PIPSC RCMP civilian members’ concerns have been heard. It’s been recommended that deeming is delayed due to Phoenix.

The President of the Treasury Board, Jean-Yves Duclos, in consultation with the Minister of Public Safety, Bill Blair, has decided to recommend to the Treasury Board not to proceed with the planned RCMP deeming date of May 21, 2020.

“This is the right decision and a win for our members. We are pleased to hear that our civilian members’ concerns with Phoenix have been heard loud and clear,” said Debi Daviau, PIPSC President. “I want to thank all PIPSC members for standing with the RCMP civilian members by emailing decision-makers.”

Thousands of PIPSC members emailed key decision-makers to stop the transition of RCMP civilian members to Phoenix. They asked them to delay deeming and remain with the current pay system until the government introduces a new, fully functional pay system.

Brenda Lucki, the RCMP Commissioner, contacted RCMP civilian members to inform them that extensive testing on the stability of the Phoenix pay system was completed and that they concluded they were “not completely satisfied that all conditions are in place to successfully proceed with deeming.”

“We will continue to work with the Treasury Board and the RCMP Commissioner to ensure that we have a clear path forward. We must ensure that there are appropriate mechanisms to bring the RCMP into the public service,” said Daviau.

As PIPSC leadership continues their work with the RCMP Commissioner, we will keep RCMP civilian members informed of any changes or progress.

The existing terms and conditions of RCMP civilian members’ employment remain unchanged with this announcement.

Any RCMP civilian members who experience any workplace issues should contact their steward.

Protests in support of the Wet'suwet'en people are taking place across the country. These protests have been escalating in British Columbia and Ottawa.

We support the right to protest guaranteed by the Charter, and the safety and well-being of our members is very important.

As a PIPSC member working in areas where a protest may be occurring, here is what you need to know:

• You have the right to refuse to work or cross a picket line in the event you are unable to safely access your workplace and/or safely perform your duties.
• Please do not confront protesters or place your safety at risk.
• If you have any concerns about your safety, please immediately contact both your supervisor and a PIPSC steward in your workplace for accurate information about how to proceed.
• In the event that you are unable to safely access your workplace and/or safely perform your duties and your employer refuses to pay you for missed hours, please contact a steward.

If you have any questions or concerns your stewards are here to help. If you are unable to reach a steward, please contact an Employment Relations Officer. 

We stand in solidarity with the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (EFTO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF).

The Ford government’s reckless cuts to public education are already impacting classrooms:

• reduced support for students with special education needs and mental health issues
• overcrowded classrooms
• mandatory e-learning courses for high school students

Just as we have seen in the public health system, the Ford government is pulling resources out of the public education system and laying the groundwork for private interests to profit from our students’ education. We must fight back.

We encourage students, parents and all labour activists to join education unions on the picket lines to send a strong message to the government that they must stop the cuts that hurt kids.

All four Ontario teachers’ unions, representing nearly 200,000 teachers and education workers, are holding a one-day province-wide strike on February 21. Nearly 200,000 teachers and education workers will strike across 72 school boards, affecting nearly 5,000 schools across the province in protest of the government funding cuts to education.

We must fight back against the Ford government’s attack on workers.

We are proud to join eleven Ontario unions representing more than 250,000 provincial public sector employees in a coordinated Charter challenge against Bill 124. This unconstitutional legislation would allow the provincial government to impose salary caps, including for pensions and benefits, on a variety of unionized and non-unionized public sector workplaces.

We must fight in solidarity with education unions to protect public education.
 

Over the past few days, the media has reported illnesses among federal employees working at the Terrasses de la Chaudière office complex in Gatineau. The government has hired an engineering firm to investigate the numerous air and water quality, and mould and insect issues reported by public service employees located in these facilities.

In addition to the health hazards currently under scrutiny, many older federal facilities throughout Canada are also filled with asbestos. Even newer buildings are known to suffer from leaking and other issues.

"The inexcusable state of federal buildings across the country is an extremely concerning situation that can only be corrected by a long-term, and expensive, commitment on the part of the government," says Debi Daviau, PIPSC President.

We took part in employer consultations about the state of affairs at the Terrasses complex and we will continue to keep a very close watch on the situation.

"But no matter where they are located, PIPSC members must under no circumstances be exposed to unhealthy and hazardous work environments," continued Daviau.

"I expect the government to take immediate and decisive action to address these issues, no matter the cost. This could include moving employees to uncontaminated locations while renovations to their offices take place or providing them with greater flexibility to work from home until problems are resolved. I’m tired of short-term solutions and I want to see a detailed plan from the government right away."

As consultations continue, we will keep members informed about new developments.

Eddy Carmack is a retired PIPSC member who has received many awards for his work in oceanography, especially related to climate change and northern climate science. He has received the Officer of the Order of Canada award for 2020.

The Order of Canada is part of the Canadian Honours System that recognizes the outstanding contributions of Canadians to their community, and their service to the nation. Officers of the Order of Canada are individuals who are beyond exceptional in their contributions to Canadians. 

As an oceanographer and northern climate expert, Eddy has contributed a great deal of knowledge and research that helps us understand climate trends today. During his career, he participated in over 90 field investigations in the Antarctic, Arctic, Yukon and Siberia where he collaborated with other researchers from around the world. 

He is the 2007 Massey medalist of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and the 2010 Tully medalist for the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, among many other awards and accomplishments. 

In his retirement, he researches the Northwest Passage and BC waters from his own small vessel. 

We are proud of PIPSC members like Eddy. 

Every day, public servants give their best at work to make a difference in the lives of Canadians, and they deserve the best in return. From food and agriculture to oceanography and climate science, our public service makes the world a better place — and we have people like Eddy to thank for it. 

Congratulations, Eddy! 

READ MORE ABOUT PIPSC MEMBERS

Your union is turning 100 years old! That means 100 years of history, progress and hard work serving Canadians.

We know that every day, you give 100%. You’re part of a unique community of 60 000 members who are leading progress: fighting for equal pay and human rights, protecting whistleblowers, guaranteeing strong pensions, ensuring scientific integrity, tax fairness, public safety and more. We are proud to defend the services Canadians rely on. 

Tell us why you’re proud to be a PIPSC member (minimum 50 words).

All regular PIPSC members and retired members are eligible for a chance to win a $250 gift card from ServicePlus to The Brick.

The contest is now closed.

Each year the Treasury Board undertakes the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES). In 2019, a total of 182,306 employees in 86 federal departments and agencies responded to the survey. Sixty-two percent of public servants responded.

Harassment remains a serious issue in the federal public service. The results of the 2019 Public Service Employee Survey indicate no significant changes in levels of harassment in the workplace.

Most concerning, levels of harassment of gender diverse people remain very high. Twenty-nine percent of gender diverse people indicate that they had experienced harassment in their workplace. This is more than double the rate of harassment experienced by people identified as women or men.

This is unacceptable. Every person deserves a workplace safe from harassment and the federal government should be setting the standard for the private sector. 

Only 51% of respondents to the survey were satisfied with how harassment is resolved in their department. Of gender diverse respondents only 32% were satisfied with how harassment is resolved in their department. 

Forty-five percent of individuals identifying as gender diverse would not describe their workplaces as promoting psychological wellness. 

We are sounding the alarm - gender diverse public servants deserve stronger protections and safe workplaces. 

Each year the Treasury Board undertakes the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES). In 2019, a total of 182,306 employees in 86 federal departments and agencies responded to the survey. Sixty-two percent of public servants responded. 

Year to year, we highlight for you the trends in workplace harassment, wellness, and Phoenix.

Workplace harassment

Harassment in the federal public service persists as a significant and largely unaddressed problem. We are extremely concerned with the high levels of harassment reported by gender diverse people. Twenty-nine percent of gender diverse survey respondents indicate that they had experienced harassment in their workplace.

Reports of harassment overall are declining, but very slowly.

Only 51% of all respondents to the PSES are satisfied with how harassment is resolved in their department.

Psychological wellness

Sixty-one percents of respondents describe their workplace as promoting psychological wellness and actively working to prevent harm to employee psychological health. An increase of 3% from 2018.

This still means that a shocking 39% of public servants do not find that their workplaces are promoting psychological wellness. 

Significantly, 45% of individuals identifying as gender diverse do not describe their workplaces as promoting psychological wellness.

Phoenix

The news with respect to the Phoenix Pay System continues to disappoint.

Four percent more public servants reported being impacted by Phoenix last year than in the previous year. That’s 74% of public servants impacted by Phoenix in 2019.

Over half of respondents to the PSES who experienced a Phoenix issue have not had their issues resolved. Only 44% of respondents report that all pay and compensation issues have been resolved. A 9% improvement from 2018. 

Sixty percent of respondents are not satisfied with the support they receive related to pay issues.

Compare this year’s results with our analysis from 2018.

We're proud to join eleven Ontario unions representing more than 250,000 provincial public sector employees in a coordinated Charter challenge against Bill 124.

“Bill 124 is a direct attack on our members and on workers’ rights in Ontario,” said President Debi Daviau. “We will fight this law and the dangerous precedent it sets for labour rights in our country.”
 
Bill 124, euphemistically named the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, violates the Charter-protected right to free and fair collective bargaining. It allows the provincial government to impose salary caps, including for pensions and benefits, on a variety of unionized and non-unionized public sector workplaces.

Workers affected by Bill 124 include those employed by the provincial government, crown agencies, school boards, universities and colleges, hospitals, non-profit long-term care homes, children’s aid societies, social service agencies and the electricity and energy sectors. This includes PIPSC members in the following groups: 

• Ontario Medical Physicists (MP)
• Sunnybook 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)
• University of Ottawa IT Professionals (UOITP)

Labour leaders in Ontario are determined to see an end to Bill 124.

The Ontario Labour movement, with the Power of Many, will be initiating a public campaign to repeal Bill 124.

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is leading the charge. “The OFL stands in solidarity with the education unions that have recently launched their challenges to the application of Bill 124 in the education sector, as we escalate the opposition to this government’s continued attack on the Charter rights of all Ontarians. Together, we are launching an aggressive campaign to demand the Ford Conservatives repeal this unconstitutional legislation,” said Patty Coates, OFL President.

“This challenge is about defending workers’ rights protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” stated CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “When the Ford Conservatives demand that we must all do our part, instead of targeting working people the government should be taxing profitable corporations and the wealthiest in our communities. Charter rights matter, human rights matter, workers’ rights matter.”
 
“For workers in equity-seeking groups – racialized workers, workers with a disability, Indigenous workers, and women, collective agreements are essential to ensuring fairness in the workplace,” said Sharleen Stewart, President of SEIU Healthcare. “For the government to set limits on bargaining undermines the rights of workers who already face systemic discrimination across the board.”
 
In recent years, unions have successfully coordinated together to challenge legislation that violates workers’ rights, such as the Liberals’ Bill 115, which interfered with collective bargaining in the education sector. The courts ruled that Bill 115 violated workers’ Charter rights. In the face of legal challenges, a coordinated resistance campaign, and public opposition, the bill was repealed.

The joint Charter challenge announced today is being brought by a coalition of public and private sector unions that represent workers across the broader public sector, including:

• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU Healthcare)
• United Steelworkers (USW)
• Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)
• Society of United Professionals (IFPTE) Local 160
• Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE Ontario)
• AMAPCEO
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
• Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 175
• Ontario Nurses Association (ONA)

Additional unions and organizations representing public sector workers in Ontario are expected to join this coordinated challenge or pursue their own separate legal challenges to Bill 124 in the coming weeks.
 

3.6 million Canadians cannot afford to fill their prescriptions. Our friends and neighbours are forced to choose between groceries and medicine.

Canada remains the only developed country with a universal public health insurance system that does not include universal coverage for prescription drugs.

We have joined 150 organizations across Canada calling on the new federal government to immediately implement universal, public pharmacare.

Read the Pharmacare Now statement 

National pharmacare should be a seamless extension of the existing universal health care system in Canada, which covers medically necessary physician and hospital services, and operates in harmony with the principles of the Canada Health Act.

We cannot continue with this dysfunctional patchwork system for drug coverage that is unfair, inefficient and expensive. We have more than 100 public drug plans and 113,000 private plans across the country. And we are paying the third highest drug prices in the world.

This situation is a violation of the principles and values at the heart of our universal public health care system and it is economically unsustainable.

A universal public pharmacare program will provide equal access and coverage to all Canadians.

It will save billions of dollars because governments will combine their bulk-buying power to negotiate lower drug prices and volume discounts with drug companies.
 
Canadians are proud of our universal public health care system, which is based on need and not ability to pay. It is time to build on this proud legacy and take the next bold step of implementing a universal public pharmacare program.

That is why we have joined with health care providers, non-profit organizations, unions, workers, seniors, patients and academics from across the country to urge all parties to work together to implement pharmacare before the next election.