On August 12, the PIPSC Board of Directors met in a special session to discuss the resumption of in-person meetings of PIPSC members. After extensive discussion, the Board determined that all in-person member meetings will be suspended until the end of 2020.

The Board recognized the important role that in-person meetings play in the life of our union and the strong desire to resume such meetings at the earliest possible date. However, they also recognized that ensuring the health and safety of our members and staff was their highest priority.

The member meeting status webpage has been updated to reflect this change.

The Board of Directors continues to monitor the situation on an ongoing basis while preparing for the eventual resumption of in-person meetings, and will revisit the situation prior to the virtual Annual General Meeting on December 5, 2020. 

In the interim, constituent bodies are encouraged to continue to conduct their business virtually through the use of Zoom or other video/teleconference means.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis public servants have worked hard for people across Canada. We delivered the CERB in record time, we worked tirelessly to get Canadians home and we continue to push to develop a vaccine.

We also took care of our children. Many of us worked late at night or very early in the morning while our children were asleep. Many of us volunteered outside of our normal roles to help out wherever we could.

75% of public servants have been able to work at full capacity throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

“Public servants have gone above and beyond in the face of this crisis,” said Debi Daviau, PIPSC President. “Working parents have been faced with full time childcare duties and balancing their current workloads. It is clear that safe and accessible childcare is key to a functioning economy.”

Across the country, working parents – especially women – have been forced to choose between their careers and taking care of their children. Since the start of the pandemic, participation of women in the labour force has been set back nearly three decades. Safe and reliable childcare spots that workers can access now and as this crisis continues, along with safe and open public schools are the clear solution. 

The public and private sector must develop flexible leave policies to help working parents equitably manage caregiving demands. PIPSC has joined calls to provide all people in Canada with access to better child care programs and basic income guarantees. Our members built the CERB and other emergency programs and we know the good they can do. 

Only 25% of public servants have needed to use the leave with pay Code 699, occasionally, in order to take care of children, quarantine or recover from COVID-19 or because of technical issues. In some cases, the code was used because tasks were put on hold or a particular job required self-isolation between shifts. 

According to the Treasury Board 76,804 employees used Code 699 between March 15 and May 31. This cost about 5% of the usual expenses for wages during that same time period, around $439 million.

These public servants were working and sometimes accessing the Code 699 leave. If these workers had stopped working completely and gone on CERB, as they would have been entitled to do, this would have cost $384 million. Savings would have been minimal as the federal government still has to deliver services for Canadians and back fill all of these roles. The negative long-term impact on public services and the economy would have been significant. 

It is appropriate that the federal government put the emphasis on maintaining a high functioning public service during this time of unprecedented crisis. PIPSC is working with the employer to ensure these processes are reasonable and fair. Until safe and reliable child care is available and schools are reopened, flexibility from the employer is required to get the job done.

 

President Debi Daviau hosted a telephone town hall for PIPSC members at provincial or separate employers on Thursday, July 9. She discussed how COVID-19 has affected their work, what PIPSC has been advocating for, and where we go from here.

Members’ questions about health, safety and other pandemic-related issues were answered live on the call.

For those who could not join us, listen to a recording of the town hall in the language of your choice:

English

French

President Debi Daviau hosted a telephone town hall for federal public servants on Thursday, June 18. She discussed how COVID-19 has affected the work of federal public servants, what PIPSC has been advocating for, and where we go from here.

Members’ questions about plans to return to the workplace, health and safety, and other pandemic-related issues were answered live on the call.

For those who could not join us, listen to recordings of the 3 sessions:

English Eastern Canada

English Western Canada

French

President Debi Daviau will be hosting a telephone town hall for PIPSC members at provincial or separate employers on Thursday, July 9. She’ll discuss how COVID-19 has affected your work, what PIPSC has been advocating for, and where we go from here.

We’ll be answering your questions about health and safety and other pandemic-related issues live on the call.

Please join us for one of the following telephone town halls:

English telephone town hall

Date: Thursday, July 9
Time: 4:30 PM ADT / 3:30 PM EDT / 2:30 PM CDT / 1:30 PM MDT / 12:30 PM PDT

French telephone town hall

Date: Thursday, July 9
Time: 3:00 PM ADT / 2:00 PM EDT / 1:00 PM CDT / 12:00 PM MDT / 11:00 AM PDT

How to join the town hall

1. We will call you just before the town hall start time for the session in your region and language. Pick up and stay on the line.

2. Dial in to join the call.
English: 1-877-229-8493
French: 1-877-255-5810
Enter the code: 112851

3. Stream the call online: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=12851

We look forward to connecting with you.

President Debi Daviau will be hosting a telephone town hall for federal public servants on Thursday, June 18. She’ll discuss how COVID-19 has affected the work of federal public servants, what PIPSC has been advocating for, and where we go from here.

We’ll be answering your questions about plans to return to the workplace, health and safety, and other pandemic-related issues live on the call.

Please join us for one of the following telephone town halls:

English telephone town hall – East

Date: Thursday, June 18
Time: 6:00 PM ADT / 5:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM CDT / 3:00 PM MDT / 2:00 PM PDT

English telephone town hall – West

Date: Thursday, June 18
Time: 10:00 PM ADT / 9:00 PM EDT / 8:00 PM CDT / 7:00 PM MDT / 6:00 PM PDT

French telephone town hall

Date: Thursday, June 18
Time: 7:30 PM ADT / 6:30 PM EDT / 5:30 PM CDT / 4:30 PM MDT / 3:30 PM PDT

How to join the town hall

1. We will call you just before the town hall start time for the session in your region and language. Pick up and stay on the line.

2. Dial in to join the call.
English: 1-877-229-8493
French: 1-877-255-5810
Enter the code: 112851

3. Stream the call online: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=12851

We look forward to connecting with you.

We are in no rush to have members return to the worksite until every precaution necessary has been taken and health authorities believe it is safe to do so. 

PIPSC has been in discussions with the Treasury Board Secretariat on guidelines for returning to the workplace for several weeks. There is still no date for that return. 

We don't see the reason to throw caution to the wind and return members to the workplace when they've been so productive working from home. It's a virtual world and federal public servants have proven their ability to be productive while working remotely. 

Under no circumstance will we stand for compromised safety and that may mean it will take some time for you to return to the workplace. It also requires departments to be transparent and to work with our representatives on their plans to open up worksites. 

If we don't feel confident that adequate health and safety measures have been put in place, such as distancing requirements and sanitation of common spaces like bathrooms and kitchens, or even the safety of ventilation systems and workspace airflow we will be pushing back. 

For those of you who have been in the workplace this entire time, on the frontlines, we’re going to continue to push for adequate PPE and ensure you can refuse work if it is unsafe. 

For parents, balancing work and childcare has been especially stressful. To mitigate the strain on families, the leave code 699 must be available while daycares and schools remain closed, voluntary or limited.

In areas where schools and daycares have reopened, families that do not feel comfortable sending their children should continue to have access to the leave code. We are calling for the short term flexible use of Code 699 to remain in place until the start of the new school year, to allow time for any negotiations required. 

We will fight to ensure you have the leave you need made available. You shouldn’t have to choose between a pay cheque and taking care of your kids! 

It goes without saying, that the employer must respect the collective agreements and all applicable legislation. And we will be identifying potential temporary measures, beyond existing collective agreement provisions, to adapt to the new reality of COVID-19. 

This may mean finding opportunities to test innovative flexible work solutions. There might not be a one-size fits all solution in the future. A solution at one worksite may not be a solution in another, as regional, occupational and site specific facility requirements vary greatly. Whatever your situation, we will be here to help!

We are surprised and disappointed by the Ford government’s decision last week to not expand pandemic pay beyond those already deemed eligible. This completely contradicts Health Minister Christine Elliott’s statement on May 14, 2020, when she told Ontarians the Ministry was working on a consolidated list to ensure that, “everyone who should receive pandemic pay will receive it.”

We are extremely proud of our radiation therapists working on the front lines during this pandemic. Just like other healthcare workers deemed eligible for pandemic pay, you are subject to the same provisions of the Ontario state of emergency. You are essential workers who cannot refuse to treat patients who are suspected to have contracted COVID-19. You are taking all precautions possible, screening patients and using personal protective equipment (PPE). And just like other healthcare workers, radiation therapists have been exposed to COVID-19 in your workplaces. 

Following the announcement of the pandemic pay, a letter was sent by PIPSC President Debi Daviau to Premier Ford, Health Minister Elliott and President of the Treasury Board, Bethlenfalvy. Calls were also placed to their offices and key staff within the government. 

We also reached out to other unions and groups representing hospital workers in Ontario who were not identified as included for pandemic pay, including OPSEU and the Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences (OAMRS). 

On May 6, 2020, PIPSC launched an Email the Premier campaign. Members were asked to send a personal email to the Premier and key ministers, to demonstrate their concern over being excluded from pandemic pay. Thank you to all of our members who wrote to the Premier in support of this campaign.

Many hospital presidents, CEOs and employer organizations also supported the inclusion of radiation therapists and other hospital workers for pandemic pay:

  • Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre President & CEO, Mr. Jean Bartkowiak, wrote to the Premier asking that all hospital employees, except CEO's, be included in the pandemic pay.
  • Windsor Regional Hospital President & CEO, Mr. David Musyj, wrote the Premier and spoke publicly in support of expanding pandemic pay for hospital employees.
  • The eight CEOs of the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Burlington Hospitals issued a public letter asking that pandemic pay be examined on how it "could apply to all hospital employees to provide equitable recognition.”

The Ontario Hospital Association and multiple other health organizations submitted a public letter to the Ontario Premier, copied to the Minister of Health, Treasury Board President and key staff, urging the province to accelerate and expand the implementation of pandemic pay of all non-management frontline staff, “to recognize the critical services provided and the team effort required in fighting COVID-19.”

Despite all of the support for expanding pandemic pay, the pleas to the Ford government have gone unanswered. 

This is beyond disappointing and upsetting for our members who have continued your important work in Ontario’s cancer centres throughout this crisis. You deserve the same recognition as the other professionals in the hospital who have been granted the pay. We plan to pursue this further in the collective bargaining process.

The Ontario government has announced pandemic pay for front-line healthcare workers. Front-line health care workers are critical to the ongoing efforts to protect Ontarians and reduce the impact of COVID-19. Their sacrifices and dedication to service are remarkable.

The details of the program released provided examples of workers who will receive pandemic pay but it did not provide an exhaustive list. 

This list is still not available. 

We have written to the Presidents and CEOs of the hospitals where our members work imploring them to write to the Ford government on their worker’s behalf. Earlier this month, we wrote to Premier Ford asking for confirmation that our members on the front lines will receive pandemic pay. We have not received an answer from the Premier’s office. 

Read our letter to the Presidents and CEOs of hospitals.

Mr. Jean Bartkowiak, President & CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has written to the Premier and the Minister of Health asking that pandemic pay be expanded to all hospital employees except CEOs.

David Musyj, President & CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital has written the Premier and spoken publicly in support of expanding the pandemic pay to every front-line health care worker.

Mr. Rob MacIsaac, President & CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences, responded to our call and has committed to writing to the Premier. 

Our radiation therapists are doing important work. They are subject to the provisions of the Ontario state of emergency and are essential workers who cannot refuse unsafe work.

It’s time for the Ford government to recognize your contributions in this unprecedented time.

We will provide an update as soon as we learn more. 

The PIPSC Board of Directors met on May 14 to discuss and plan for important PIPSC events and activities in light of restrictions on large in-person gatherings due to COVID-19. 

The following decisions have been made regarding in-person events in 2020. 

2020 Annual General Meeting: 

  • PIPSC staff are exploring options for a virtual AGM. There will be no reduction in the number of delegates.
  • The virtual AGM will be held on December 5. This is one month later than previously scheduled to allow for organizing and later registration of delegates.
  • Registration will be open from September 1 to October 16. 
  • The first order of business, following the President's speech, will be to deal with legal requirements such as the approval of audited financial statements and the appointment of auditors. 
  • Resolutions will be limited to those sponsored by the Board of Directors, the Group Executives, Regional Executives and Retired Members’ Guild. 
  • Presentations, other than the President's speech, will be provided electronically in advance of the AGM.

Regional and Steward Councils:

  • Regional Councils and Steward Councils have been cancelled in 2020. Regions will implement online steward and member activities, where possible, to replace some elements of Councils. 

Other in-person meetings including Group Annual General Meetings:

  • All in-person meetings are suspended until August 31, 2020. 
  • In-person meetings with more than 50 people in attendance are suspended until December 31, 2020. Constituency body executives are encouraged to replace these meetings with online equivalents such as Zoom. 
  • The Board will meet prior to August 31 to evaluate conditions for hosting in-person meetings and events with fewer than 50 participants for the remainder of 2020. No bookings for such meetings can be made until the Board has issued its instructions. 

We have also discussed the appropriateness of purchasing PIPSC-branded personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, hand sanitizer or other COVID-19 paraphernalia as visibility items for members. The President has determined that members wishing to use PIPSC funds to purchase such visibility items will need to submit a business case to the Office of the President (president@pipsc.ca) identifying how such purchases comply with PIPSC policies, how the material would be distributed without putting members or representatives at greater risk for exposure, and how the purchase and distribution of such items will meet the objective of raising PIPSC visibility in the workplace.