever as we attempt to address the climate crisis by reducing our carbon footprint.

PIPSC partnered with Tree Canada, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to planting and nurturing trees. For 25 years, they’ve engaged communities, governments, corporations and individuals in the pursuit of a greener and healthier living environment for Canadians.

Since 1920, PIPSC members have held an integral role in collecting data that has confirmed we’re facing a climate crisis. Whether it’s surveying the health of our forests, mapping the stars, or protecting the vitality of our marine ecosystems, the services provided by PIPSC members are services that all Canadians rely on.

The federal pay equity process is underway to ensure that workers in women-dominated jobs receive equal pay for work of equal value. 

On August 31, 2021, all federally regulated employers became subject to the new proactive pay equity legislation. The new legislation replaces an ineffective complaint-based pay equity model.

PIPSC worked with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to develop the regulations that will implement the legislation.

Under the legislation, employers and unions must work together to establish a pay equity committee that will develop and implement a pay equity plan by 2024. PIPSC classification agents will be coordinating pay equity projects and representing your interests throughout the process.

Pay equity process

As a first step, employers must post a notice setting out their pay equity obligation by November 1, 2021. Joint employer-union committees will then develop pay equity plans to check that employees are receiving equal pay for work and to resolve any pay gaps.

A Pay Equity Commissioner will provide further support to the committees and offer any dispute resolution services should the need arise. 

Finally, the plans will be reviewed and updated at least every 5 years, ensuring the employer’s compensation policies remain free of gender bias.

How to get involved

If you have any concerns or want to inform us of developments in your workplace, please email compensation@pipsc.ca. We will keep you updated as the process unfolds.

The Institute is saddened to learn of the passing of Marie-Claude Lavigne on November 18, 2021. Marie-Claude worked as a psychologist at Correctional Services of Canada in Québec. She was a dedicated employee and an active PIPSC steward from 1985 to 1996 at the Leclerc Institution in Laval. 

Marie-Claude looked after the well-being of her colleagues and defended them passionately. Marie-Claude took on many challenges and was a great source of inspiration.

At the time of her retirement in 2007, Marie-Claude was working for the Parole Office. She will be dearly missed. We offer our sincerest condolences to her family and friends.

Condolences and memories can be expressed online.

On November 16, 2021, President Debi Daviau met with recently appointed Treasury Board President Mona Fortier to discuss the way forward on our members’ key issues.

The discussion focused on scientific integrity, equity and diversity, Public Service Health Care Plan improvements, and the potential resumption of negotiations on the Employee Wellness Support Program.

Although she had not received her mandate from the PM yet, Minister Fortier identified her top 3 priorities in her new role:

• good faith negotiations
• open communications
• collaboration

The Minister was very complimentary of the work PIPSC had done with the government and previous Treasury Board Presidents, and shared that she had received many positive comments from colleagues about us.

We look forward to further discussions with Minister Fortier on these and other issues of significant importance to our members, such as flexible work arrangements, safe workplaces, and the next round of collective bargaining.

We condemn the New Brunswick government’s ban on territorial acknowledgements by government employees.

Whether it’s supporting Indigenous History Month, Indigenous Day Live, or the PIPSC Indigenous Caucus, our members regularly take action for reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Territorial acknowledgements are an important part of this action. We call on Hugh Fleming, New Brunswick Minister of Justice, to immediately cancel this decision. Union members should be allowed to acknowledge the Indigenous territory on which they work.

Contact a steward at your workplace if you face disciplinary measures for using territorial acknowledgements.

We stand in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of New Brunswick. We also add our voice to the New Brunswick Federation of Labour who called on the New Brunswick government to reverse this directive.

On October 26, 2021 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his new cabinet. PIPSC welcomes the appointment of the Honourable Mona Fortier as the new President of the Treasury Board.

As the Member of Parliament who represents the riding of Ottawa-Vanier, Minister Fortier has a good understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by professional public service employees, many of whom are her constituents. When the Phoenix fiasco first made headlines, she reached out to us to see how she could help with the situation. We welcomed her engagement at the time, and we will continue to brief her on public service issues from the perspective of our members.

Once the next PIPSC president has been elected, we will be asking for a meeting to discuss our union’s current priorities: flexible work arrangements for our members, safe workplaces, and bargaining (which may potentially start as early as February 2022).

We look forward to a productive and consultative relationship with Minister Fortier.

As workplaces and jobs change, our new application will mean professionals can access trailblazing research, gain valuable insights on how societal changes will impact their jobs, and access professional development opportunities that can help them advance their careers.

An opinion by Debi Daviau

Two years ago, who could have imagined that the tens of thousands of public servants who normally work at locations such as Place du Portage would now be working from their living rooms, bedrooms, and dining room tables? Anticipating changes to labour markets and equipping workers with the new skills needed to adapt to dynamically shifting workplaces is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, writes Debi Daviau. The Hill Times

There are many lessons to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, but surely the greatest lesson is the need to be better prepared. The next crisis is coming and whether it's a cyber security breach, a health crisis, or climate related, our public service must be ready.

To handle these future crises and be prepared to deal with pervasive societal changes, Canada needs a well-trained and resilient public service. Canada's public service has been recognized as one of most effective worldwide, but we need to continue to up-skill public servants so that we can be ready the next time a crisis hits. The reality is that most employers, including the Government of Canada, have not yet begun to seriously address the challenges of rapidly changing workplaces and evolving technologies, like automation and AI. The public service needs to prepare now and gain a better understanding of what skills are needed for the jobs of the future and what kind of training do public servants require.

Change is now the norm for our workplaces and Canada's public service is no exception. Two ago, who could have imagined that the tens of thousands of public servants who normally work at Tunney's Pasture, Place du Portage, and Brooke Claxton would now be working from their living rooms, bedrooms, and dining room tables? Anticipating changes to labour markets and equipping workers with the new skills needed to adapt to dynamically shifting workplaces is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

To rise to these challenges, employers, workers, governments, and unions must all work together on innovative, new, long-term solutions.

For our part, the Professional Institute for the Public Service (PIPSC) is seeking to use the latest cutting-edge technologies to help Canada's professional public service prepare to succeed in the face of the swirling forces of technological, social, environmental, and economic change. We want to help our members access the career advice and skills they need to thrive professionally and provide exceptional service to Canadians.

With a new investment of $2.6-million from the Future Skills Centre (FSC), PIPSC is now developing a novel tool to help train and educate professional public servants. As workplaces and jobs change, our new application will mean professionals can access trailblazing research, gain valuable insights on how societal changes will impact their jobs, and access professional development opportunities that can help them advance their careers.

We have heard time and again from our members that they want to improve their skills and be prepared for technological change-like growing automation and AI. Our research showed an overwhelming majority-70 per cent of our members-expressed a strong desire for better educational and professional development opportunities. Professional public servants are looking for help to start developing the skills today that will make them successful in tomorrow's workplace.

PIPSC is looking to engage the government in a spirit of collaboration around future workplace planning and addressing the pressing challenge of reskilling and upskilling the public service. The work we are doing will help make sure Canada's professional public service is ready to flourish and meet the next crisis, head on.

Remember, when our public service succeeds, that means the Government of Canada is succeeding in providing everyday Canadians with the services they rely on. Today, tomorrow, and into the future. That is something we should all get behind.

Debi Daviau is president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Originally posted on The Hill Times on October 13, 2021.

Over the past 19 months, Canadians have seen how public service professionals are vital in times of national emergency. To handle future crises and deal with rapidly changing workplaces, Canada needs a well-trained public service.

To address these needs, PIPSC is pleased to announce a partnership with the Future Skills Centre (FSC). FSC will contribute $2.5 million over 3 years towards an innovative initiative to help public service professionals gain the skills they will need to thrive in their careers.

READ THE RELEASE

“Anticipating changes to labour markets and equipping workers with the skills needed to adapt to rapidly changing workplaces is one of the challenges of our time,” said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “We are excited to be working with the Future Skills Centre to help members of the professional public service prepare for the future and continue providing Canadians with the vital public services they rely on.”