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Union UpdateOctober 2007
PSAC at the PSI World Congress!PSAC National President John Gordon led Canada's 45-member delegation to the World Congress of Public Services International (PSI) in Vienna from 24-28 of September. PSI is a global union federation made of 650 trade unions representing 20 million public sector workers in 160 countries around the world. Eight Canadian unions are affiliated to PSI. Gordon was the Canadian representative on PSI's international Executive Board. The 1100 delegates to PSI's World Congress adopted the five-year plan for global action on quality public services. This plan includes a world-wide Defending Quality Public Services Campaign and a Global Pay Equity campaign. Patty Ducharme, the PSAC National Executive Vice-President, was part of the Canadian delegation. For her, the PSI’s congress was a unique opportunity to exchange with other workers whose employer is both employer and legislator. “Our struggle is not unique,” she said. “In this forum – with delegates from close to 400 trade unions from 130 countries – it was clear that the struggle for dignity and respect for public service workers is universal. In some countries, this struggle comes with great risk. Last year, 144 trade unionists were assassinated.” Ducharme believes that the debates and discussions at the PSI’s congress reinforce the important role unions can play in our society. “Issues such as the environment and global warming, international solidarity, democracy and peace are issues that the labour movement must engage in along with civil society partners,” she said. “As trade unionists and as public service workers, we have the responsibility to create a just society, one where regardless of income, public services are universally accessible.” The delegates at the PSI's World Congress elected Peter Waldorff as the new General Secretary for PSI. After the election, he called for unity and a renewed focus on PSI's future challenges. Waldorff has been President of HK-Stat, the Danish union for government and public employees, since 2001. He has been a member of PSI’s executive board since 1998 and also sits on the European Federation of Public Service Unions’ standing committee. The World Congress was also the opportunity for delegates to participate in sector workshops, develop networks and share campaign ideas and strategies with Sisters and Brothers from around the world. Why PSI Matters to UsOur fight for quality public services is a global one. Globalization and free trade agreements go hand in hand with privatization. Governments around the world are all too eager to reduce the funding and the range of quality public services that are provided. Because globalization knows no bounds, neither can our union solidarity. And PSI is a focal point for global action and solidarity. PSI and its affiliates are committed to building quality public services that meet the needs of workers and communities. PSI organizes global campaigns for quality public services, including water, energy and health services. And because we can have no quality without Equality, PSI promotes gender equality, worker rights, trade union capacity building, equity and diversity. PSI is also active in trade and development debates at the international level. With its 650 affiliates from Colombia to Botswana to Germany to Japan, and everywhere in between, PSI is a global voice for defending public services and the unions representing public sector workers. It's also a forum for sharing strategies and tools to defend and maintain quality public services that individuals and communities rely on. Bargaining UpdateTreasury Board demands a step backwardsYour PSAC / Treasury Board bargaining teams have been busy meeting with the employer in the negotiation of your next collective agreement. During these latest rounds of negotiations, the five teams tabled your bargaining demands reflecting the improvements we are trying to achieve. However, Treasury Board also has come to the bargaining table with its demands, many of which require an immense amount of interpretation. Treasury Board wants:
The employer is also asking for:
The employer also wants to increase and/or adjust core working hours for some groups and have indicated they intend to table demands on severance pay and Work Force Adjustment. Although some Employer demands are unclear at this point, many are perfectly clear. Your bargaining teams are committed to saying NO to any demand calling for a roll-back in current terms and conditions of employment. We can see a complete list of the employer’s demands at: The PSAC negotiating teams met with the employer from October 2 to 5 on behalf of Program and Administrative Services (PA) and Operational Services (SV) bargaining units and from October 9 to 11 for Technical Services (TC), Frontière/Border Services and Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining units. There will be more meetings from Oct. 30 to Nov.2 for PA and SV. All teams will be meeting on Nov. 3 while the teams representaing TC, EB and FB will also be in negotiation from Nov. 6 to 9. Canadian Food Inspection Agency:New collective agreement, new Notice to bargain The PSAC/CFIA negotiating team signed a new colective agreement on September 21 and served a Notice to bargaing to the CFIA a week later. The new contract has a one-year duration and expires at the end of 2007. It contains changes to reflect new provisions in the Public Service Modernization Act regarding union leave (the replacement of Conciliation Boards with Public Interest Commissions) and a Grievance Article to reflect our ability to file Group and Policy The Maternity and Parental Leave Articles were also updated to reflect the improvements gained as a result of the introduction of the changes made in the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan Bank of CanadaConciliation meetings were held with the employer in September and October. Agreements in principles were reached on 7 articles, including leave with or without pay for Union business, Sick Leave, Other Leave With or Without Pay, Long Service Benefits, Overtime, Pay Administration, and Technological Change. Government of NunavutThe PSAC/NEU negotiating team met in caucus to discuss strategy and undertake a review of all negotiating items. The team focused on examining GN and NEU proposals regarding: Nunavut Arctic College employees; healthcare workers; correctional workers and the Nunavut Northern Allowance. The negotions resumed on October 3rd. Commissionaires in HalifaxIn a striking demonstration of solidarity and after more than a year of struggle and hard bargaining, 110 PSAC members achieved a first collective agreement with the Corps of Commissionaires in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The negotiations started in July 2006. From the start, the Corps of Commissionaires displayed its usual bag of bad tricks. They fired one of the members of the PSAC negotiating team and imposed disciplinary measures on another. However, that only served to strengthen our members’ resilience and solidarity. The members fought the firing and the disciplinary measures and they won. The Corps had to reinstate our member and it dropped the disciplinary measures against the other member of the negotiating team. The parties reached a tentative agreement in February 2007 and the agreement was promptly ratified by the PSAC. However, the Corps kept refusing to sign it. This prompted the PSAC to file a complaint of bad faith bargaining and, after one day of hearings on October 2, the Corps finally agreed to sign the new collective agreement. The contract provides our members with a grievance and arbitration procedure, health and safety provisions, a hiring process, job security and salary increases. The contract expires in March, 2009. For our members, the signing of this collective agreement demonstrates once again that solidarity among the membership will always win the struggle, even against the toughest employer. Tax Cuts Come With a High PriceIn a week that saw the National Association of Women and the Law forced to close its doors because of funding cuts and the announcement of drastic funding cuts at Environment Canada that threaten environmental monitoring programs and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Canadians should question the Harper Government's constant refrain that budgetary surpluses should be directed towards tax cuts. The government announced that it will use part of its nearly $14 billion budget surplus to fund $725 million in tax cuts – an amount that adds up to about $35 for every taxpayer. "This announcement was just one more example that shows the Harper government's budgetary policy is out of touch with the views of Canadians, including the members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. We all want more services not less," says John Gordon, National President of the PSAC. In the face of such a huge surplus it seems only fair to question this government's history of program cuts, including:
Increased spending is part of the solution not part of the problem. This fact becomes clearer with each passing day as government neglect of its infrastructure puts the health and safety of citizens at risk. The situation is no better when it comes to Canada's social infrastructure. Here too, the federal government can and should do more to meet the legitimate needs of its citizens. Rather than offering piece-meal tax cuts, the PSAC says the government should be taking on national priorities like publicly-funded pharmacare, childcare programs, literacy and more resources – not less – directed at levelling the playing field for Aboriginal peoples. PSAC Rates - Meal & Incidental allowancesEffective: Oct 01, 2007
Kilometric ratesThe rates payable in cents per kilometre for authorized official use of private cars within and outside the headquarters area during the calendar year are shown below:
Notes:
PLEASE NOTE: These rates may not be in accordance with NJC rates. |
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