The federal pay equity process is underway to ensure that workers in women-dominated jobs receive equal pay for work of equal value. 

On August 31, 2021, all federally regulated employers became subject to the new proactive pay equity legislation. The new legislation replaces an ineffective complaint-based pay equity model.

PIPSC worked with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to develop the regulations that will implement the legislation.

Under the legislation, employers and unions must work together to establish a pay equity committee that will develop and implement a pay equity plan by 2024. PIPSC classification agents will be coordinating pay equity projects and representing your interests throughout the process.

Pay equity process

As a first step, employers must post a notice setting out their pay equity obligation by November 1, 2021. Joint employer-union committees will then develop pay equity plans to check that employees are receiving equal pay for work and to resolve any pay gaps.

A Pay Equity Commissioner will provide further support to the committees and offer any dispute resolution services should the need arise. 

Finally, the plans will be reviewed and updated at least every 5 years, ensuring the employer’s compensation policies remain free of gender bias.

How to get involved

If you have any concerns or want to inform us of developments in your workplace, please email compensation@pipsc.ca. We will keep you updated as the process unfolds.

The Institute is saddened to learn of the passing of Marie-Claude Lavigne on November 18, 2021. Marie-Claude worked as a psychologist at Correctional Services of Canada in Québec. She was a dedicated employee and an active PIPSC steward from 1985 to 1996 at the Leclerc Institution in Laval. 

Marie-Claude looked after the well-being of her colleagues and defended them passionately. Marie-Claude took on many challenges and was a great source of inspiration.

At the time of her retirement in 2007, Marie-Claude was working for the Parole Office. She will be dearly missed. We offer our sincerest condolences to her family and friends.

Condolences and memories can be expressed online.

On November 16, 2021, President Debi Daviau met with recently appointed Treasury Board President Mona Fortier to discuss the way forward on our members’ key issues.

The discussion focused on scientific integrity, equity and diversity, Public Service Health Care Plan improvements, and the potential resumption of negotiations on the Employee Wellness Support Program.

Although she had not received her mandate from the PM yet, Minister Fortier identified her top 3 priorities in her new role:

• good faith negotiations
• open communications
• collaboration

The Minister was very complimentary of the work PIPSC had done with the government and previous Treasury Board Presidents, and shared that she had received many positive comments from colleagues about us.

We look forward to further discussions with Minister Fortier on these and other issues of significant importance to our members, such as flexible work arrangements, safe workplaces, and the next round of collective bargaining.

President Debi Daviau presented the Institute’s 2021 Gold Medal to PIPSC member Dr. Sean Li to recognize his pioneering work in the field of vaccine research that has been instrumental in the international fight against viruses and pandemics, including COVID-19.  Dr. Li is a Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Vaccine Research Lab at Health Canada.

Dr. Li developed the world’s first universal antibody-based test for the detection of antigens of influenza viruses. He also evaluates the factors that explain the development of immunization effects in vaccines and the risks of unwanted reactions. His expertise is sought by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical industries around the world.

The Professional Institute established the Gold Medal Award program in 1937 to recognize professional public service employees whose outstanding work has led to the improvement and enhancement of public well-being.  The program promotes greater awareness of the role and value of professional public services in Canada and globally.

President Debi Daviau presented awards to deserving members for their exemplary and inspiring leadership, and thanked the members of the Award Selection Panel – Chair Bert Crossman, Ralph Herman, and Nita Saville – for reviewing the nominations and for recommending these laureates.

Life Membership Award

The Life Membership Award recognizes outstanding service of enduring value to the Institute by a regular or retired member of the Institute who has demonstrated leadership for at least ten years.

Stephen Bent (AFS)

Ginette Tardif (SH)

David Young (NR)

President’s Achievement Award

The President’s Achievement Award recognizes members who have promoted professionalism by demonstrating innovative initiative and who have made an exceptional contribution under extraordinary circumstances. 

Award

Dr. Galal Ali (CS)

Dr. Ming Hou (RE)

Institute Service Award  

The Institute Service Award recognizes outstanding service over a significant period of time, above and beyond that which might be expected of any devoted member who has served on many constituent body executives.

Eva Henshaw (CS)

Claude Lord (NFB)

Rob Macdonald (SP)

Colin Muise (SH)

Chris Roach (AFS)

Central Bargaining Team:

Dr. Mehren Alaee (RE) posthumous award; Adam Fenwick (SH); Stéphanie Fréchette (CFIA-S&A); Dale Hudson (NR); Kim McGuire (CP); Dr. Louis Poirier (NRC-RO-RCO); Elizabeth Ptasznik (SP); Robert Scott (CS); Robert Trudeau (AFS); Suzelle Brosseau, negotiator; Ryan Campbell, economist

Please visit the Awards page to learn more about the nomination process.

We are stronger together.

Learn more about the accomplishments and continuous work of Canada’s largest union of professional employees in this year’s annual report.

Read the report

The report includes a message from President Debi Daviau addressing some of 2021’s most pressing issues including the COVID-19 response, bargaining, Phoenix, protecting pensions, defending public science, and more.

A report from Chief Operating Officer and Executive Secretary Edward Gillis outlines how PIPSC kept our strategic focus and invested in the bold and ambitious plans that our members demanded of us.

We condemn the New Brunswick government’s ban on territorial acknowledgements by government employees.

Whether it’s supporting Indigenous History Month, Indigenous Day Live, or the PIPSC Indigenous Caucus, our members regularly take action for reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Territorial acknowledgements are an important part of this action. We call on Hugh Fleming, New Brunswick Minister of Justice, to immediately cancel this decision. Union members should be allowed to acknowledge the Indigenous territory on which they work.

Contact a steward at your workplace if you face disciplinary measures for using territorial acknowledgements.

We stand in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of New Brunswick. We also add our voice to the New Brunswick Federation of Labour who called on the New Brunswick government to reverse this directive.

Hugo has been active in the union for over ten years. He is now a steward and delegate for the PIPSC CS group and has been engaged in many projects and campaigns. He believes that there are a variety of ways of being involved and supporting the union, sometimes it’s even as simple as speaking up about what you need in your workplace.

“Our union is not a company that provides services. Our union is an organization that is there for us and it’s driven by the engagement of members,” he says. “By getting involved at different levels, we can stay close to our members. We can ensure that the decisions and actions taken by the union are based on what members want. But, this takes all our engagement.”

Hugo is passionate about meeting the needs of fellow union members – providing information, advocating in the workplace, giving training and encouraging everyone to make their voices heard.

“I’m most proud of my work as a steward to make sure every person is having a good experience,” he says. “When the members are happy and having a good work experience they can have a bigger impact on improving the public service.”

“We can make a difference in the lives of individuals. As a result, we can make a difference in government systems to make workplaces safer and better for every worker,” he says.

Hugo studied Computer Engineering at the University of Sherbrooke before becoming a computer systems analyst at Environment and Climate Change Canada in Montreal. As a child, Hugo was always interested in the latest technologies and developments in engineering which eventually formed his career path and passion.

As a High Performance Computing Application Supervisor, Hugo works on digital models that predict, amongst other things, the paths of forest fires and the concentration of air pollutants. This data is essential for evidence-based decision making that saves peoples’ lives.

In a lot of ways, Hugo sees how the advocacy work he does with the union has a domino effect that ripples from coast to
coast to coast.

“A better Canada has more equity and justice. It means providing people with access to important resources without leaving their pockets empty,” he says. “We don’t just represent our members, but we represent a good portion of the population that has similar issues.”

When we fight for our pensions, we are also fighting for retirement security for all people in Canada. When we push for fair contracts, we are raising the bar for all workers. When we take a stand for pharmacare, it’s in solidarity with workers without health benefits.

Unions must be a part of the movements that improve human rights and the rights of all workers. The strength of our union is found in members like Hugo who stand up for workers’ issues and who make a difference in the everyday lives of people across Canada.