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November 16, 2007 PSAC Members in the Federal Jurisdiction – what can you do about the new provincial holidays?The announcements of a new Family Day holiday in Ontario and Louis Riel Day in Manitoba have many PSAC members asking why they cannot access these provincial holidays. Currently, there are eleven designated paid holidays in many of PSAC’s federal Collective Agreements. Nine of these are provided for by federal legislation, and two extra holidays have been negotiated by PSAC. Your Union also negotiated two additional days of paid leave (volunteer day and personal leave) in 2001 for a number of large bargaining units One of the negotiated holidays is Easter Monday. The other is “one (1) additional day in each year that, in the opinion of the Employer, is recognized to be a provincial or civic holiday in the area in which the employee is employed or, in any area where, in the opinion of the Employer, no such additional day is recognized as a provincial or civic holiday, the first Monday in August”. This so-called “Civic Holiday” in August has been recognized in most provinces and territories as the additional holiday for the federal public sector. Despite the fact that several provinces have recently moved to enact a new provincial holidays, most federal employers have indicated that it will continue the past practice of a recognizing the common “Civic Holiday” as the statutory holiday, rather than the new provincial holiday. It’s worth noting that the Collective Agreements with Treasury Board, CRA, CFIA, Parks Canada, Canada Post and many other federal employers contemplate yet another Designated Paid Holiday – “one additional day when proclaimed as an Act of Parliament as a national holiday”. PSAC certainly supports the move to provide more time off for workers, and in recognizing the important role Louis Riel played in Canada’s history. This recognition is long overdue, and warrants a national holiday. While PSAC continues to lobby the Federal Government to enact such a national holiday, we encourage members to do the same. Members can lobby Prime Minister Stephen Harper to enact a new national holiday. You can send your comments by e-mail to: pm@pm.gc.ca, by fax to 613-941-6900, or write to the Prime Minister’s office at: Office of the Prime Minister |