After 3 years of stalling, the Treasury Board has finally come to the table to begin discussing changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP). The plan has not been meaningfully updated since 2006.

In collaboration with other unions and retiree representatives, we have presented our proposal to the employer. Our recommendations, as summarized below, are based on the suggestions you provided over the years as well as from a 2018 member survey. 

• Promotes health & wellness through evidence-based medical care and plan design
  • Increase travel and health practitioner coverage to correspond to typical treatment requirements
  • Introduce Occupational Therapists and Nutritionists
  • Expand the psychologist benefit to cover registered counsellors, social workers, sexologists and psychotherapists
• Provides comprehensive coverage to care for members in difficult life situations
  • Increase hospital and private nursing coverage and introduction of rehabilitation and convalescent care
  • Expand durable product coverage (hearing aids, insulin injectors, CPAP, wheelchairs, etc) and a dedicated repair allowance 
  • Introduce medical cannabis where supported by clinical evidence
  • Add more coverage for various medical products and treatments
• Innovates with digital tools, industry partnerships, new technologies, and preventative care
  • Lower the out-of-pocket maximum for medication
  • Leverage the plan’s size to obtain preferred pricing for certain medical services and products (such as contact lenses and maintenance drugs)
  • Remove the prescription requirement for certain practitioners and physician requirement for acupuncture to encourage proactive, preventative care
• Adopts a long term vision of sustainable, efficient, and affordable health care that delivers top value to current members, retired members, and the Canadian public
  • Expand direct billing to reduce plan member and administrative costs
  • Adopt prescription optimization measures to lower payment to pharmacies without affecting member cost
  • Integrate administrative best practices to greatly reduce administrative and drug costs without compromising member experience

The PSHCP is an employer-sponsored health care plan for current and retired federal public service employees and their families. Every 5 years, this plan is reviewed by the Treasury Board. Benefits for public service workers are not negotiable under the law, so PIPSC and its partners play an active advisory role during this review, bringing forward your suggestions and concerns.

Eric Hortop is a steward and bargaining team member who works to make a positive change in our public service.

After graduating with a Master’s degree in mathematics, Eric took a job with Statistics Canada where he strives to improve public data and research for people in Canada. As a member of the PIPSC RE Group bargaining team, he has been fighting for scientific integrity, gender-inclusive language and other human rights issues that affect him and his colleagues every day. He continues to push this work forward in consultations with the employer.

“There are a lot of great things about being a PIPSC member and working nationally on these projects,” he says. “As a curious person, you get to find out how everything works and fits together in the government, human resources and group executives.”

Eric says he believes PIPSC can change the agenda, and that members can push to successfully put scientific integrity top of mind for Canadians.

“Seeing the Office of the Chief Science Advisor get set up after PIPSC pushed for it was a very proud moment,” he says. “It shows just how much PIPSC can accomplish.”

There is a craft to statistics that many Canadians don’t get to see behind the scenes, but for Eric, this is the most important work to him – providing quality research for our most crucial conversations. Accurate data allows our government to make important decisions about top-of-mind public issues.

“We’re here to make sure the privacy and security of Canadians are protected,” he says. “If you imagine a giant data table with health information about Canadians, no one wants to be that one person who is singled out because of a sensitive health condition. We make sure that Canadians have trusted information while keeping their privacy protected.”

As the saying goes – if it’s important, measure it! Statistics Canada’s mandate is to protect and improve the data so that everyone from researchers to business owners can use it to plan for success. Whether you’re a CEO or an undergrad student, you’re getting the same data.

Specifically, Eric works on statistical infrastructure projects that demonstrate how different programs and spending can impact general health, the environment and education over time. Our public service needs people like Eric who work hard to provide unbiased, quality data that informs our most important decision-making.

“More than ever, Canadians need a neutral source of data, gathered well and consistently and done by a trusted agency to give people the tools they need to understand issues and take part in public conversations,” he says.

Although Eric loves being a part of these complex projects guarding Canadian data quality, he is most proud of his work with new members in the union. Within PIPSC, stewards like Eric ensure a safe and positive work environment so that members across the country have the tools they need to build a stronger, more equitable Canada.

“I enjoy teaching and mentoring to share hard-won knowledge to new recruits, partners and other researchers,” he says. “It gives us a look at how Canadians can thrive and live better.”

Good news! Thanks to successful advocacy on the part of PIPSC, Bill C-224 was rejected by the House of Commons Finance Committee (FINA) on March 3, 2021. It was then fully defeated in the House of Commons on April 14. Conservative and Bloc MPs voted in favour, but the NDP and Liberal MPs voted against the bill to defeat it.

Our CRA members will continue to administer income tax declarations for Quebecers until further notice.

The bill aimed at transferring tax processing for Quebec residents from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to Revenu Québec. FINA members, however, agreed with our position that having Quebec tax declarations administered at the federal level (as all other provinces do) remains the best way to proceed because:

• It’s the most cost-effective solution for all taxpayers
• It ensures we can build a more progressive tax system
• It enables us to achieve tax fairness at an international level

When this bill was first introduced, PIPSC President Debi Daviau was quick to jump into action by appearing at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. Accompanied by AFS Group Quebec Representative Jean Couillard and our UTE colleagues, our message was clear: Bill C-224 is flawed, and the CRA already has the capacity to effectively process Quebec tax declarations. 

After our appearance at the committee,  PIPSC President Debi Daviau and members of the AFS executive met with a wide range of Members of Parliament from all the major parties including  the Minister of Revenue, Diane Labouthilier. At these meetings we took the opportunity to discuss tax fairness and issues facing our members at the CRA.

“We need a strong Canada Revenue Agency that can work across borders to close tax loopholes. If we are looking to reduce paperwork for Quebecers, the government should consolidate their tax processing within the CRA or fulfill its election commitment to introduce automatic tax filing. We’re keen to work with any Members of Parliament who want to collaborate on these proposals,” concluded President Daviau.

PIPSC is saddened to learn of the untimely passing of our friend and colleague Dr. Mehran Alaee. Mehran’s commitment to PIPSC members was deep and unwavering. We will miss him very much.

Mehran served PIPSC members with distinction in a number of capacities over many years, notably as a union steward at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in Burlington.

He was also a key member of the PIPSC Central Bargaining Team and the Respect Committee at ECCC’s Canada Centre for Inland Waters.

Mehran served as Acting President and Vice-President of the Research Group and President of the Hamilton-Burlington Branch and Hamilton-Burlington Research Sub-Group.

For many years, Mehran served on the executive of the Research Group and as a delegate to the PIPSC AGM.

Dr. Alaee obtained his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Guelph in 1991 and joined Environment Canada in 1991 as a post-doctoral fellow, becoming a Research Scientist in 1992. Mehran was an expert in environmental mass spectrometry and a highly respected scientist with numerous international collaborations. Over the years, his research targeted some of the key challenges in the field of aquatic contaminants. His work included 105 scientific publications and many more presentations. His efforts have had a lasting impact and helped to shape ECCC policies and regulations.

In addition, Mehran was an adjunct professor at various universities and mentored, trained and supervised many students and post-docs.

PIPSC extends its condolences to Mehran’s family and to the many friends who were privileged to know him.

Condolences and memories can be expressed online.

If you’re a PIPSC member in the core public administration, you should take paid leave from work to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as you’re eligible in your province or territory.

You can request up to 3.75 hours of leave using code 698, which covers the time required to travel to your vaccination appointment and to get your shot.

Then, repeat the process for your second dose!

Getting vaccinated is an important part of the government’s effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic. If possible, try and schedule your vaccination appointment to minimize absence from work. However, managers should be flexible to allow you to get the earliest possible appointment, regardless of whether that’s during your regular work hours or not. Each province and territory is responsible for vaccine roll-out, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with your local vaccination timeline.

WHERE TO GET VACCINATED

If you have any COVID-related questions, we’re here to help. Whether you’re a parent juggling work with your childcare responsibilities, an employee working from home without an ergonomic setup, or someone feeling the isolation blues, there are resources for you. We are here to help you navigate these never-before-seen times.

COVID-19 FAQs

We’re working with separate employers to ensure that, if you’re outside the core public administration, you can take paid leave for your vaccination as well. You should ask your manager about how to access time off for vaccinations.

The vaccination is our best shot at getting out of this pandemic, and we can’t keep our federal frontline health care workers waiting any longer.

Unfortunately, many federal frontline health care workers are falling through the cracks of provincial vaccination calendars. In some jurisdictions, workers are waiting for vaccines to be available based on their age category, without consideration for their job’s risk factor.  In others, federal workers are being excluded from provincial priority vaccinations for essential workers. Outside of health care, critical federal professionals that must congregate around specialized equipment, like our meteorologists who faced a COVID-19 workplace outbreak last year, were not even included on the government’s priority list. The Treasury Board needs to take responsibility for the safety of their frontline workers by ensuring that they are quickly vaccinated.

PIPSC President Debi Daviau wrote to the President of the Treasury Board, Jean-Yves Duclos, to express these concerns about federal nurses, physiotherapists and other frontline health care workers who are still excluded from their local vaccination programs.

READ THE LETTER

We urge the Treasury Board to take the required leadership to ensure that frontline federal health care workers are vaccinated as quickly as possible. Protecting the health and safety of workers is a responsibility that cannot be passed off to provincial or territorial health agencies. As an employer, they must take responsibility for their employees’ vaccinations if they are in regular contact with clients, colleagues, or the public, or if they are critical for frontline operations.

We are exploring different options to resolve this issue. If you have concerns about the vaccination timetable for your age group and region, contact your PIPSC steward, or use our COVID-19 help form.

GET COVID-19 HELP 

1. Historic childcare announcement

The government’s announcement of increased access to affordable childcare is a huge win for working families. This will be transformative for parents, and for the women who systematically shoulder the majority of childcare responsibilities in Canada.

Program details will require consultation with the provinces to define, but an ambitious $10 per day target was established, appropriate money was allocated, and the work will start in the current fiscal year. The announcement got a resounding endorsement from leading advocates such as Child Care Now.

We must remain vigilant to see that this vital initiative is implemented properly.

2. Federal leadership in public health is the new normal

The response to COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of a robust and well-resourced public health infrastructure. In a federation like Canada, that requires national coordination from the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada.

Budget 2021 reasserts the importance of these organizations in fighting the pandemic but also signals their broader importance by tapping them to address issues such as domestic violence, mental health, diabetes, autism and long-term care.

3. Gender, diversity and inclusion become a national priority

The negative impacts of COVID-19 have not been felt uniformly by all Canadians. Systemic discrimination was the reality before the crisis and, whether from increased exposure to health risks or economic precarity, COVID-19 has only increased its destructiveness.

Budget 2021 recognizes a “she-cession” and addresses issues faced by women in the world of work. It collects data, analyzes problems, and targets solutions based on those who need them most.

Though this is an important priority, the government has a lot of work to do as an employer to ensure gender equity. In recent months we’ve devoted significant energy to issues such as harassment prevention, access to 699 leave, and discouraging outsourcing to contractors with sometimes questionable labour practices. These issues all disproportionately impact women and the budget gave no explicit indication that change is coming. We expect the government to do better.

4. Tax fairness: lots of sizzle, not much steak

Given the extent to which the ultra-rich and web giants have profited throughout the crisis, we can’t let them off the hook as we rebuild.

After years of advocacy, the government has been slowly reinvesting in the Canada Revenue Agency after years of ill-advised cuts. Budget 2021 adds $534 million over 5 years to “strengthen CRA” and enhance efforts to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.

Other important initiatives were announced including a digital service tax for companies like Netflix and Amazon, as well as closing loopholes for “excessive deductions of interest,” a new tax to discourage real estate speculation by foreign entities that leave properties vacant and a new tax on luxury cars, boats and planes.

Budget 2021 announced the creation of a publicly accessible beneficial ownership registry. This initiative has been championed by auditors at CRA as an effective way to discourage illegal behaviour that occurs when ownership relationships are unclear. While the announcement is welcomed, the delay before a full implementation in 2025 is unnecessary.

All these measures are welcomed, but the expected return is small ($3.5 billion per year) when compared to the scale of the recovery response. There is still incredible potential to increase tax revenues by implementing other tax fairness measures.

5. Research and Development within federal departments needs attention

Innovation, research and development will be an important part of the post-COVID recovery process. The government provided further details about the $7.2 billion Strategic Innovation Fund as well as the $360 million National Quantum Strategy.

Increased funding for the National Research Council and the Canada Space Agency, and new money for Statistics Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada to create a Census of the Environment is also good news.

Unfortunately, most of the other core government departments received relatively small research and development amounts, which will likely continue the longstanding trend of internal R&D in the federal government diminishing compared to the private sector and universities.

6. A green recovery plan is important and public services must be protected

Positive economic performance in the fourth quarter of 2020 means the total deficit is expected to be less than expected last fall ($354 billion instead of $382 billion).

Canada’s crisis-response deficit is in line with the average of other OECD countries. The International Monetary Fund’s Fiscal Monitor from April 2021 shows Canada’s federal net-debt is expected to be one-third of the G20 average for 2020 and 2021.

The strength of the federal government’s financial position before the crisis combined with low levels of debt and low interest rates means it can protect Canadians now, invest in green technology to stimulate a full recovery, be ready for unforeseen events in the future, and maintain the public services Canadians rely on. The risk of the government doing too little outweighs the risk of it doing too much.

7. IT infrastructure and the Phoenix backlog

We were pleased to see the critical investment in the government’s aging IT systems. $300 million over 3 years was provided to Shared Services Canada to repair and replace IT infrastructure. A further $453 million was announced for SSC and the Communications Security Establishment to improve cyber security. This work must be conducted internally by public service professionals in information technology (IT).

$46 million was allocated to Public Services and Procurement Canada to eliminate the backlog of Phoenix pay system transactions by December 2022. This system continues to plague our members and we hope this funding can resolve all outstanding Phoenix pay issues.

8. $15 minimum wage

The federal minimum wage of $15 announced in Budget 2021 is a major victory for the labour movement and working people. The announcement will directly benefit 26,000 workers currently earning less than the new minimum in federally regulated private sector employers such as banks, telecommunications companies and airlines. It is now imperative that provinces follow suit and adopt a livable minimum wage for all Canadians.

To our surprise and disappointment, we were advised that retroactive payment for civilian members is not expected to be completed until July 28, 2021. When we inquired about why there is a delay, we were advised that the guidance from the Treasury Board to the RCMP is to complete implementation within 180 days.

President Debi Daviau wrote to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, urging her to intervene so retroactive payments can be processed as soon as possible, and no later than 90 days from the date the collective agreement was signed.

READ PRESIDENT DAVIAU’S LETTER

This retro pay delay shouldn’t affect the new pay rates for RCMP civilian members in the Computer Personnel classifications, who should have received their new rate of pay on March 25, 2021.  

There is no justifiable reason for the RCMP to delay the payments to these members for 180 days. The pay increases were processed in a timely manner, so surely the retroactive payments could also be processed in a timely fashion.

Not only is this delay unreasonable and unjustifiable, it is an abuse of a process established as a direct consequence of Phoenix, intended only for public servants who are paid through the Phoenix pay system. RCMP civilian members were excluded from the extended 180-day implementation period and the corresponding payment of $500 as compensation for extended implementation.

If the RCMP requires 180 days to pay our members their retroactive payments, this should be on the same terms: pay the $500 as compensation.

Many of us were shocked to learn that the Public Service Pension (PSP) plan is the sole owner of Revera Inc. – a company that runs long-term care facilities for profit. These private facilities continue to see much higher rates of COVID-19 infection and death than public facilities.

We don’t want our pension to make money this way. We are calling on the federal government to facilitate talks between the PSP plan and provincial health ministries to move Revera long-term care facilities from private to public ownership to protect the lives of seniors.

Join PIPSC President Debi Daviau and President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, Linda Silas, to learn more about this important issue and how you can take action. 

Watch the video below or watch on Youtube.

Watch this informative webinar from the PIPSC Compensation Team to learn how your pension is calculated and where you can find the most accurate information about your personal plan.

This webinar is for members of the Public Service Pension Plan, which includes these PIPSC groups:

• Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP)
• Commerce & Purchasing (CP, formerly AV)
• Audit, Financial and Scientific – CRA (AFS)
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA-IN, CFIA-S&A, CFIA-VM)
• Canadian Museum of History (CMH)
• Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN)
• Computer Systems (CS)
• Engineering, Architecture and Land Survey (NR)
• Health Services (SH)
• House of Commons (HoC)
• National Energy Board (NEB), also known as Canada Energy Regulator
• National Film Board (NFB)
• National Gallery of Canada (NGC)
• National Research Council (NRC-RO/RCO, NRC-IS, NRC-LS, NRC-TR)
• Nuclear Regulatory (NUREG)
• Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)
• Research (RE)
• Senate Legislative Clerks (SEN)