Toronto CS Subgroup AGM Minutes - June 14, 2017

Present:

Opening: Welcome by Yvonne Snaddon at 6:15 pm. Yvonne made a motion to accept the 2016 AGM minutes and Faron seconded. The motion was carried.

President’s Report - Yvonne Snaddon: Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the CS Group. Everyone is encouraged to sign up for the Facebook page.  Bargaining will start early next year again.  Various lunch and learns were held this year.

Bill C-27 and the target benefit plan will affect people in crown corporations. If this Bill passes it will impact employees of Crown Corporations who are currently in the work force, and those that are retired.  The GTA Branch picnic co-funded with the Toronto CS Subgroup will be held Sunday July 23rd at Rennie Park.

Financial Report - Ralph Leigh: The current balance as of June 14, 2017 is $XXXX.  Our 2017 allocation from PIPSC was $XXXX based on number of CS members and account balance at year end.

The 2016 AGM cost us $XXXX.  We supported the GTA Branch family picnic, funded lunch & learns and better together events.  It was our most active year.

Ralph made a motion to accept the financial report and Bill seconded. Motion was carried.

Stan Buday, CS Group President:  The contract expires December 2018 therefore bargaining will start again by December 2017.  A year was spent prior to the election without getting anywhere in bargaining.  We started bargaining June 2014 and started seeing results after June 2016.  We were not satisfied with the offer and went back to the table January 2017.  A deal was reached in March.  Voting took place in May.  The tentative agreement was ratified.  We have language on contracting out and technological change.

Some groups had an issue with having their collective agreement signed due to Phoenix.  Our agreement is to be tentatively signed July 4th.  Pay rates are supposed to be adjusted within 120 days.  As of April 2018, the volunteer day will become another personal day.

We will question hiring of contractors versus efforts in hiring of terms or indeterminate. Grievances will be filed as contractors get hired.  Guidelines will be put together regarding hiring of contractors.  PIPSC has committed resources to assist us.

Tech change: New language allows us to identify our work.  If there is change to the technology you support, you shall be trained.  They are not supposed to hire contractors because we do not have the skill set to do our jobs.

A Gartner report was released May 31st, 7 days after our vote.  The report said there was a huge recruitment issue at SSC which was conflicting with what was reported at the bargaining table by Treasury Board.  One of the key recommendations is that SSC becomes an agency, a crown corporation or is outsourced.  If SSC becomes a crown corporation, bill C-27 applies to them and would impact a large number of members.  If they become an agency, the CS group would become smaller.  This could have a major impact on our group.  We have to be prepared in case SSC becomes an agency or a crown corporation.  They could then compartmentalize and outsource services.  Direction of SSC will be decided within 90 days.  There is a posting on this subject on the PIPSC website.  There is a 70 page summary of the document.

We will train stewards and move forward with the next round of bargaining.

Debi Daviau, PIPSC President:  The CS group has 55,000 members.  We were 58,000 before DRAP.  Hiring is restarting.  We were founded 99 years ago.  In 1967 we became a bargaining unit.  The CS Group is turning 50 next year.  Out of 41 professional groups, the CS group is the biggest.  PIPSC has provincial members, engineers and health professionals as well.  IT is not the main operation of our members.  Second biggest occupation in PIPSC is auditors. 26% of members are IT professionals.  PIPSC represents IT professionals at agencies such as CFIA and CRA.  PIPSC negotiates on our behalf and represents us on workplace issues.

Bill C-4 passed and overturned Bill C-377 which required unions to open their books.  Economic research and non-partisan advocacy is done by PIPSC as well.  Members were surveyed to ask where PIPSC should spend their resources.  94% said bargaining is the most important thing and 90% felt labor relations were important.  53% had heard about outsourcing through the media.

PIPSC has a detailed in-house planning cycle and have succeeded at every objective.  There are measurable results.  Goals are: Value to our members, non-partisan political advocacy/building relations with decision makers.  Communications capacity is being expanded in order to engage with groups of members.

Why haven’t we filed a class action lawsuit about Phoenix?  We cannot file one.  We address these grievances through the individual grievance process.  2 sets of policy grievances for human rights were filed.  The same results can be obtained through policy grievances and much faster, therefore, it is more efficient as a process.  Members affected by Phoenix should get compensation but it may not be possible to get interest or time off.

We enjoy a good working relationship with Treasury Board.  The TB Secretary is an open minded individual.  We can work with them.

Elections - George Georgopoulos: There were 4 two year and one 1 year member at large positions available and the Vice-President position was up for election.

Nuşin Brown, Bill Sukloff, Ralph Leigh and Karina Bogdanova had positions up for election and were interested in member-at-large positions.  With Judy running for VP, one more member at large position became open.  Judy nominated Joanna Welby and Keshav Samaroo.

Judy Chow, Roy Philip, Yvonne Snaddon and Karla Yelland are in their 2nd year of their 2 year term.

No one was nominated from the floor for VP.  All executive members accepted the positions and were elected by acclamation.  

The only candidate for Vice-President was Judy.  She was elected by acclamation..

Yvonne started her second year of service as President.

Elections 2018 will require a ballot for President and a ballot for 4 members at large if nothing changes in the body.

George made a motion to close the elections, Yvonne seconded.

Adjournment:

As President, Yvonne thanked everyone for attending the AGM.  Yvonne made a motion to adjourn, Faron seconded.  Meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm.