PSAC Union Update for the period July 2 - 13, 2001
"PSAC members working as Firefighters at Canadian Forces Bases across Canada have been demonstrating since June 23, to protest the 'time test' the Department of National Defence wants to implement," said John MacLennan, national president of the PSAC's Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE).
"Despite the fact that the Supreme Court found this test to be discriminatory and ruled in the union's favour, the Canadian Forces Firemarshall has every intention of forcing it on all Firefighters regardless of gender or age." The Supreme Court case involved the firing of a British Columbia female firefighter because she couldn't pass the test.
MacLennan added that in addition to the test violating the workers' human rights, it is not in compliance with the health and safety regulations contained in Part II of the Canada Labour Code.
"The Defence Department's plan includes implementing the test once a year to see if Firefighters are in shape and, should they fail the test, they will be put on a modified training program. These workers are on a continual training program but one that recognizes their gender and age," added MacLennan. The five Firefighters working at CFB Petawawa are the first ones targeted to undergo the testing and discrimination.
"Individual members and the PSAC will take appropriate action, including grievances and complaints under the Public Service Staff Relations Act, to stop this discriminatory nonsense," said Doug Pyke, the PSAC/UNDE officer responsible for the union's Firefighting Committee. "This is a ticking time bomb and now is the time to put an end to it before it explodes."
UNDE represents 450 Firefighters at Canadian Forces Bases across Canada.
Members in Iqaluit are keeping their spirits high on the picket line.
After being locked out for eight weeks, the 80 members of the PSAC Nunavut Employees Union (NEU) at the City of Iqaluit have been on strike since mid-June, after they rejected a deal worked out by a federal mediator. The City imposed its lock out on the workers after they rejected its last offer. The workers voted against the mediated offer because it did not settle some important issues regarding classification and retroactive pay.
These members have been without a contract for two years. The City refused to increase its offer, saying they don't have the money.
These workers need your help. You can send your messages of support and donations to the following address:
Nunavut Employees Union Local 6, P.O. Box 1959, Iqaluit, NT, X0A 0H0.
A Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) report reviewing the federal government's Universal Classification Standard (UCS) concludes that UCS is a "workable alternative" to the existing classification system and echoes concerns already raised by the PSAC. The report was released in late May.
"While the CHRC report identifies some problems with the quality of work descriptions, the design of UCS and the gender neutrality of the plan, it also makes a number of recommendations which can resolve these problems," according to Nycole Turmel, PSAC national president.
"For example, an analysis by the CHRC of the preliminary UCS data indicates that there may be a problem of gender bias since female-dominated jobs tend to carry lower ratings in all of the 16 UCS elements than do male-dominated jobs. In addition, tight deadlines may have had a negative impact on the quality of work descriptions."
"PSAC has already raised many of the concerns in the Commission's report," says Turmel. "We also made similar suggestions when asked by the Office of the Auditor General to outline what we believe to be essential to the success of the new classification plan."
In order to fix the identified problems, CHRC recommends that the government pay more attention to the content and quality of work descriptions, examine alternative weighting models and point progressions, continue the testing and review of the UCS before it's implemented, establish a monitoring framework and conduct annual monitoring once UCS is implemented, and that Treasury Board take a more active role in guiding departments.
The CHRC issues periodic reports to PSAC and Treasury Board as part of a monitoring role it has assumed with respect to the development of the government's gender-neutral classification plan. The Commission's role arises from a 1984 complaint filed by the PSAC alleging that the existing classification system - which remains in place today - is in contravention of the Canadian Human Rights Act because it applies different standards to measure the value of employees' jobs. This complaint also alleged that employees in the Clerical and Regulatory (CR) group were not receiving equal pay for equal value. The pay equity portion of the complaint was finally resolved in 1999. The classification portion of the complaint remains outstanding.
This year's deadline for the receipt of completed application forms for the PSAC Scholarship Awards is August 31.
The PSAC offers four $1000 scholarships and thirteen $300 bursaries to sons and daughters of PSAC members who are leaving high school and entering their first year of university, college or institute of higher learning on a full-time basis. These scholarships are based on financial need, scholastic achievement and a 500-750 word essay as outlined on an eligibility form.
The Union also offers a $2000 scholarship in honour of Joseph (Joe) R. Power, former National President of the Union of National Defence Employees of the PSAC. This scholarship is offered to PSAC members and employees, spouses and children of members and employees and spouses and children of deceased members and employees, who have completed high school and are entering their first year of university, college or institute of higher learning on a full-time basis.
Application forms are available from the Communications section of the PSAC at: 233 Gilmour, suite 904, Ottawa, ON. K2P 0P1 - by telephone: (613) 560-4292 - fax: (613) 236-1654 - or email: scholarships@psac.com
Please include your PSAC ID number with your request.
The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) is sending out a letter to members who filed a notice of objection regarding their 2000 income tax. The objection relates to the taxation of the interest payments received as part of the federal pay equity agreement.
The CCRA letter indicates that the reason for the objection is one for which a test case will be selected to appeal to the Tax Court of Canada. It goes on to say that members can agree, in writing, to have their objection held in abeyance until there is a judgement in the test case.
All members who submitted an objection are asked to sign the copy of the letter provided by CCRA agreeing that their objection will be held in abeyance.
Counsel for PSAC is currently working on details regarding the test case. More information will be published as the case proceeds.
The PSAC bargaining team and the National Gallery of Canada concluded a tentative agreement on July 10, 2001, for the 200 workers at the Gallery and at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.
Details of the tentative agreement were not released when we went to press. Members voted on the agreement on July 13.
The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommended the acceptation of this three-year collective agreement.
Negotiations between members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 70397 and the National Gallery of Canada broke off in March 2001. The 200 workers at the National Gallery of Canada and at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography started their strike on May 10, 2001.
Further to a follow-up to the National Board of Directors September 2000 meeting, the PSAC wrote to the Ministers of Labour and Canadian Heritage requesting that flags at all federal buildings be at half-mast for April 28, Day of Mourning. That instruction has now been approved and the flags will be lowered every year at half-mast to commemorate April 28th.
A vast majority of PSAC members of the Postal Services Unit at the House of Commons voted for a new collective agreement on July 4. The new agreement is for a three year contract that will expire June 30, 2003. It provides the members with a 2.5% economic increase as of July 1, 2000, a one-half increment (minimum value of 2%) added to the top of all levels and an increase of 3% as of July 1, 2001 and an increase of 2.5% on July 1, 2002.
In addition, members will receive the same maternity and parental leave provisions already negotiated for Treasury Board members, which provides for a combined period of maternity or parental leave and top-up to 93% of salary for 52 weeks after the birth of a child.
Members of the Library Science Group at the Library of Parliament received an arbitral award for the renewal of their collective agreement at the end of June. The award provides for a 2.5% increase in the first year of the new agreement, a 3% increase in the second year with a one-half increment at the top of all levels in the second year and a 0.5% increase for a two-month period (a pro-rated value of 3%). The new collective agreement will expire August 30, 2002.
The arbitral award also provides the members with major gains on family-related leaves, vacation, overtime and acting pay.
Upon request from the PSAC, the Public Service Staff Relations Board has asked the Conciliation Board for Table 1 to submit its report before July 15, 2001.
The National Strike Coordinating Committee (NSCC) is meeting on a regular basis to set a strategy for this group and the other three Treasury Board Tables.
Members who wish to obtain more information on these developments should contact their PSAC regional office or their Component.
The bargaining team for the members at the Royal Canadian Mint has been elected. They are: Claude Morel, Marc Lacelle (Ottawa), Mitch Sylvester and Dave Lamb (Winnipeg). Lionel Saurette will represent the Government Services Union and Tom Clairmont is the PSAC negotiator. The team met on June 20-21 to review bargaining input received from the membership. The Mint contact will expire December 31, 2001.
Representatives of the PSAC and the CCRA met on June 21st, 2001, and reached an agreement to reconvene the bargaining teams on August 20th with the assistance of a third party -- mediator Denise Wilson. There will be meetings beforehand between the PSAC and CCRA negotiators to discuss process and coordination. There was an agreement to a communications black-out during the talks.
Negotiations on behalf of members at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in Ottawa were held on July 5. Another session is scheduled on July 17. The collective agreement expired December 31, 2000.
A call for bargaining input has been made to the members at Statistical Survey Operations, Regional Office Interviewers. The deadline for the members' input is September 4. A national bargaining conference will be held in the Fall, dates have yet to be scheduled. The collective agreement expires November 30, 2001.