February 5, 2018

The 55 unions represented on the Canadian Council of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) recognize without exception that when one of our affiliates is attacked, our movement is attacked.

Therefore, the CLC condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the decision and actions of the Unifor leadership to disaffiliate from the CLC and raid the members of UNITE HERE! Local 75 in the Greater Toronto Area. Raiding a union is a deplorable act that is irreconcilable with the principles of solidarity on which our movement was founded. The actions of Unifor are made worse when they defend their raiding activities with nationalist justifications and wholesale attacks on international unions. 

Our Congress is made up of national, international and provincial unions from both the private and public sectors. The solidarity between these unions is where our movement derives its strength and integrity. The contribution to building our movement and defending workers' rights and human rights in Canada by our international affiliates cannot be discounted, disrespected, or dishonoured. The CLC will continue to value and defend all of our members from attacks on their unions regardless of whether they are provincial, national, or international. 

It is this solidarity that has led to the enhancement of labour laws, expansion of the Canada Pension Plan, the comprehensive ban on asbestos, the creation of a Just Transition task force, the increase of the minimum wage in a number of jurisdictions, and the gains on leave for survivors of domestic violence, to name only a few. 

The unions of the Canadian Labour Congress pledge to:

• Work together to protect our members from raids and organize the unorganized; 
• Defend our members and their international unions from baseless attacks; and
• Recommit our efforts to the political action necessary to improve the lives of all workers.

The Canadian Labour Congress represents over 3 million workers and brings together Canada's national, international, and provincial unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 107 district labour councils, whose members work in virtually all sectors of the Canadian economy, in all occupations, in all parts of Canada.

Signed by,

Hassan Yussuff
President
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

Marie Clarke Walker
Secretary-Treasurer
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

Donald Lafleur
Executive Vice-President
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

Larry Rousseau
Executive Vice-President
Canadian Labour Congress(CLC)

Captain Dan Adamus
President
Canada Board
Air Line Pilots Association International-Canada Board Office (ALPA)

Robert Ashton
President
International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU)

Brian Baker
National Executive Director
Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)

Robyn Benson
National President
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)

Harvey Bischof
President
Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF)

David Black
National President
Canadian Office and Professional Employees' Union (COPE)

Daniel Boyer
President
Quebec Federation of Labour (QFL)

Larry Brown
National President
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)

Anita Bryan
United Steelworkers (USW)

Chris Buckley
President
Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL)

Jessica Burnie
V-P Representing Workers with Disabilities

Danny Cavanagh
President
Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL)

Patrick Colford
President
New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL)

Anouk Collet
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)

Bill Daniels
International Vice-President
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

Debi Daviau
President and CEO
The Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)

Sharon DeSousa
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)

David Doyle
International Canadian Vice-President
Glasss Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMP)

Danielle Dubuc
V-P Representing Workers of Colour

Jody Dukart
International Auditor/Teller
United Mine Workers of America (UMW)

Vince Engel
International Vice-President, Western Canada
International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (IAHFIAW)

James Given
President
Seafarers' International Union of Canada (SIU)

Sam Hammond
President
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO)

Mark Hancock
National President
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

Glen Hansman
President
British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF)

Lorraine Hewlett
President
Northern Territories Federation of Labour (NTFL)

Len Hope
President
Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC)

Larry Hubich
President
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL)

Milt Isaacs
Chief Executive Officer
Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA)

James Jackson
Director of Canadian Affairs
Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA)

Patricia Knight
Teamsters Canada

Darrell LaBoucan
8th General Vice-President
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IABSORIW)

Irene Lanzinger
President
British Columbia Federation of Labour (BCFL)

François Laporte
President
Teamsters Canada

Fred LeBlanc
13th District Vice-President
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

Justin Lemphers
President
Yukon Federation of Labour (YFL)

John Lewis
International Vice-President and Director of Canadian Affairs
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada (IATSE)

Suzanne MacNeil
V-P Representing Atlantic Region Labour Councils

George MacPherson
President
Shipyard General Workers' Federation of British Columbia (SGWBC)

Joseph Maloney
International Vice-President Eastern Canada
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (IBB)

Joseph S. Mancinelli
International Vice-President and Regional Manager
Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)

Anthony Marco
V-P Representing Ontario Region Labour Councils

Brenda McAuley
National President
Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA)

Gil McGowan
President
Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL)

Paul Meinema
National President
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)

Steve Morrison
International Vice-President and Director of Canadian Affairs
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA) 

Patrick Murphy
Vice-President
International Longshoremen's Association (ILA)

Kenneth G. Neumann
National Director
United Steelworkers (USW)

Martin O'Hanlon
President
Communications Workers of America, Canada (CWA/SCA Canada)

Casey Oraa
V-P Representing LGBTQ2SI

Yves Ouellet
Director General
FTQ-Construction

Mike Palecek
National President
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)

Stan Pickthall
General Vice-President
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM&AW)

Ron Piercey
International Vice-President
Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM)

Danielle Pohl
V-P Representing Pacific Region Labour Councils

Bill Pollock
President
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW Local 251)

Carl Pursey
President
Prince Edward Island Federation of Labour (PEIFL)

Lionel Railton
Canadian Regional Director
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)

Kevin Rebeck
President
Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL)

Candace Rennick
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

Dany Richard
President
Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO)

Ian Robb
Canadian Director
UNITE HERE!

Carmen Rogers-Jones
V-P Representing Young Workers) 

Ronald Rousseau
V-P Representing Aboriginal Workers

Jason Rowe
Canadian Vice-President
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA)

Mary Shortall
President
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL)

Linda Silas
President
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU)

Stephanie Smith
National Union of Public and General Employees/ British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (NUPGE/BCGEU)

Basia Sokal
V-P Representing Prairie Region Labour Councils

David Sparrow
National President
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)

Ainsworth Spence
V-P Representing Workers of Colour

Sharleen Stewart
International Canadian Vice-President
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Liz Stuart
President
Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA)

Paul Thorp
President
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)

Scott Travers
President
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE

Terri Van Steinburg
President
National Union of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (NUCAUT)

Ann Waller
Labourers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)

Alan Willaert
Vice-President from Canada
Canadian Federation of Musicians (AFM/CFM)

Pauline Worsfold
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU)

The news that Canada’s largest private-sector union, Unifor, has decided to withdraw its membership from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has taken many by surprise.

PIPSC believes that Canada’s labour movement is always stronger together. We remain firm affiliates of the Canadian Labour Congress and will continue to work with other unions for the benefit of our own members and for all Canadian workers.

We also remain hopeful that a resolution that would allow Unifor to return to the CLC can soon be reached.

We will continue to monitor the current situation closely and communicate with our members as further information becomes available.

Better Together,

Debi Daviau

President

It is with great sadness that the Institute announces the death of one of its most prominent members, Dr. Shiv Chopra.

Over the years, Dr. Chopra’s name had become synonymous with food security. Employed as a veterinary drug evaluator at Health Canada, he was one of three scientists dismissed by the federal government in July 2004 on the grounds of “insubordination” after they had publicly raised concerns about the approval of products they had reason to believe could harm the food chain and, ultimately, the lives of Canadians.  A courageous whistleblower who put the interests of all Canadians ahead of his own, Dr. Chopra fought unsuccessfully for many years to get his job back. He was truly a man of integrity, and he will be missed.

The Institute extends its condolences to Dr. Chopra’s family and to the many friends and colleagues who were privileged to know him.

Condolences and memories can be expressed online.

Fellow Members,

Predictions are rarely 100% accurate. But some offer better-educated guesses than others. Here then are my forecasts (and a few resolutions) for the coming year.

Phoenix

2018 is a make-or-break year for the federal government’s credibility on the Phoenix payroll system. (Or is that “fix it or nix it”?) The government still claims it can fix Phoenix. We’re not so sure, as 87% of respondents indicated in a recent PIPSC survey. Public Services and Procurement Canada revealed in November that the system will reach its long-promised “steady state” by December 2018.

That’s still too late, but it at least provides us with a date by when to expect fixes to some major problems. While I’m doubtful, based on their track record, that the government will meet this new deadline, we will continue to do everything we can to assist fixes, while at the same time demanding that a new system that works be built by our members. We’ll also continue to press the government to either hire more staff to assist our members facing Phoenix problems, or expect more grievances.

The Budget

Sometime in the next few months the government will introduce another budget. Our hope is that it includes significant reinvestments in the federal public service, which is still struggling from the accumulated cuts of the previous government. According to the CCPA’s 2016 Alternative Federal Budget, “the federal government is the smallest it’s been since before the Second World War.” That needs to change if we’re to face the challenges of the future. But it’s unlikely that will happen without pressure from Canadians, including PIPSC members. That’s why we launched last fall a petition calling on the government to reinvest in the public service. It’s not too late to add your name!

Scientific Integrity

Among the areas in which we’re calling for significant reinvestment is government science. By our count, Canada is still short 1,500 scientists due to the Harper government’s cuts. But leaving Canada short-staffed on science isn’t our only concern. Having successfully fought to include in collective agreements the right of scientists to speak, we’re now focussed on negotiating scientific integrity policies with federal science-based departments and agencies. Expect to hear a lot more about scientific integrity in the coming year.

Tax Fairness

Budgets only work when everyone pays their fair share of taxes. The Paradise Papers once again revealed the extent to which Canada and other countries are victims of offshore tax havens. Setting up specialized teams at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to investigate the 3,300 Canadian names included in the Paradise Papers is an important first step towards ensuring everyone does pay their fair share. The government wants to help the middle class. One way to do so is to invest the resources the CRA needs now to ensure public programs are fairly and adequately financed in the future.

Outsourcing

Shortly before the last federal election, the Liberals committed to “reducing the use of external consultants, bringing expenditures closer to 2005/06 levels.” They have a long way to go to meet that promise. Spending on outsourcing has grown over $2 billion in the past two years alone to a projected $12 billion. But the high cost of outsourcing isn’t its only problem; a growing record of risks and failures among projects – from Phoenix to email transformation to website consolidation and cloud-based services – should be prompting the government to press the reset button on outsourcing. In 2018, we’ll be reminding the government at every opportunity to “insource first.”

Pay Equity

In 2016, the government promised to introduce new legislation ensuring pay equity in the federal public service. I presented PIPSC’s concerns on this issue in a presentation to the House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity. The government promised to deliver “proactive” legislation by the end of 2018. We will work hard over the coming year to ensure they do. Because it’s 2018.

Pensions

Finance Minister Morneau’s Bill C-27 was introduced in 2016, promising to close the door on defined benefit pensions and open it to more (and less secure) target benefit pensions. We’ve been strong critics of the bill and look forward to its defeat or withdrawal before the end of the year. Endangering retirement security didn’t make sense in 2016 and it certainly doesn’t make sense in 2018.

RCMP

In April, PIPSC will welcome 1,300 civilian members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as new members. PIPSC staff is working hard to ensure their transition is a smooth one. The recent announcement that further transfers of civilian RCMP employees to the Phoenix pay system are indefinitely on hold is a great relief. As already mentioned, we’ll continue throughout the year to lobby the government to either fix or nix the system.

These aren’t the only issues on which PIPSC will be focussed in the coming year. Negotiations for a new Employee Wellness and Support Program are also well underway. And, as we prepare for the next round of bargaining, issues such as more flexible work arrangements, including telework, will be on the table too.

One thing my experience as President has brought home is that on many, if not all, issues good government relations works. That’s why we’ve dedicated resources to continue our lobbying efforts again in 2018.

To you and all your family, I wish the very best for 2018.

Better Together!

Debi Daviau
President

Send a message to Finance Minister Bill Morneau on the upcoming 2018 Federal Budget. 

Take a moment and visit #YourBudget2018 and fill out the federal government’s four brief, interactive budget surveys.

A number of the survey questions focus on our shared key priorities such as support for science and research, tax fairness, quality jobs, equal pay, and fair and inclusive workplaces. Let’s make sure these come out on top and are part of Budget 2018!

To learn more about PIPSC’s priorities for Budget 2018 you can also read our submission to the Finance Committee.

Word Version

1. When you first arrived on the PIPSC Board (or Committee or Group Executive) what were the biggest issues that confronted this body, as you recall.
2. Name the main accomplishment(s) achieved during your term in office on the Board? Be as detailed as you wish. If a particular individual played a key leadership role in this regard, please identify that person.
3. What significant matter did the Executive (or committee or Group Executive) not get done that you wish it had been able to get done before your term was complete? How do you explain this result?
4. When you left the PIPSC Board (or committee or Group Executive), what were the chief issues confronting the incoming Executive, again, as you recall them? Had the issues changed? Were the issues essentially the same? Were there new developments that amounted to “game changers” that had an impact on incoming Board priorities?
5. Name (up to) three individuals who, in your opinion, have most influenced in a positive way the direction and achievements of PIPSC: You may choose three names for each time period. You may repeat the names from one time period to another. The persons named need not be elected executive members.

a. In the last 50 years or more (i.e. since 1965)? Briefly identify the contribution made by each.

1.

2.

3.

b. in the last 25 years (i.e., since 1995)? Briefly identify the contribution made by each.

1.

2.

3.

7. (Optional) Can you give a short outline of an event or episode that was in some way exceptional during your term in office on the Board, a PIPSC committee or a Group Executive. This need not relate to the Board or constituent body per se, but something in the field of Public Sector unionism that, for you, was an important milestone for PIPSC or which provides an insight into something important in the development of Public Sector Unionism in Canada and/or the Federal Public Sector.

8. Like any institution, PIPSC has had its successes and failures; there have been good times and bad times and we all like to focus on the more positive experiences. However, it is also important to acknowledge some of the more difficult times in our history. Are there any times that stand out for you as particularly difficult or dangerous for PIPSC and its members?

With much appreciation for your cooperation,

100th Anniversary Committee

The Professional Institute will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary on February 6, 2020. In preparation for this event, the 100th Anniversary Committee is gathering current and historical information about PIPSC and its various entities. The Groups are an important and integral part of the organization of PIPSC and we would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire and return it to 100anniversary@pipsc.ca.

Questionnaire

The Institute applauds the introduction earlier this week of Bill C-65, the federal government’s long-awaited legislation addressing workplace harassment and violence. For years, PIPSC advocated for the government to recognize and tackle this issue of critical importance to Canadians everywhere.

The Bill cannot come at a more opportune time for our members. The latest annual survey of the public service shows a rise in workplace harassment and a significant rate of workplace stress. One-third of public service workers (34%) said their workplace stress was “high” or “very high”. A similar number of respondents (27%) felt that their workplace was not “psychologically healthy.” The percentage of workers who said they have been harassed at work was up to 22% from 19% in 2014. The results were even higher for equity groups, with the highest rates of harassment (40%) being reported by workers with disabilities. Aboriginal workers also reported high rates of harassment (33%).

The new legislation covers federally-regulated workplaces, including the public service. Changes being proposed to the Canada Labour Code include repealing weak provisions and ensuring that employers are required to take steps to prevent and protect employees against these behaviours, to respond to them when they do occur, and to offer support to those employees affected by them.

The government will also launch an awareness campaign to challenge misconceptions and stereotypes, develop sample policies for employers, and will provide outreach to help employees and employers navigate the process.

While the Bill is a step in the right direction, PIPSC will be working with the government to ensure the legislation addresses its members’ concerns when it comes to ensuring their workplaces are harassment-free, and that adequate/appropriate recourse is available to harassment victims so that their complaints are addressed promptly and fairly.

As well, the legislation needs to provide an inclusive definition of “harassment” that reflects all its forms. If labour inspectors are involved, there must be adequate staffing and training. Finally, the legislation must ensure that those affected have the right to representation and information about the progress of their complaint.

We will update members as C-65 makes its way through the legislative process.

Fellow members,

Canadians should not have to worry about their retirement.

But actions taken by the federal government raise questions about its commitment to enhancing retirement security for Canadians – a key promise in the last federal election.

Over a year ago, the Minister of Finance introduced Bill C-27, a dangerous piece of legislation that could end up in added risks and reduced benefits for retirees. This isn’t progress and it isn’t what people voted for in 2015.

Current bankruptcy laws (notably the Companies' Creditor Arrangement Act, or CCAA)  see Canadians exposed to similar risks. Retirees are in a particularly vulnerable position and federal policy makers are responsible for protecting them.

This is why the Institute supports Member of Parliament (MP) Scott Duvall’s newly-introduced private Member’s Bill C-384 to protect the rights of retirees when a company goes bankrupt. It’s completely unacceptable for retirees to have to scramble to adjust to reduced - or no - benefit payments because employers are allowed to push them to the back of the line under current bankruptcy laws. The recent example of Sears Canada readily comes to mind in that regard.

When workers devote decades to a company and actively contribute to the prosperity of the Canadian economy, it’s only fair that their employer and their government have their backs when they retire.   

The proposed changes contained in Bill C-384 are important because they will provide retirees with added protection and peace of mind at a crucial time in their lives. This is progress, a step in the right direction.

I encourage you to write to your Member of Parliament asking them to actively support this Bill, and to sign the petition sponsored by MP Duvall calling for changes to Canada’s bankruptcy laws. It can be found online at:

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1261
 
Together we can make a difference in the lives of millions of current and future Canadian retirees.

Better Together !

Debi Daviau,
President

Last week, the federal government introduced Bill C-62, An Act to amend the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act and other Acts.

The Bill is aimed at repealing two blatantly anti-labour pieces of legislation introduced by the former Harper government, Division 20 of Bill C-59 and Bill C-4.

The first of these sought to unilaterally impose an inferior disability and sick leave management system on public servants, an unwarranted and significant attack on our members’ rights.

Bill C-4 would have drastically changed the rules for collective bargaining within the public service, giving the government full control over union rights such as the right to strike and the right to arbitration. The government would have also determined what positions would be considered essential.

While one of the Liberal government’s first decisions was not to exercise these powers, PIPSC welcomes the introduction of Bill C-62, which will formally put an end to measures introduced by the former government that eliminated any real hope of a level playing field in federal labour relations.

We hope the Bill will proceed promptly through the legislative process and that it will be adopted shortly. It’s time to finally turn the page on a sombre time for Canada’s labour movement as a whole, and the federal public service in particular.