PIPSC marks the 50th anniversary of the coming into effect of the Official Languages Act on September 7, 1969, and the 10^th anniversary of the Linguistic Duality Day celebrated annually on the second Thursday of September throughout the public service of Canada.

The act establishes the equality of status of French and English. Accordingly, it sets out broad principles with respect to official languages in the federal public service.

Our overall position is that PIPSC supports bilingualism both as an organization, as demonstrated by our Policy on Official Languages, and in the public service of Canada.

Specifically, we support:

• The protection of both official languages, as well as Indigenous languages.
• The rights of all workers to work in their official language of choice – including full-time or part-time public servants and government contractors.
• The obligation to provide services in designated government offices in both official languages – whether service delivery is effected by full time or part-time public servants or government contractors.
• The work of the National Joint Council (NJC) on the upcoming reopening of the Bilingualism Bonus Directive, with an aim to better support the use of both official languages amongst federal government employees.

On March 2019, the government undertook a consultation exercise to review the Official Languages Act where PIPSC shared its views on improvements needed. Also, PIPSC staff and elected officials have participated in a town hall and forums, as well as joined other stakeholders at the Symposium on the 50^th anniversary of the Official Languages Act.

At the June Board of Directors’ meeting, PIPSC established a Standing Committee on Official Languages responsible for advising and making recommendations to the Board. The committee’s mandate will be presented and adopted at 2019 PIPSC AGM in November.

PIPSC’s Committee on Official Languages welcomes your comments and questions. Email us at gtlo_tfol@pipsc.ca.

Members like you play an important part in building, protecting and progressing communities across Canada. In celebrating the Institute’s 100th anniversary and the contributions of our members to our community, we’ve invited Ottawa artist Ryan Smeeton to create a special mural to honour the diverse impact of our members.

Ryan will paint the mural near our main office located at 250 Tremblay road. He has been a part of many inspirational public art installments and designed dozens of murals which can be identified by his unique style.

The mural will prominently display our 100th anniversary logo and be a source of beauty and inspiration for our work as a union. This is how the artist describes his concept for this mural:

"When I learned of the issues PIPSC has fought for, I was struck by the importance of your work … My goal is to create a mural that captures the spirit of PIPSC's purpose: building community to act collectively to improve its members’ lives. I represent this in my design with a linear composition featuring three figures; the first figure is seen pouring seeds from her palm, the second is seen holding a sapling, and the third is seen gazing out into the future.”

He said this concept represents the process of a PIPSC accomplishment from conception to implementation. First, the seeds of an idea are planted, then those seeds are nurtured so they can grow and gain momentum. Finally, the outcome is achieved – better conditions for members – and all those who collaborated to make those changes happen get to look towards a brighter future.

“As focal points within a composition, I strive to use figurative imagery that is stimulating, representative, and accessible,” Ryan said. “My goal is to create an engaging, eye-catching piece that will ultimately become a landmark in the area and will serve as a celebration of PIPSC’s successes, a source of pride for its members and staff, and an inspiration to continue Leading Progress."

As this year’s AGM marks the kick off of our 100th anniversary celebrations, there will be many projects and events coming up to celebrate our past and future success. The work on the mural will begin on September 9. The completed mural will be unveiled in late September 2019.

We thank our neighbours at Dustbane for their support for this project and their permission to use one of their walls for this mural.

The House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance launched its pre-budget 2020 consultations. As we have done in the past, PIPSC submitted a series of recommendations to make the next budget work for government employees. From ensuring the Phoenix replacement is brought in smoothly, to monitoring research metrics, we all win when large-scale projects are planned ahead and costed out. We invite you to read our 11 recommendations for Budget 2020.

READ OUR BUDGET 2020 RECOMMENDATIONS

Due to the upcoming federal election, there will be limited time to prepare Budget 2020. We expect the next government will not rush through the process and do the right thing by listening to Canada’s unions - our recommendations have been crafted to help the government avoid some of the costly errors made in the past. 

In the coming weeks, PIPSC will be launching our federal election toolkit that will enable members to learn what candidates support our priorities. We will be encouraging all Canadians to elect a government that protects public services and respects the people who provide them. 

As of August 27, 2019, Phoenix compensation days should be in your leave bank.

If you worked at least one day in 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and were paid by Phoenix, you are entitled to compensation. You should have received two days of leave for 2016-17 and one day of paid leave for each year of the subsequent fiscal years. 

You will also receive a compensation day for 2019-2020 after the end of this fiscal year.

If you believe an error was made in applying the compensation days to your leave bank please contact your department's human resources team. You should have an email from your department with this contact information. 

Retired and former employees, as well as estates of deceased employees will be able to make a claim to receive the cash equivalent of the leave days. This process will be available in the coming weeks.

We are working now to ensure this deal is extended to members who work for the House of Commons and the Senate. These members have not yet received compensation days.

Individual cases of Phoenix errors continue to be treated and employees will still receive the pay they are owed. An expanded claims process for financial losses that were caused due to Phoenix will be released in the coming weeks. There will also be a simplified process for resolving more serious damages caused by Phoenix.

For more information please visit our frequently asked questions. 

Now, more than ever, workers must come together and take a stand for a living minimum wage, safe work conditions, adequate health benefits and a secure retirement.  

We have had a big year of wins at the bargaining table, advancement on Phoenix and real progress on protecting our sick leave.

PIPSC members are celebrating our collective strength in Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver.

Join a PIPSC Labour Day Event

Medicare, minimum wage and parental leave were won thanks to working people across Canada. This is why every year on Labour Day, Canada’s unions celebrate working people as we all continue our work to improve the lives of all Canadians.

Unions across Canada are welcoming you to Labour Day events, parades and picnics.

Attend a labour event in your community!

The Department of Employment and Social Development is considering amending the labour code to provide menstruation products in federal workplaces. This would benefit about 480,000 public service workers.

Currently, under Part II of the Canadian Labour Code an employer is required to provide supplies including toilet paper, soap, warm water and a means to dry hands. This proposed change would add pads and tampons to this list.

Menstruation products are a basic necessity and essential to the health of women and people that menstruate. We responded to the federal government’s notice of intent and made clear that we support having a variety of menstrual products available in federally regulated and federal government workplaces.

Read our submission

We agree that menstrual products such as pads and tampons are essential to the health of Canadians, allowing them to participate fully in the workforce and society. Including menstrual products in workplaces is a concrete action that the federal government can take to move toward gender equity. Providing these supplies will decrease the menstruation stigma that is pervasive in our society and support better health outcomes.

It will take 18 to 24 months to complete the regulatory process of changing the Canada Labour Code, well beyond the federal election expected this October. This decision will be made by the next parliament.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) recently announced the creation of the Nursing Services Response Centre (NSRC), an important initiative aimed at addressing key issues faced by PIPSC nursing professionals working in remote regions of the country, including:

• Recruitment and retention
• Isolation
• Safety
• Workload
• Connectivity

The need to introduce innovative solutions to these problems, which have impacted the delivery of health services to remote northern communities, has been recognized for some time. Beginning in the spring of 2018, a series of joint employer/union consultations were held with hundreds of our members at some 75 work sites across Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Québec. ISC Consultation Team Co-President Ginette Tardif has been instrumental in this process of gathering feedback from front-line nurses and in the development of an effective plan to better assist them.

The current multi-tiered support system is based on a number of separate departmental resources, each of which uses a different set of processes and procedures. Response times and service standards are those of the traditional federal government workplace and have little in common with the realities of Northern Canada. In addition, the transition from Health Canada to ISC has had an adverse effect on the timeliness of support available to nurses in remote regions, exacerbating an already difficult situation.

In contrast, beginning this fall the NSRC will take its first steps towards ultimately offering a virtual, “single window” approach to providing nurses with a range of integrated, dedicated services and resources. Substantial enhancements will progressively be made to critical areas such as technical support, security, patient safety, receiving/triage, staffing, procurement, business support, training and the wellness of staff.

Nurses need the right tools to provide quality health care services in Canada’s remote communities. The creation of the Centre is an important step forward in this regard and an excellent example of what can be achieved when the Employer takes the time to work with our union and our members towards a common goal.

On June 18, 2019, PIPSC President Debi Daviau had the honour of addressing members of the Federal Black Employee Caucus (FBEC), an organization dedicated to combatting career obstacles in the public service such as racism, harassment, and under-representation.

Black employees, and other visible minorities, continue to face barriers after being hired in the public service, even though the educational qualifications of visible minorities are often higher than those of the average population.

That’s why PIPSC is proud of the fact that some outstanding visible minority candidates were recently elected to its Board of Directors. In particular, we saw the first Black woman elected to the Board, NCR Regional Director Jennie Esnard, and the first Black woman elected to the PIPSC Executive in its almost 100 year history, Vice-President Norma Domey.

The inclusion of underrepresented groups in the PIPSC leadership structure ensures that decisions, strategies, projects and member engagement reflect the needs of all our members.

The Institute values the diversity of the Canadian population and the unique talents and strengths that are inherent in a diverse workforce. Diversity makes our union stronger and we will continue to work toward increased active involvement and improved representation of visible minorities in Institute leadership roles. If we do not reflect our workplaces and communities, we will not survive as a union.

We are committed to working with our employers to create workplaces that are inclusive and barrier free. As a union, we have an active role to play in identifying and removing barriers that prevent any member from fully participating in all workplace activities and fulfilling their personal and professional dreams.

One key strategy pursued by PIPSC to achieve these objectives was to actively participate in the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, which consulted with over 12,000 public servants and invested over a year in drafting its report. NCR Regional Director Waheed Khan was co-chair of its Technical Committee.

The Task Force provided 44 recommendations to promote diversity and inclusion in the public service. We need to ensure, however, that this important report doesn’t just gather dust on a shelf. PIPSC is keeping a close eye on developments on this front, and was pleased when the government announced the establishment of a Centre of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellness, which is similar to the Centre of Excellence recommended by the Task Force. The Institute will be happy to work with the Treasury Board to ensure that the proposed Centre is action-oriented and that all employees, particularly Black employees, benefit from tangible results.

In addition, PIPSC supports the key “Asks” that the FBEC has identified.

We agree that data gaps must be filled and that a support network be created permitting Black community members to accomplish their professional goals, i.e. to obtain senior government positions.

We also believe that the federal government should assign Champions in each of its Departments.

And of course that the federal government show respect for the International Decade for People of African Descent.

We have communicated our support for this Caucus’ objectives in a letter to Treasury Board President Joyce Murray. 

If you receive disability payments currently or have received disability payments in the past, you may be entitled to a retroactive benefit payment adjustment from the Sunlife or Industrial Alliance disability plan. 

New collective agreements mean retroactive salary increases for many members. This entitles some members to retroactive increase in disability pay.

This retroactive payment will be automatically calculated and you do not need to apply.

MORE INFORMATION

The retroactive payment project is extensive and will run to the end of the year. If you have not received a retroactive payment that you believe you are entitled to, it may be issued later this year.  

Should you not have received an expected adjustment by January 2020, please reach out to your union representative. 

The recent adoption in Québec of Bill 21, which is ostensibly aimed at imposing “secularism” on the province’s public service and on the people who receive them, is a disgrace and a blatant violation of civil liberties and basic human rights. The law should immediately be repealed.

While current employees have been given some exemptions, the law prohibits the wearing of religious symbols by new public servants in positions of “authority”, such as teachers and police officers.

Not only does this law create two classes of pubIic servants, it violates unionized workers’ collective agreements by permitting discrimination based on prohibited grounds. Worse, it can only lead to further isolation and marginalisation of visible minorities in the province.

Canadians know that legal cover does not legitimize systemic discrimination of minorities on one pretext or another. That is why Canada has acknowledged the dark chapters in our history and has apologized for the Residential Schools of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, the head tax on Chinese immigrants under the Chinese Immigration Act (1885), the turning away of the Komagata Maru with 376 South Asians in 1914 and the internment of Canadians of Japanese origin in the 1940s. In the 21^st Century, Canada can ill afford to enact and implement a regressive and discriminatory law like Bill 21 that targets Canadians of Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths, who are guaranteed the freedom of practicing their religion and culture by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

As a staunch supporter of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), PIPSC applauds the campaign led by progressive organisations and labour unions who refuse to accept second-class citizenship for thousands of individuals across the cultural and religious spectrum.