Following the recent unnecessary loss of life of Gazans trying to access life-saving food aid, PIPSC’s Human Rights and Diversity Committee is reiterating our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.

The International Court of Justice recently ordered Israel to prevent genocide. In light of this, PIPSC’s Human Rights and Diversity Committee urges Canada to take a firm stance against arms exports to Israel, to demand the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Rafah City – which was meant to be a safe refuge for civilians – the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and full respect of international humanitarian law.

The committee welcomes the announcement that Canada will restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), but urges Canada to do more.

The committee also wants to acknowledge Canada's recent support of the amended NDP motion on Palestinian statehood. This vote signifies a significant step toward advancing peace and justice in the Middle East.

As we mark this milestone, let us renew our commitment to supporting efforts for a just and sustainable peace, working collaboratively with international partners to forge a brighter future for all affected by this enduring conflict.

Finally, the Committee recognizes the distress that Jewish and Muslim members in particular could be facing in the midst of discussions around this topic. We also encourage affected members to contact their Employee and Family Assistance Program. We are continuing to assess the best ways to support the elimination of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the workplace.

Canada Life's takeover of the updated Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) is not what our members deserve.  PIPSC, our colleagues from other unions and the retiree associations have been holding stakeholders accountable for their failings  - including via a Parliamentary inquiry.  While customer service metrics show significant improvements, issues remain - including excessive turnaround times for prior authorisation and atrocious customer service when dealing with MSH International - the subcontractor for out-of-country claims.

We continue to explore all avenues to hold the employer responsible for its failings.  Some of our partner unions are turning to policy grievances.  Given the current framework for Pensions and Benefits are outside the normal grievance process, this approach presents its own challenges.  While we continue to explore the best strategies to ensure the PSHCP delivers, rest assured PIPSC is doing everything in its power to make your health plan work as promised.  We will continue to provide updates on our website.

Members with questions about their plan are invited to review our members' guide to the PSHCP - which also explains how all PIPSC members can benefit from 90 percent drug coverage through our pharmacy partner Mednow, as well as access to various telehealth options at no cost. Some restrictions apply.  If you are not able to resolve your concerns with Canada Life, please contact us at pensionsbenefits@pipsc.ca. Our Pensions and Benefits team can provide guidance. 

OTTAWA, February 27, 2024 — Unions representing more than 260,000 federal public sector workers are calling on the government to negotiate ongoing damages for workers who continue to be impacted by the Phoenix pay system disaster. 

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) have formally requested that Treasury Board begin negotiating an extension of the Phoenix general damages agreements and the severe damages claims process to compensate workers until they are paid properly and on time – every time.

Federal unions negotiated Phoenix general damages settlements in 2019 and 2020, but years later, there’s still no end in sight for federal workers who are still experiencing pay issues paycheque after paycheque.

“As we mark the 8^th year of the disastrous Phoenix pay system, tens of thousands of workers continue to endure endless pay problems,” said PSAC National President Chris Aylward. “Workers deserve to be compensated for the pain and suffering they still face at the hands of a broken pay system.”

While all Canadians continue to deal with the rising cost of living, more than 380,000 federal workers can’t be sure they’ll be able to pay their rent, cover their mortgage or pay for groceries due to significant errors on their paycheques.

There are currently 444,000 transactions ready to be processed by the Public Service Pay Centre with a growing Phoenix backlog that is leading to frustration and hardship for workers. “Public servants – like all Canadians – deserve to be paid accurately and on time,” declares PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. “Despite promises to ‘fix Phoenix’, eight years later the federal government can only meet its own service standards 25% of the time, not even close to their own 95% target. That is completely unacceptable,” continues Carr. Whether workers are overpaid, underpaid or not paid at all, Phoenix problems continue to seriously impact federal workers paid by the broken system.  

Each pay period brings more uncertainty, with many putting off advancing their career or retiring from the public service – decisions that should be milestones, but now keep workers up at night. A growing backlog of pay issues and wait times to fix pay issues also weighs on the mental health of workers and has damaging tax implications, with pay problems following them long after they’ve changed jobs, left the public service or retired.

“The Phoenix Pay system marks one of the most expensive and harmful pay system modernization failures in the history of the Canadian federal government,” said Nathan Prier, President of CAPE. “Federal public sector workers deserve better than having their contracts broken on a biweekly basis for eight years. We will not rest until all workers are fully compensated and this issue is resolved once and for all.”

The government must also focus on hiring more compensation advisors to stabilize the current pay system and eliminate the ballooning backlog of pay issues.

Instead, this government continues to waste its resources aggressively clawing back Phoenix overpayments from workers as they race against the clock to recover before the six-year limitation period for overpayment recoveries expires, after which they have no legal right to recover the funds. 

– 30 –  

Media contacts: 

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)
PSAC Media Relations 
media@psac-afpc.com 
613-714-6610 

Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)
PIPSC Media Relations
jfillion@pipsc.ca
613-883-4900

Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE)
Katia Thériault
Director of Communications and Public Affairs 
Ktheriault@acep-cape.ca
819-431-1015 

***** 

About PSAC 

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is Canada’s largest federal public service union, representing nearly 230,000 workers in every province and territory in Canada, including more than 165,000 federal public service workers. 

 
About PIPSC 

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) was founded in 1920. With over 75,000 members, the Institute is the largest union in Canada representing scientists and professionals employed at the federal and some provincial and territorial levels of government.
 

About CAPE 

With more than 25,000 members, the Canadian Association of Professional Employees is one of the largest federal public sector unions in Canada, dedicated to advocating on behalf of federal employees in the Economics and Social Science Services (EC) and Translation (TR) groups, as well as employees of the Library of Parliament (LoP), the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (OPBO) and civilian members of the RCMP (ESS and TRL).

On this International Women’s Day, we’re making space for an honest discussion about women’s mentorship and empowerment. 

Join PIPSC President Jennifer Carr, NDP Vice-President Laurie Antonin, and others as we talk about the barriers women face in the workplace and how we can empower each other to overcome them together.

When: Friday, March 8 at 12:00 PM ET

Where: Zoom

Register Now

Women — especially diverse women — are under-represented at all levels of leadership and in certain sectors of employment. What are unions doing to address this issue, and how successful have our strategies been? Join the discussion as we come together to celebrate the gains we’ve made and our vision for the future of women in the workplace. 

If you have any questions, please email us at bettertogether@pipsc.ca.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We have received notification of a significant cybersecurity incident affecting MSH International’s systems, a subcontractor for Canada Life responsible for managing the Public Service Health Care Plan. MSH handles emergency travel and benefits for federal public servants and their families traveling abroad or stationed overseas.

The Treasury Board is currently investigating the extent of the breach in collaboration with MSH and Canada Life. We are actively monitoring the situation and awaiting the government's response to address our members’ concerns and outline the necessary measures to safeguard their privacy and security.

This unfortunate development follows the challenging transition to Canada Life last summer, which resulted in numerous issues for members attempting to access their health insurance. It also bears a resemblance to the ongoing struggles with the beleaguered Phoenix pay system, which remains unresolved almost eight years after its troubled launch.

At present, MSH is unable to process claims or requests, and their client portal is inaccessible. However, members can still contact Canada Life by phone at 1-833-774-2700 within North America (toll-free) or 1-365-337-7427 outside of North America (collect-call).

PIPSC commends Canada’s new corporate transparency requirements to combat tax evasion, money laundering, and other financial crimes. 

The federal government passed landmark legislation last year requiring Canadian corporations to disclose their beneficial owner·s. A beneficial owner is the individual, or individuals, who control a significant share of a company. 

Criminals can use shell companies to launder money, evade taxes, and finance illicit activities. Without beneficial ownership information, it’s difficult to trace and prosecute these crimes. 

As of January 22, 2024, Canadian companies must start filing their beneficial owner information, which will be centralized in a publicly accessible registry. This brings Canada in line with more than 130 countries that have committed to open corporate ownership registries. 

PIPSC has long advocated for stronger beneficial ownership transparency to address tax dodging, fraud, and money laundering. 

A 2018 survey of our members who were auditors at the Canada Revenue Agency found:

• 61% believed Canada is too secretive about beneficial ownership information
• 75% said federal and provincial governments should require corporations to publicly identify beneficial ownership relationships

We’re pleased policymakers considered our recommendations and the expertise of our members. 

Accessible beneficial ownership information is long overdue in Canada, where more than $40 billion is laundered through the economy each year. 

Canada’s corporate beneficial ownership registry will be a critical tool to help federal and provincial governments deter crime and ensure everyone pays their fair share.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions of Black People in our communities and in our history. Did you know that in its early days, Black History Month also served as a political strategy? The goal was for Black People to be seen and treated as equal to other citizens. With equality achieved, Black History Month would no longer be necessary. Today, it's clear that there’s a lot more work to be done in order to achieve that goal.

As a public sector union representing a diverse set of members, we need to uplift, support, and celebrate our Black peers. We also must reflect on how racism continues to show up and influence how Black People are treated in the workplace. The fact is that racism is still rampant, and we shouldn’t pretend that it isn’t. The fight against discrimination and unfair treatment in the workplace continues. 

For Black History Month, we’re highlighting the work of the dedicated activists of the Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS). They’re doing incredible work to address and rectify the issues of systematic discrimination against Black People in the federal public service. We’re witnessing Black history in the making.

Black Class Action Secretariat

The Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS) is a non-profit organization committed to combating anti-Black racism and discrimination in Canada. The organization originated from the Black Class Action Lawsuit filed in 2020 against the federal public service on behalf of 45,000 Black federal public service professionals. This lawsuit came from decades of Black workers having to navigate the systemic challenges of breaking into public sector jobs and getting the promotions they deserve. 

The BCAS has become a beacon of hope – not only in reshaping the standard of equity in the federal government but also in getting justice for public servants who have suffered racism in the federal workplace. With exceptional leaders, such as Executive Director of the BCAS, Nicholas Marcus Thompson, the organization is leading the way to the changes that we need to see in the federal public service. The lawsuit is still ongoing, and we have already seen the fruits of its labour. Here are some of the significant changes brought to the federal public service as a direct result of the Black Class Action Lawsuit: 

• We saw a modernization of the language used in the Employment Equity Act. Black People are now recognized as their own equity group, separate from visible minorities. This is a huge win for Black public service professionals because it acknowledges the unique challenges that Black People face in the workplace. 
• We also saw the BCAS shed a bright, international light on the issue of systemic anti-Black racism and discrimination in the federal public service. They submitted an official complaint to the UN on the human rights violations of Black federal public service professionals in Canada. This action helped to hold the Government of Canada accountable and increased the pressure on them to settle this lawsuit. 
• In the fall of 2023, we saw the government announce a new panel to develop a Restorative Engagement Program. The goal of this panel is to foster a diverse and inclusive public service that is free of workplace discrimination and harassment. This includes acknowledging and addressing the experiences of current and former employees.

The work of the BCAS is not easy or nearly close to being done. The federal government has spent nearly 8 million dollars in legal fees to dismiss the Black Class Action Lawsuit. Investing in the denial of justice for their Black employees is disheartening. We need to see the federal government put their money where their mouth is and rectify the decades of anti-Black discrimination perpetrated in their workplaces.

Join the PIPSC Black Caucus

Unions and their memberships have a role to play in setting the standard for the progress and inclusion of all federal public service workers. One of the best ways to foster an inclusive workplace for federal public servants is to hear from and work with our members. 

Our Human Rights and Diversity Committee (HRDC) invites our Black members to join our Black Caucus. No matter your level of experience in the public service, we welcome all walks of life. All feedback and experiences are valuable to hear to help modernize your workplaces. The Black Caucus is a space for us to work collaboratively to achieve equity. 

Join the PIPSC Black Caucus

The fight against anti-Black racism and equity in the workplace isn’t just a February action for Black History Month. It’s a year-round effort to enact a strategy against anti-Black racism and achieve employment equity. We must listen to each other and work together to address systemic racism in our workplaces. You can make a difference. Email Blackcaucus@pipsc.ca to learn more about the Black Caucus.