Message from the President
Dear Members,
I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the warmer Spring weather that has arrived in the National Capital Region. As you are certainly aware, the NR membership voted in favour of the tentative agreement reached with the Employer. The signing ceremony took place on March 8, 2024, and as such the new agreement in now in place until September 30, 2026. See the Bargaining Update below to review the tentative schedule for salary rates update and mass revision payment.
Recently, we had a Virtual Lunch & Learn with Sean O’Reilly, Full-Time Vice-President of PIPSC. Sean shared some updates on the business of the Institute and took questions and comments from the members. Topics discussed included the Budget 2024, Return to the Office, pay & benefits as well as Contracting Out. Thanks to the over 25 members that joined us for this event.
I’m sure many of you were frustrated at the recent announcement from Treasury Board that requires employees of the core public administration to work on-site at least 3 days per week starting September 9, 2024. PIPSC will continue to push back against this one-size-fits-none policy that has no evidence to support it, and advocate for what was promised: a hybrid-by-design model that reflects true operational needs and considers employees’ unique circumstances and job requirements. Let’s be clear PIPSC fully supports a return to the office but presence in the office should make have a purpose and take place in adequately designed and equipped workspaces. We believe that managers and employees are the best placed to decide jointly what works for them, certainly not Treasury Board.
This news comes at a time where we have an Employer that to this day, still can’t provide exact and timely pay as well as benefits. This revised policy adds insult to the injury especially since workers and their Unions were NOT consulted. You can find more information in this News Bulletin on what you can do about this announcement and how you can request an exemption or individual telework agreement.
The recently released Budget 2024 contains important measures including a boost of $6.7 billion over 20 years for Capital Funding of Federal Assets and $1.1 billion over 10 years for the disposal of Crown Assets to create more housing for Canadians. This will help to ensure that major projects being planned get implemented and thus ensures work for our NR members for the years to come. However, the announcements on the reduction of 5,000 public servants remain concerning as the Canadian population continues to grow at a rapid pace. Moreover, PIPSC continues to demand for the Federal Government to reduce reliance on outside contractors and use the expertise of our members instead. This will be more cost efficient and will ensure that institutional knowledge is kept within the federal public service.
Your Sub-Group Executive has worked hard to bring forward a series of events for the reminder of 2024. We will he holding a Wills & Estate Planning session on June 6, a Retirement Planning Session in the Fall and finally our AGM in person on December 3. Please ensure to check your email regularly as registration will be required to attend.
I hope each and all of you get to take some time off during the Summer to disconnect from work and enjoy time with friends and family. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out, I would love to hear from you.
In Solidarity,
Charles Nellis (he/him), PMP, LEED Green Associate
cnellis@pipsc.ca
(613) 793-4099
NR Group News
Collective Bargaining Update
On March 8, 2024, PIPSC and the Treasury Board signed your collective agreement. This followed the NR Group’s ratification vote, as well as final checks and verifications.
This was the final step of the ratification process, which means the terms of the collective agreement are now in effect.
See below the tentative schedule for the implementation of the salary rates update and mass revision payment:
|
Activity |
Date |
|
Signature date |
March 8, 2024 |
|
Data clean-up deadline for departments |
May 6, 2024 |
|
New rates update in Phoenix |
May 7, 2024 |
|
Salary rates effective date |
April 25, 2024 |
|
New rate update on pay stub |
May 22, 2024 |
|
Mass retroactive processing date |
May 31, 2024 |
|
Mass retroactive payment(s) on pay stub |
June 19, 2024 |
|
One-time payment associated with agreement |
June 19, 2024 |
|
Implementation deadline for automated processing |
September 4, 2024 (180 days) |
|
Implementation deadline for manual processing |
June 11, 2025 (460 days) |
For most members, owed money will be paid by the 180-day deadline. For those who have what the pay center calls “complex cases”, the employer has up to 460 days to fully pay you what you are owed, as such cases require manual intervention.
Pay implementation will be effective as of the starting date for our new agreement: October 1, 2022. All components of the new agreement which are unrelated to pay administration come into force on the date of signature of this agreement, unless otherwise expressly stipulated. This includes changes to language in relation to vacation leave, domestic violence leave, bereavement leave, and leave with pay for family-related responsibility, etc.
If you have any questions, please contact a member of your NR Bargaining Team.
NR Elections Update
The NR election committee has verified the results for the 2023 elections. 636 ballots were cast in the election. The election was for 1 regional representative for Ontario, Quebec, and the Prairies/NWT and three representatives for the NRC to the NR group executive for two-year terms.
Listed below are the nominees that put their name up for election and the candidates with the most votes are elected to the NR executive as the regional representative, and will take office immediately:
|
Position/Region |
Candidate |
No. of Votes |
|
NCR Representative |
Yves R. Cousineau (elected) |
207 |
|
NCR Representative |
Kimberly Hradecky (elected) |
206 |
|
NCR Representative |
Tim F. Kirkby (elected |
188 |
|
NCR Representative |
Angelo Guglielmo |
176 |
|
Quebec Representative |
Luc Thibodeau (elected) |
77 |
|
Quebec Representative |
Hassan Dahbi Skali |
45 |
|
Prairies/NWT Representative |
Hugo Buttau (elected) |
49 |
|
Prairies/NWT Representative |
Mark Burke |
26 |
|
Ontario Representative |
Aaron F. Thompson (elected) |
23 |
|
Ontario Representative |
Barry Goldman |
18 |
|
Ontario Representative |
Asif M. Mohammed |
16 |
Congratulations to the newly elected executive committee members and a big thanks to all the nominees. Our group relies on the contributions of volunteers to advance the interests of members like you.
If you have any questions about the election, please contact prichard@pipsc.ca.
PIPSC News
Take Action on the Return to Office
PIPSC is committed to fighting this unilateral decision that ignores members’ negotiated rights. The union has filed a policy grievance to challenge the bypassing of mandatory consultation requirements and is preparing an Unfair Labour Practice complaint to address the breach of good faith and consultation standards.
Whether you support or oppose returning to office, or are facing challenges that require accommodation, the employer has an obligation to ensure employees have everything they need to do their job and to do it safely.
If you haven’t done it already, send a letter to your MP asking them to stop this unnecessary unilateral directive that is a disservice to Canadians. Make sure to talk to your MP when you see them in the community.
All members that are eligible, should be requesting a Duty to Accommodate (disability or family status) to obtain a reasonable accommodation. If you are being informally accommodated, make sure to have it formalized through an official agreement. Before submitting any request, please consult with a Steward or use this form to get help.
We are also encouraging members to request Individual Telework Agreements under the Directive on Telework and the Telework Letter of Agreement part of the NR Collective Agreement. We are expecting Management to refuse those agreements and will be supporting members in grieving those refusals. Before making such a request to your Manager, consult with a Steward.
PIPSC Highlights Crucial Need for Robust Public Service Following 2024 Budget
Following numerous promising announcements around affordability such as pharmacare and housing, the 2024 Federal Budget offered mostly cuts for the public service. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada is concerned this will threaten the quality and accessibility of services – calling instead for strategic investments.
"Public servants are the lifeline of millions of Canadians – particularly our most vulnerable populations," warned PIPSC Economist Ryan Campbell. “Choosing cuts over strengthening the public service is a missed opportunity.”
Strategic Government Investment vs. Cuts
Budget 2024 confirmed that the government will achieve savings through the natural attrition of public service jobs, as outlined in the main estimates released in February. This represents approximately 5,000 full-time equivalent positions over the next 4 years.
“Make no mistake – cuts by attrition are still cuts. When you’re freezing budgets, you’re asking departments to do more, with less,” said Campbell.
In the wake of the pandemic, the need for hiring was clear. But this hiring came after years of severe cuts that had placed considerable strain on the ability of the public service to meet the demands of a growing population.
"It’s crucial to understand that slowing growth and making cuts are different strategies," stated Campbell. "Over the years, growth in the public service has aligned closely with the growth of the population, ensuring that services could continue to meet needs effectively."
Outsourcing Costs and the Need for In-House Investment
While PIPSC appreciates efforts to enforce higher standards of procurement, this budget fails to address the government's over-reliance on outsourcing. This means lower quality and more expensive services, as well as less transparency, less accountability, and the loss of institutional knowledge and skills in the public service.
"A shadow public service of consultants and temporary staff operating alongside the government workforce has been less effective and more expensive, offering a poor return on investment for Canadian taxpayers," Campbell added. “This trend must be reversed. Instead, invest in our public service to deliver essential services more efficiently and equitably.”
Reducing outsourcing would deliver immediate savings and strengthen the fabric of our public sector – making it more resilient, self-reliant, and better equipped to serve the public interest.
Overlooking Phoenix
8 years after its introduction, 30% of employees are still reporting pay errors due to Phoenix. It is troubling that this budget promises the bare minimum – the funding outlined is only enough to maintain current activities on the file.
With pay problems on the rise, maintaining the status quo is clearly not good enough. As long as public service workers continue to face damages, the government must continue to provide compensation and accommodations. Public services are essential, and so are the workers who deliver them – they deserve to be paid properly, now.
Looking Forward
We are interested in digging deeper into some positives coming out of the budget, such as investments in the civilian workforce at DND and research, policies around tax fairness, as well as cementing the “right to disconnect” in the federal labour code.
Nevertheless, PIPSC remains steadfast in our commitment to advocate for policies that support robust, reliable, and fair public services. We call on the government to support initiatives that focus on strategic investments rather than reductions, ensuring the public service can continue to deliver exceptional services to Canadians.
Overlooking Phoenix
8 years after its introduction, 30% of employees are still reporting pay errors due to Phoenix. It is troubling that this budget promises the bare minimum – the funding outlined is only enough to maintain current activities on the file.
With pay problems on the rise, maintaining the status quo is clearly not good enough. As long as public service workers continue to face damages, the government must continue to provide compensation and accommodations. Public services are essential, and so are the workers who deliver them – they deserve to be paid properly, now.
Eva Henshaw designated acting President of PIPSC
As of last April 10, 2024, PIPSC President Jennifer Carr is on leave. Vice-President Eva Henshaw is acting President in her place.
“Continuing to provide the high-quality services our members expect and deserve is our top priority,” said Henshaw. “I am ready to serve our membership in this role and will continue to work alongside our professional staff to ensure a smooth transition.”
Acting President Henshaw was elected to the PIPSC Board of Directors in 2021. Henshaw is a member of the Information Technology (IT) group and has served PIPSC members as a steward and in other leadership roles since 2006.
ServicePlus
ServicePlus is your member benefits program where you can take advantage of preferential rates, discounts, and savings on a variety of products and services available exclusively to members such insurance, retail, travel services, medical services, entertainment and many more. Make sure to check the website often as new partners and promotions appear regularly.
ServicePlus has partnered with an innovative Canadian company to bring you something that helps both today you and future you.
MedNow is a fully licensed online pharmacy with truly exceptional pricing, (we checked), service and a network of pharmacies that can usually get your medications to you the same day. They offer a secure, simple to use app and website for ordering, optional automatic refills and renewals and a proprietary PillSmart system at no extra cost to make daily medications easy to take and hard to forget.
“But why?” you might ask, your medications are covered by your health insurance through your employer.
Well, first of all, costs will go down with Mednow, which is good.
Rising healthcare costs affect us all, so beyond being the right thing to do, reducing overall plan costs on medication means that there can be more money available for other services.
Update your Contact Information
Have you recently moved or changed your phone number? Or just unsure if we have the most recent contact information? If so, please ensure to Update your Contact Information. If you receive communication from PIPSC on a professional email address, please consider changing it to your personal email. Our emails are often blocked by the employer’s email system.
If you have colleagues that are currently not a member of PIPSC or new employees within your team, please make sure to share this link to sign up with them. New employees are not automatically members of PIPSC, they must sign up.
More PISPC News
Stay current on the latest News & Issues that is of concern to PIPSC visiting this web page.
Upcoming Sub-Group Events
You Sub-Group Executive is very excited to present of series of events this coming year, both virtual and in person. Separate invitations will be sent by email for each of them, please ensure to check your inbox and register.
- 6 June 2024 – Evening Virtual Information Session on Wills & Estate Planning in Ontario (English Only)
- Fall 2024 – Evening Virtual Information Session on Retirement Planning (English & French)
- 3 December 2024 – Evening In Person - Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Dinner – The Bridge Public House
Other Events
The Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) and Young Leaders in Infrastructure (YLI) Steering Committees have organized an exciting after work social in the lounge area of OCCO Kitchen.
Date and Time:
Thursday, June 13, 2024
4:30PM – 7:00PM EST
Location:
OCCO Kitchen, Lounge Area
160 Bay Street (Corner of Albert and Bay)
Ottawa, Ontario
K1R 7X8
Kindly RSVP by June 12th here: Ottawa WIN and Young Leaders in Infrastructure (YLI) Summer Social Tickets, Thu, Jun 13, 2024 at 4:30 PM | Eventbrite
Please only register once if you plan on attending and cancel by Wednesday, June 12 if you can no longer attend, as space is limited, and we would like to ensure all members have an equal opportunity to attend.
We need your help!
We always need help to organize events and conduct other initiatives for the Sub-Group. Members can also attend our monthly Executive Meetings as observers to learn more about Union Business and contribute to their Sub-Group. If this is of interest to you, please reach out to cnellis@pipsc.ca
We are also always looking for Stewards to join our team to support members in the workplace. We are especially looking for Stewards that come from equity seeking groups including women, visual minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous individuals, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community. If this is of interest to you, please consult this link and don’t hesitate to reach to a fellow Steward to get a better understanding of the role and determine if it suits you.
We are also in need of volunteers to become members of local Occupational Health & Safety Committees as PIPSC Representatives. This is a great way to become more familiar with an important aspect of the workplace and contribute improve the safety of the workplace in collaboration with management. Please note that you can only become a member of the Committee of your official place of work. Training is available and offered by the Employer. Please reach out to cnellis@pipsc.ca if interested.
Your Feedback
If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact anyone on the sub-group executive. We also look forward to your suggestions for lunch-and-learns, or any other type of event that would benefit the members of our sub-group.
If you require representation services or would like some advice on a situation arising in the workplace, please contact one of our stewards as soon as possible.