On Canada Day (July 1st), Canada Life took over from Sun Life as the administrator of the employer-sponsored Public Service Healthcare Plan.This plan covers most active and retired federal public service workers,  as well as their families.  At the same time of the changeover, a number of plan improvements and changes were implemented. This transition has resulted in Canada Life’s customer service centre and web portail being overwhelmed - with members reporting excessive wait times and crashed websites. While some hiccups during such a large-scale transfer are expected, it appears that the plan administrator and Treasury Board did not dedicate sufficient resources to facilitate this transition. Canada Life is taking remedial actions to improve plan member experience and the Administrative Authority continues to monitor the situation to ensure Canada Life meets its contractual obligations.

While Canada Life continues to address these issues, plan members are asked to exercise an abundance of patience.  If your concern is not urgent, we suggest waiting a couple weeks before reaching out. Most plan provisions remain unchanged, meaning that members will continue to benefit from the same or improved coverage for most medical products and services. Many issues can be corrected retroactively. Information on the updated plan, including an explanation of the legacy protections for medication, is provided in the PIPSC PSHCP member handbook and FAQs. Plan members with legacy protections do not need to contact Canada Life to maintain eligibility for reimbursement.

PIPSC is eager to begin the long awaited review of the Public Service Dental Plan (PDSP) in collaboration with our National Joint Council (NJC) partners. This endeavour reflects our ongoing dedication to the well-being and satisfaction of our members.

Our NJC partners’ Dental Plan covers most workers in the federal public service. But, it has not been reviewed since 2018. It requires important updates to secure its value to members.  

Health benefits are not negotiable under the Treasury Board’s interpretation of federal public section labour legislation. However, the Government has adopted a collaborative approach to reviewing the benefit plans. We continue to call on Minister Fortier to issue a mandate to review the PSDP. We are hoping to enter into a plan review this year.

Most members of the Core Public Administration and members at separate agencies are covered by the PSDP. The NJC dental plan is reviewed concurrently with the identical, but separate, PSAC dental plan (which only covers PSAC members).

The NJC Dental Plan union representatives believe changes to the plan are needed to:

• reflect the increased cost of dental services and include advances in preventative dental care
• ensure the plan can meet the needs of members in difficult life situations and remain competitive in comparison to other major dental plans
• adequately protect members from unneeded treatment
• extend coverage to certain conditions (i.e. provide care for bruxism)

PIPSC is proud to participate in collaborative efforts with the government through the NJC and our plan sponsor. We recognize the important role that good oral health plays in overall well-being, and the significance of comprehensive coverage for our members.

We know our members expect evidence-based plan enhancements that maximize plan value and member health. This includes improving preventative care and expanding treatments for plan members with certain challenging health conditions. 

We also appreciate the impact that recent inflation has had on Canadian's pocketbooks. We know that dental services continue to rise along with the cost of living.

By pooling our expertise and resources, we can explore new opportunities and strategies to improve the PSDP for our members. This approach enables us to leverage the collective knowledge and insights of our organizations, producing a more comprehensive and robust dental benefits package.

If you have new suggestions for changes to the plan beyond coverage rates and caps, we invite you to email pensionsbenefits@pipsc.ca with your specific suggestions.

In a long-awaited and unequivocal decision, the federal Pay Equity Commissioner has ruled in favour of all the unions that opposed Treasury Board's June 2022 request for a multiple pay equity plan.

The pay equity exercise for some 252,000 employees will have to be carried out by comparing all female-predominant job classes with male-predominant classes, regardless of whether the job is within the same bargaining unit or not.

Originally, Treasury Board had requested authorization from Commissioner Straznicky to divide job categories into three distinct plans:

• Public Service Alliance of Canada
• The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
• All other unions and unrepresented employees.

Had it been granted, such authorization would have limited the comparison of the female job categories represented by the Institute to the male job categories also represented by PIPSC.

It should be remembered that the purpose of pay equity legislation is to correct the wage gap between men and women by ensuring that the total remuneration of predominantly female jobs is compared with equivalent predominantly male jobs. 

By forcing Treasury Board to create a single-pay equity committee, the committee will be able to ensure that it is not limited in its choice of male comparator jobs, and select those that are most appropriate, regardless of its original accreditation.

This is a major victory for the recognition of work performed mainly by women, and the first step towards closing the wage gap that still persists!

It’s with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague, Martine Lacroix.

Martine passed away on June 11, 2023 at 61 years old.

Martine was a dedicated union member. Before her retirement, Martine worked as a nurse within Correctional Services Canada (CSC) and was a steward for many years.  During those years, she contributed to the dynamism and vitality of the union as a member of the Quebec Regional Executive and of the Regional Training Committee. She was also an active member of the CSC union-management consultation team. 

Martine will be dearly missed. The Institute extends its condolences to Martine’s family, friends, colleagues, and fellow union members. 

The Lacroix family welcomes you to pay your respects on Sunday, July 2, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Magnus Poirier Funeral Home located at 2480 Boul. du Curé-Labelle, Prévost, QC J0R 1T0.

Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society will be collected in Martine's honour. 

Sympathy wishes can be sent online.

A reminder for all members of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) about the transition to the new plan administrator, Canada Life on July 1, 2023.

You should have received an invitation to complete positive enrolment from Canada Life, either by email or mail. If not, check your junk email folder. If you cannot find your invitation, call the Canada Life PSHCP Member Contact Centre at 1-855-415-4414 as soon as possible. 

Our Pensions & Benefits Team has developed a guide to walk you through your plan and its changes.

PIPSC Guide to the PSHCP

Positive enrolment and consent to have claims processed by Canada Life must be completed before July 1, 2023, to ensure there are no disruptions in processing and reimbursing your or your covered dependants’ claims. This is particularly important as you will not be able to complete positive enrolment and send in a claim on the same day. Therefore, complete enrolment by June 30, 2023, to avoid being out of pocket for health claim expenses as of July 1. 

Should you have any questions, more information on the transition to Canada Life can be found here: Preparing for the Public Service Health Care Plan transition to Canada Life - Canada.ca

Our PIPSC bargaining teams are pushing hard at the negotiation table and fighting for a better deal for our members. You can find bargaining updates from each Group on their individual Group pages.

The PIPSC Central Table Bargaining Team held our fourth meeting with Treasury Board representatives on May 23 – 25, 2023. The Central Table negotiations aim to bargain common language to be integrated into group collective agreements, ensuring consistency and fairness, while Group tables negotiate specific language around pay and working conditions for each of the occupational groups represented by PIPSC.

This is where things currently stand on some of our key issues. 

Return To Office (RTO):

Some of our members are needed on the frontlines to provide essential services – but many others are now able to do their best work from their own homes.  Forcing employees back to workplaces without rhyme or reason really demonstrated a lack of trust and respect – and we have been advocating against the government’s one-size-fits-all policy since it was abruptly implemented. 

We have seen some movement on this issue from the employer with other bargaining agents, like PSAC and CAPE. PIPSC has consistently maintained that the implementation of  'presence with purpose' is best sorted out at the bargaining table, and we will continue to pursue that goal. We also conducted an online survey of members in May, and have been amplifying those responses in the media and to Treasury Board.

PIPSC believes that a fair, flexible remote work policy can help create a workplace built on accessibility, equity, and respect. We hope the federal government is willing to collaborate with us to make that happen. 

PAY:

It is crucial that our members are paid at a rate that reflects both the value of their work and the skyrocketing costs of living. One of the ways an employer can truly recognize its employees is through better compensation.  

PIPSC continues to fight for improved compensation for its members, especially in light of painful inflation. However, other bargaining agents have now set a pattern for general economic increases which will be hard to resist.  

PIPSC continues to look for creative ways to bargain gains for our members, especially given the unique nature of our work.

EQUITY:

The Pay Equity Act and related regulations have been in effect since September 2021, but there is still so much work to be done before Pay Equity is a reality in the public service.

PIPSC is taking an active leadership role in support of pay equity, a role which has major significance given the overwhelming resistance to the pay equity process from many employers. 

But equity extends beyond pay. This government has made equity a pillar of their mandate – and they must ensure this is extended to their employees. Everyone deserves to feel like they belong at work. 

For some, this means working from home. For others, this means being able to show up as our true selves without having to worry about harassment or social exclusion.  Our union is also a community – we fight to ensure no worker is left behind. Equity, in all its variations, is a huge part of what we do – both in bargaining and beyond.

IMPACT OF PSAC STRIKE

PSAC and PIPSC negotiate with a common employer, the federal government. It was essential for PIPSC to show solidarity when they took their strike action in April. 

We know that when fellow bargaining agents, like PSAC, reach a tentative agreement, the government will attempt to establish a pattern for wage increases for other groups still in negotiations. 

However, as PIPSC members, we have circumstances that are unique to the professional work that we do.  We will continue to fight for “market adjustments” to make sure that our groups and classifications are meeting the same market rate value as their counterparts in provincial governments or in other agencies – as well as compared to the private sector. 

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR A BETTER DEAL

At every stage of the process, members are vital to collective bargaining. When we work together, we show the employer the strength of our union and the power of our united voices.

Often, simple actions can be the most effective. For example, if you know that your bargaining team is at the negotiation table with Treasury Board, you can wear a PIPSC t-shirt or put PIPSC buttons on your jacket or backpack.

You can also get active on social media by sharing or commenting on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts. This will help ensure our message is getting in front of more folks within your network – which is really important to building support. You can also send your Group’s bargaining team a quick message to wish them luck when they’re heading into bargaining – this lets them know you have their back, and can be a helpful boost to the team.

But the best way you can support the fight for a better deal is to keep up to date with what’s happening – be engaged, read all your emails and newsletters, follow us on social media, take online actions like sending an email, and attend local meetings and activities.

Ottawa, June 15, 2023 – More than one-third of public service professionals are so unhappy with the government's one-size-fits-all return to office order that they are considering leaving their roles. For workers under 30 – a demographic most concerned with cost of living, childcare and the environment – that number jumps to almost 50%.

“When nearly one in five members of the federal public service is over the age of 55, approaching retirement age, we cannot afford to lose half of our youngest workers,” said PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. “The government won’t be able to deliver the services Canadians rely on if it’s not able to address the major recruitment and retention problem it’s created with its own flawed return to office policy. These numbers add up to a public service in peril.”

In his statement in support of National Public Service Week this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is supporting the career development of Indigenous, Black, and racialized employees, and building an inclusive and equitable public service. But workers who identify as Black are more than twice as likely to be concerned with discrimination and harassment now that they have been ordered back to the office. 

People with Disabilities are also twice as likely to be concerned with discrimination and harassment in the office, and more than twice as likely to report that their workstations do not meet their needs. Seventy percent said that their mental well-being has gotten worse as a result of not being able to work remotely. 

The RTO policy also puts an increased burden on women workers, who are more likely to be balancing caregiving responsibilities at home – often responsible for both their children and their aging parents. More than half of women report their caregiving responsibilities have gotten worse under RTO. 

“This government claims it wants to prioritize recruiting younger workers, workers with disabilities, Black workers, and women,” said Carr. “But at the same time, they are implementing an RTO policy that makes it harder for these groups to be successful in the workplace.”

PIPSC believes in the principle of “presence with purpose” – being at the office when justified by operational needs. The union continues to advocate for what was originally promised by the government: a hybrid-by-design approach that considers employees’ unique circumstances and job requirements. 

“Flexibility is now the centerpiece of a modern and progressive workplace,” said Carr. “Our union is ready to work with the government to develop policies that make sense.” 

In May 2023, PIPSC conducted an online survey of more than 68,000 of its members working for Federal Departments or Agencies, to assess how the members feel after returning to the office. More than 17% responded to the survey.

PIPSC represents over 72,000 public service professionals working for the federal government as well as some provincial departments and agencies.

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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca

Ottawa, June 12, 2023 – Today is the first day of National Public Service Week, a time meant to “recognize the value of the services rendered by federal public service employees.” But recent data pulled from a survey of members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) shows that the majority of these employees are not feeling valued – particularly when it comes to Return To Office (RTO) policies. 

“Six months into the implementation of a one-size-fits-all return to office order, our members report that the policy has undermined their productivity, increased their cost of living, forced them to waste time in traffic – and it hasn’t improved collaboration,” said PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. 

Seventy percent of survey respondents reported being dissatisfied with how RTO policies were implemented – citing issues like the commuting time and cost, work-life balance, and environmental impacts as top concerns. 

And contrary to the Treasury Board’s rationale behind the order, positive outcomes are hard to identify. Sixty-one percent of respondents said productivity has gotten worse, and most respondents said the impact on collaboration is at best neutral. 

Furthermore, 80% of meetings are still happening virtually. 

“Public service professionals have been ordered into an office to be part of a Zoom or Teams call they could have dialed into from home,” said Carr. “The proposed benefits of returning to the office are nowhere to be found.”

One key issue is that, in spite of having been issued a RTO directive, the majority of federal employees no longer have dedicated offices to return to – in fact, 65% of respondents are still sharing workstations. 

“At PIPSC we support the principle of “presence with purpose”: being at the office when justified by operational needs. We continue to advocate for what was promised: a hybrid-by-design approach that considers employees’ unique circumstances and job requirements,” said Carr. “It’s time for the government to work with us and develop a modern workplace that includes flexible work arrangements, properly equipped work spaces, and a high priority on health and safety.”

PIPSC represents over 72,000 public service professionals working for the federal government as well as some provincial departments and agencies. In May 2023, PIPSC conducted an online survey of more than 68,000 of its members working for Federal Departments or Agencies, to assess how the members feel after returning to the office. More than 17% responded to the survey.

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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca

Ottawa, June 9, 2023 – On Monday June 12, to mark the National Public Service Week (NPSW), the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) will host a press conference at its national office in Ottawa.  

Sadly, even though NPSW should be a special moment in the year to “recognize the value of the services rendered by federal public service employees,” PIPSC will present results from a survey of members showing that the majority of respondents employees are not feeling valued – particularly when it comes to return to office (RTO) policies. 

WHAT: Press Conference Marking National Public Service Week 2023 – Survey Results

WHEN: Monday, June 12, 2023, on 10:30 AM

WHERE: PIPSC National Office, 250 Tremblay Road, Ottawa (Ontario)  

WHO: Jennifer Carr, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

PIPSC represents over 72,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram. 

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For more information, please contact: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (cell), jfillion@pipsc.ca

Note: Zoom link available upon request.

November 26th to 29th, 2023, at the Centre Sheraton Hotel, Montreal, Quebec.

ONLINE REGISTRATION

July 17th to September 29th, 2023 – Once notified as having been selected to attend the PIPSC  Convention 2023 which will include the Annual General Meeting (AGM), all Delegates and Observers have to complete the online registration form. Please note that the deadline for registration will be strictly enforced.

DELEGATE SELECTION PROCESS

Group Presidents and Regional Directors must submit their list of approved Delegates/Observers using this form by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, June 16, 2023.

Once the lists are received, the National Office will communicate with each Delegate/Observer by e-mail inviting them to register online. Please note that Delegates/Observers will not be able to register until an approved list has been received from the Groups and from the Regions. 

The number of delegates for the AGM is defined in By-Law 13 and in accordance with the delegate count.

CHANGES TO INSTITUTE BY-LAWS

By-Law 13.1.4.1 states "No By-Law shall be enacted, repealed or amended by a General Meeting unless details of proposed changes were submitted to the Office of the Executive Secretary no later than twelve (12) weeks prior to a General Meeting." Proposed amendments to the Institute By-Laws must be submitted by September 3rd, 2023, by email at resolutions@pipsc.ca.

RESOLUTIONS

By-Law 13.1.4.3 states "Resolutions, in writing, must be received at the Office of the Executive Secretary not less than twelve (12) weeks before the commencement of a General Meeting." Resolutions must be submitted by September 3rd 2023, by email at resolutions@pipsc.ca.

AGM resolutions are first received by the Resolutions Sub-Committee (RSC).

The mandate of the RSC is to consolidate, monitor and clarify resolutions for submission to the AGM. The RSC is available to help and to provide advice to sponsors regarding wording to ensure clarity and compliance with Institute By-Laws and Policies. If there is a cost associated with resolutions (financial resolutions), sponsors should submit related numbers with their resolution, for review by the RSC.

To assist in the process of writing resolutions, please refer to the pocket guide “Write that Resolution”. 

INSTITUTE FEES

Pursuant to By-Law 14.2.1, which governs fees, notice is hereby given that a change in the basic monthly fee may be proposed at the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

TRAVEL

Delegates of the PIPSC Convention 2023 can refer to the travel policy.