Dear Members,

Last month, I had the opportunity to represent PIPSC and the Canadian labour movement at the Labour 7 (L-7) summit in Ottawa. This was a preparatory meeting hosted by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) leading up to the G-7 meeting this summer in Québec.  As a CLC Vice-President, I was invited to participate in this important discussion of how we can best tackle the challenges facing workers today and in the future.  Topics included ensuring the innovation agenda is inclusive, gender equality, and adapting to technological change. 

It was a unique opportunity to meet with labour leaders from the G-7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) and to discuss our issues with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and key members of his Cabinet. Not only did we enjoy an open and frank discussion with the Prime Minister, but we also had the opportunity to engage in a productive dialogue with Ministers Patty Hadju (Employment, Workforce Development and Labour), Maryam Monsef (Status of Women), and Chrystia Freeland (Foreign Affairs). 

Below are a few photos from the two-day session, including one of me with our Prime Minister, and the other with an impressive group of international women leaders that I was humbled to meet.

Better Together!
Debi Daviau

Happy National Nursing Week to all nursing professionals across Canada!

Every day, your hard work improves the lives of Canadians. During this special week, the theme of “Yes This Is Nursing,” reminds us of the diverse work that nurses take on from monitoring patients’ health to performing critical diagnostic tests and administering lifesaving, innovative treatments.

On behalf of the Professional Institute, I want to thank the over 3,000 nurses who work in a variety of departments and institutions across the country.

To celebrate this occasion, I’d like to share a profile of PIPSC member Valerie Emery who explains the challenges and benefits of her work in a Whitehorse emergency room:

Watch the video.

As she expresses so well:

“In the emergency room, people come in and it’s the worst day of their lives. So just meeting them where they’re at and being able to help them through their crisis for the day…it gives me joy to be able to do that for them and their families.”

To Valerie and all her colleagues across the country, thank you again for your invaluable contribution to the well-being of Canadians and for bringing the principles of caring, and community to our health care system.

Better together!
Debi Daviau
 

Like all Canadians, members of the Institute are shocked by the senseless deaths and horrific injuries that occurred yesterday afternoon in Toronto.  Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

The tragedy took place in front of a major public service office building located at 4900 Yonge street.  We don’t know at this time if any of our members were hurt in the catastrophe, and the vicinity of the building is the site of an ongoing investigation by Toronto police.  As such, it is possible that access to the facility may be restricted today.  We will keep you informed of developments as information becomes available.

Debi Daviau
President

ServicePlus, your member benefit program, will be awarding major prizes to three members who visit the ServicePlus Website during the "Spring Into Summer" contest March 20 to June 1, 2018.

These prizes include: a $5000 WestJet gift card, a $3000 The Brick gift card and 100 000 Choice Privileges® Rewards points (Choice Hotels).

What’s more, for each PIPSC member that requests a home or automobile quote, Aviva Canada will donate $5 to the PIPSC Legacy Foundation, up to $7500 in total.

Here is the link https://www.serviceplusgroup.ca .

Funding for this contest is provided entirely by the ServicePlus partners through affinity revenues. No purchase necessary, skill testing question required.

ServicePlus is your member benefits program where you can take advantage of preferential rates, discounts and savings on a variety of products and services available exclusively to members.

How to Qualify

To qualify, members simply have to visit any one of our ServicePlus "Partner" pages and fill out the contest entry form provided and a skill testing question. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest.

Draw Date

The draw will take place June 4, 2018.

Enter between March 20th & June 1st to win!

A Special General Meeting was held to consider the decision of a Panel of Peers to remove Mr. Peter Taticek from his duties as a Board member.

In keeping with the legislation governing the Institute, a Special General Meeting of the NCR members held a democratic vote and decided against implementing the decision of the Panel of Peers.

As always, the Institute's focus remains on getting results for our members. Governance issues can be common in democratic organizations, but they have never distracted the Institute from serving our 55,000 professional members. As evidenced by our recent achievements at the bargaining table and our growing influence on the government's agenda, our union is stronger than ever.

Finally we are seeing two long-overdue improvements to the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP): coverage of non-oral contraceptive methods and an electronic system for making vision care and paramedical claims.

Currently, only oral contraceptives (the birth control pill) are covered. Along with other federal public sector unions, PIPSC has long argued that it is discriminatory for oral contraceptives only to be covered under our health plan. The recommendation will go to Treasury Board for final approval and recommends the effective date of April 1, 2018. Our members will very soon be able to choose the birth control method best suited to their needs.

In addition, a long awaited electronic claims system will also be in place as of April 1, 2018. It promises to provide reimbursements more quickly and will be available through the web and a mobile app. 

This new system will be available for vision care claims, any covered paramedical service, such as massage therapy and physiotherapy, as well as some medical equipment and supplies. You must register with Sun Life to access this service. Please refer to both the health plan and Sun Life websites for more details, which will soon be released.  

PIPSC, along with other unions, will continue the process of negotiating a host of improvements to the PSHCP with the Treasury Board.

On February 6, 2018 PIPSC President Debi Daviau led a dozen-strong Institute delegation to Ottawa’s Parliament Hill as part of the Canadian Labour Congress’ (CLC) annual Lobby Day.

Some 300 Canadian labour movement representatives took the Hill by storm that day, participating in over two hundred meetings with federal Ministers, Members of Parliament and Senators to discuss the issues of Pharmacare, Pay Equity, Employment Insurance and Retirement Security.

Not only is the CLC Lobby Day a significant opportunity for Canada’s elected officials to better understand the interests of working people across the country, it is an excellent demonstration of the ongoing strength and vitality of Canada’s labour movement.

The Institute’s Greg Scriver and Waheed Khan, joined by colleagues from other labour organizations, meet with Member of Parliament Andrew Leslie.

PIPSC President Debi Daviau with fellow labour activists and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Patricia Hajdu.