President Debi Daviau signed the agreement with Treasury Board that provides compensation to all PIPSC members paid by Phoenix. The agreement details were announced earlier this month.

This agreement provides each member paid by Phoenix with five days of paid leave in compensation. Members will have a claims process to receive every dollar that they’ve lost due to Phoenix, as well as a mechanism to be compensated for its damages.

Days of leave and the updated claims process will come into effect 150 days after signing, November 12, 2019.

The Treasury Board and 15 public service unions finalized this joint agreement that will compensate 146,000 current and former employees who were paid by Phoenix.

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

The agreement applies to employees, retired employees, former employees and the estates of deceased employees. Separate agencies are expected to duplicate this agreement shortly.

Answers to your frequently asked questions on this Phoenix compensation agreement are available now.

PHOENIX FAQs

Despite not getting paid properly, our members have come to work each and every day to give their best in service of the public. We can't erase the loss and suffering that Phoenix has caused for these dedicated public service professionals. But with the commitments and the compensation enshrined in this settlement, the Treasury Board has taken important steps forward.

For support in dealing with your individual Phoenix case please contact our PIPSC Phoenix Team.

Today, President Debi Daviau joined the Treasury Board to announce the next steps in the journey to replace Phoenix. This is an encouraging step forward.

PIPSC members, including President Daviau have been an integral part of the process and will continue to be consulted through piloting and testing. It is critical that we remain vigilant and ensure the process to replace the pay system stays on track

Details in the press release below:

Government of Canada qualifies 3 vendors to advance Next Generation solution

June 12, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario – Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Canada’s hard-working public servants must be paid accurately and on time. The Government of Canada is committed to making this right for its employees.

Today, the Government reached another milestone in its ongoing efforts to eventually replace the Phoenix pay system. Following an innovative and agile procurement process that sets the template for transformative technological change, the Government has selected Ceridian, SAP, and Workday as the qualified vendors. These vendors will continue to work with the Government to identify the path forward for the Next Generation solution, in preparation for the replacement of Phoenix.   

For the past year, the government has been asking vendors to prove their capacity to deliver through a series of three increasingly complex stages (or gates). Throughout the process, the government engaged closely with bargaining agents, technology providers and, most importantly, public service employees. From January to April, in-person and digital User Expos were held across the country to gather insights from thousands of employees on potential features of a new system and for them to provide feedback.

Bargaining agents, notably the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada representing government IT professionals, have been closely involved throughout the process and the government is committed to continuing to work with them in the next stages of the project.

The next step will be to establish partnerships with one or more of the vendors for the co-design and the delivery of pilot projects, to test solutions against the real complexity of federal government HR and pay needs. The government will continue to engage with employees and bargaining agents in an open and transparent manner, so that the new solution addresses the needs of a modern public service.

Quotes

“We’ve learned the lessons of the past and have radically changed the way we are pursuing a modern, user-friendly and mobile HR and pay solution. We’re investing the time and resources to make sure the solution fits the needs of our employees. Our world-class public service deserves no less.”

- The Honourable Joyce Murray, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

“Our Government is committed to finding a system that meets the needs of employees, in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. To support this goal, we are taking an agile procurement approach that includes continuous collaboration with industry, government departments, unions and employees at each stage of the process.”

- Steven MacKinnon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

“This is another encouraging step on the long road to a new, reliable pay system. The consultation process has been productive and our members will continue to participate in ongoing piloting and testing. I will remain vigilant that the work to replace Phoenix remains on track and is a top priority.”

- Debi Daviau, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Associated links

• Next generation human resources and pay system for the public service
• Government of Canada takes next steps towards next generation pay system

She grew up in the big city of Vancouver, but today Dr. Lina Johannson finds herself in coveralls inspecting cattle in Regina. And she loves it.

It was during her studies at the University of Saskatchewan that Lina fell in love with the province and the people and decided to stay. Around the same time, she also had her first experience at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency where she really got to like the idea of working on the ‘national herd level’, protecting all of the livestock in the country.

Her work involves working closely with livestock producers and testing their animals as they’re coming into and leaving Canada.

“Most livestock ends up in food supply at some point, so the work we do contributes to the safe food supply,” says Lina.

Her work also protects the Canadian economy, since agriculture plays such an enormous role.

“Some of the things we’re looking for include diseases like foot and mouth. Certainly if Canada got foot and mouth, the borders would be shut down and we wouldn’t be able to trade in a large number of animals and their products,” Lina says.

She loves her work, even on the hard days when she has to give bad news to the people who raise livestock, especially when it comes to imposing quarantines or livestock euthanasia. It's tough calls like those that make it so important that Lina’s work is done in the public sector and not the private sector.

“As a regulatory party, we have to be very impartial and unbiased when we make decisions,” she says. “If this work was done in the private sector then Canadians would not be guaranteed that the decision would be made properly.” There’s one thing that makes every day on the job easier, and that’s knowing her union has her back.

And as a PIPSC steward, Lina also supports her fellow members. 

“I have come to very much appreciate having a union to be part of just because of the way they support our work as members in what we do every day,” she says. “I know my rights as an employee and I’m able to exercise those rights with support.”

Although the one thing her union can’t always protect her from is that awkward moment when she has to explain what’s in the white coolers that sometimes show up at her office (hint: it’s boar semen to be inspected).

“The front desk staff, if they’re new, ask ‘What’s that?’ and we’re like – ‘I don’t think you want to know,” she says, laughing.

Fellow members,

Each day you go to work to protect and serve Canadians in a hundred different ways: you save lives, protect the environment and grow the economy.

You make important contributions as both public servants and union members.

Together we continue to accomplish great things. Every day, PIPSC stewards and members work together to protect your rights and ensure a workplace that supports your excellence.

Our recent wins at the central bargaining table will improve the lives of PIPSC members for years to come. Our fight to replace Phoenix continues to move forward and members are getting compensated for the hardships created by Phoenix. I hope you'll join me on June 12 for a union-wide telephone townhall to discuss these important issues.

Our solidarity is what makes us strong. We are better together.

PIPSC membership is focused, knowledgeable and engaged – that’s how we get results.

Congratulations on your excellent work, your immeasurable contribution to Canadian society and your commitment to our union.
Happy National Public Service Week!

In solidarity,

Debi Daviau
President, PIPSC

The Ontario government has introduced legislation to cap public sector wage increases at an average of 1% annually for the next three years.

We are appalled by this legislation and any form of legislated wag caps. Legislating wages interferes with the right to free collective bargaining.

Our members, as all workers, deserve wages that reflect the real cost of living. A 1% annual increase means your wages will be worth less each year. Collective bargaining has allowed the employer and our members to jointly determine sustainable levels of compensation for decades.

The new wage cap would include teachers and staff at post-secondary institutions and hospitals. It will affect both unionized and non-unionized workers.

In addition to some 240 Information Technology professionals at the University of Ottawa, the Institute represents over 400 professional workers in the Ontario health sector including:

• Ontario Medical Physicists employed by the Regional Cancer Centres Employers Association (MP);
• Mechanical and Electronic Technologists employed by Sunnybrook Hospital (SUN-MET);
• Radiation Therapists employed by Sunnybrook Hospital (SUN-RT);
• Radiation Therapists  employed by the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC-RT);
• Radiation Therapists employed by Thunder Bay Regional Hospital (TBH-RT);
• Radiation Therapists employed by Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH-RT).

Over the last month we have seen our hard work pay off! Join one of three telephone town halls with President Debi Daviau for updates on both Phoenix damages and the central bargaining wins. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Date: 
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Time: 
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET (English)
7:45 PM – 8:45 PM ET (French)
9:30 PM – 10:30 PM ET (English)

How to participate:
You will receive a phone call on June 11 inviting you to join the call or the details will be left as a voicemail.

You may also dial directly into the call at the appropriate time on June 12:

English
Number: 1-877-229-8493
Passcode: 112851

French
Number:1-877-255-5810
Passcode: 112851

Or you may stream the audio of the call online through your computer or mobile device: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=12851

We look forward to connecting with you soon.

The Institute’s Legacy Foundation would like to remind you that the deadline to submit a scholarship application is July 12, 2019.

In 2019, the Foundation will award the following scholarships:

• one $5,000 scholarship
• twenty-seven $1,500 scholarships
• three $1,000 scholarships
• four $750 scholarships
• one $500 scholarship

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must be children or grandchildren of Regular or Retired members in good standing or members who were in good standing at the time of their death. Children or grandchildren of Rand deductees are not eligible.

Applicants must be entering their first year of post-secondary education in autumn 2019 in a full-time post-secondary program at an educational institution (including cégep) in Canada or outside Canada.

Evaluation

The basis of selection is the same for all scholarships. Only one scholarship will be awarded to each of the chosen candidates. Applications will be evaluated by an impartial selection panel using these factors:

1. Academic achievement (most recent report card or transcript of marks).

1. Summary of candidate’s leadership ability and community service involvement, including a minimum of 2 letters of reference (e.g. student council, tutoring, coach or assistant coach, other volunteer activities).
2. Essay of 750-1000 words on "professionalism". A suggested topic is "What does it mean to be a professional in your career?" but other specific topics on professionalism are welcomed. Essays will be judged on content, grammar, spelling, organization and presentation.
3. Typed statement by the candidate outlining future education and career goals and indicating why the candidate deserves a scholarship. This statement will be evaluated on content, grammar, spelling, organization and presentation of goals.

More information can be obtained at www.pipsc.ca/legacy or by email scholarship@pipsc.ca.

Application Procedure

A complete application must include:

• A copy of the official transcript of marks from the learning institution most recently attended.
• A statement outlining future education and career goals and indicating why the candidate deserves a scholarship.
• A statement about the candidate’s leadership abilities and community service involvement with supporting evidence, including a minimum of 2 reference letters.
• A 750-1000 word essay on professionalism.

Please submit the scholarship application online [ https://pipsc.smapply.io ]. All applicants, successful or otherwise, will be notified by the Evaluation Committee. Awards will be applicable to the academic year commencing in September 2019.

The successful candidates will be notified by mid-September 2019. A cheque will be forwarded to the successful applicant once confirmation of enrollment in a post-secondary institution is received. Please note that the Foundation may use photos and names of recipients in promotional material.

From May 26 to June 1, 2019, let’s celebrate National AccessAbility Week!

PIPSC is committed to working with our members and employers to create workplaces that are inclusive and barrier free. As proud PIPSC members, every one of us has a role to play in actively identifying and removing barriers that prevent any member from fully participating in all workplace activities and fulfilling their personal and professional dreams.

We value the diversity of the Canadian population and the unique talents and strengths that are inherent in a diverse workforce. It is a time to make a commitment to promote accessibility and inclusion in our workplace, and celebrate the talents and contributions of our members with disabilities.

Please do not hesitate to contact me, or any member of the HR&DC if you have any suggestions to making our workplaces more accessible and inclusive!

In solidarity,

Waheed Khan

Chair, HRDC

Director, NCR

In collaboration with colleagues in the HR Diversity and Employment Equity team, an inclusive working group of players across Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) came together. Representatives from the Employment Equity team, the Labour Relations team, employee unions, and the departmental PRIDE network developed the guide, Support for Trans Employees: A Guide for Employees and Managers (currently unavailable).

The purpose of this guide is to provide a safe, respectful and inclusive work environment for all employees, including trans and gender variant employees.

PIPSC’s Gordon Bulmer, a member of the working group, said that this work illustrates that "the Government of Canada can be a leader in social justice, not just a follower." The guide has received a Public Service Award of Excellence and is considered to be the beginning of a movement within the public service.

We celebrate this important step forward and are proud of our members who contributed their energy, expertise and passion to this project. Trans members deserve to thrive in their public service workplaces!