More than 800 trade unionists will convene at Ottawa’s Congress Centre this May Day for the week-long convention. Daryl Bean will address convention delegates this morning at 9:45 am.

After 15 years at the helm of the PSAC, Bean is stepping down as President. His successor will be elected during the Convention. Elections are also open on another eight executive positions.

As well, delegates will be asked to pass a three-year budget which includes a dues increase - the first general dues increase in almost 12 years.

"We have had several major victories in recent years, but we’ve had some major costs. The financial situation is serious, but surmountable with the support of the membership. The Union cannot continue to effectively represent the membership without a dues increase," emphasized Bean.

Bean cited several causes for the current financial problem.

"The union has been hard-hit by the downsizing in the federal government. Our membership has dropped from 189,000 to 140,000. Years of wage freezes affected our members’ salaries and the union’s income - and then when negotiations resumed Treasury Board created costly delays. As well, the re-structuring currently taking place through the implementation of the federal government’s Alternative Service Delivery has meant that we have had to recertify more than 39 bargaining units because the government neglected to include full successor rights in the new structure. That’s also meant increased negotiations costs," explained Bean.

Over the last several years the PSAC has lead the way on a number of issues, including the 15-year struggle for pay equity. Won last fall, pay equity affects 230,000 current and former federal public sector employees and is a milestone in trade union history. The fight for pay equity continues among other employers such as Canada Post and the government of the NWT.

In recent years, the PSAC has also tackled the federal government head-on and is pursuing legal action against the confiscation of the surplus in the employees’ pension fund. "We can’t let the federal government walk off with more than $30-billion of workers’ pension money."

Bean also noted that the Union is expecting more than 60,000 grievances to be filed during the implementation of the federal government’s Universal Classification Standard (UCS). "We are determined to ensure that UCS is non-discriminatory and that our members’ interests are protected."

Among other major advances for workers’ rights during Bean’s years as PSAC President:

• the first-ever dental plan within the federal government;
• the achievement of political rights for PSAC members in the federal public service;
• the 1991 General Strike - the largest national strike by a single union in Canada;
• the CX Joint Comparability Study which compares Correctional Officers to the RCMP;
• the achievement of benefit rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual couples;
• the first-ever conferences for racially-visible and Aboriginal members and members with disabilities.

"We will have to make extremely difficult decisions this week….but we can do it! And we will do it! Together we will make the best decisions for our survival and our members’ interests," concluded the PSAC President.

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Nancy Mitchell, Communcations Officer, PSAC, (613)234-8971 (Convention Media Room)