News and Political Action

PSAC in the news

• As much as $250 million in maintenance, cleaning and other contracts at military bases can't be properly scrutinized by the public to determine if the work is being done, warns the main union representing employees at the Department of National Defence, the Ottawa Citizen reports on the PSAC and UNDE campaign to end privatization at DND.
   
• Canada’s two largest federal public service unions have expressed considerable disappointment with the new guidance on 699 leave that emphasizes a “case-by-case approach” for department managers—something which PIPSC argues “sets up new barriers that make this type of leave less accessible to employees,” and that has propelled PSAC into a legal challenge against the government. Chris Aylward is quoted in the Hill Times (.pdf link at dropbox)
   

• The national president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees says she doesn't think the hiring of 300 temporary workers and changing claims processes will significantly reduce the disability claims backlog. "It's frustrating to continually see that we have had this backlog. We have been raising the concerns for a number of years and all the government continues to do is put in temporary solutions to a systemic issue," says Virginia Vaillancourt. Read the story at cbc.ca.

• In previous years, PSAC BC customarily distributed our popular government and non-government calendars both in-person and through the Local structure. This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, members will receive a calendar in the mail along with the next copy of Our Union Voice, PSAC’s quarterly newsmagazine.
   
• Members are encouraged to login to the member portal, update their contact information if necessary, and ensure their home mailing address is correct.

Uncover The Costs

• When governments contract out public sector work to private companies, profits take priority over services, and everyone, except the corporate shareholders, ends up paying the price. Read PSAC's report on privatization at the Department of National Defence and sign on to the campaign: tell DND and the Government to stop paying more to get less!

• PSAC is filing a second policy grievance against Treasury Board for its most recent discriminatory changes to 699 leave that will force federal workers to exhaust all other leave – including sick leave and vacation leave – before they can request “other leave with pay” for COVID-19-related reasons.

Survey: COVID-19 and Women

• Women in leadership positions in PSAC BC have worked hard to create a COVID-19 and PSAC BC Women survey, which is designed to capture and document the current challenges facing women in our union during the pandemic.
   
• The information gathered by this survey will be used to support members and capture women’s perspectives. All self-identified women members of PSAC in British Columbia are encouraged to take the survey, which will be available until December 6, 2020 and can be taken anonymously.

National Survey on Harassment and Violence at Work in Canada

• The Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children at Western University is working with researchers at the University of Toronto and the Canadian Labour Congress to launch a national survey on workplace harassment and violence.
   
• The BC Regional Health & Safety Committee encourages all members to take part in the survey, which asks a series of questions about violence and harassment in the workplace. Researchers are looking for the input from all workers, not just those who have personally experienced or witnessed violence and harassment. Participation is voluntary, confidential and anonymous.
   

• Treasury Board: The SV group has joined PA, TC, and EB in ratifying the new collective agreement and PSAC and Treasury Board have now signed the Phoenix Damages agreement.
   
• Parks Canada: Members working at Parks have ratified their new collective agreement.
   
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Members working at CFIA have ratified their new collective agreement.
   
• Canada Border Services Agency (FB): At the last meeting, October 19-23, the FB bargaining team put forward a wage proposal that reflects the need for parity with the broader law enforcement community. Watch for updates - membership meetings are being planned in advance of the next bargaining session, scheduled for late November.

• Statistical Survey Operations: The team is in place and waiting for the employer to assign a negotiator. Watch for more information as the process moves forward.
   
• CMHC Granville Island: The Granville Island bargaining team met with the employer Oct 27 and exchanged monetary proposals. Membership meeting are being scheduled ahead of the next meeting dates in December, contact your Local Executive for more information.
   
• IMP Comox: The arbitration hearing scheduled in conjunction with the unit in Gander for early May has been postponed. Watch for updates.
   
• First Nations Health Authority: The Union is still trying to schedule meetings with the employer. Contact your Local Executive for more information.
   
• BWXT Isotope Technologies: Bargaining is ongoing, contact your Local Executive for more information.
   
• Nav Canada: Members who work for NAV CANADA met September 29 and 30 to discuss the top priorities for their next collective agreement. It was PSAC’s first bargaining conference held entirely online.
   

Union Education

PSAC's education team is working towards re-booting the union education program to comply with public health guidelines and internal policy around the pandemic. Watch for more info to come.
 

Meetings and Events

• Starting Nov 6 join in a Canadian Labour International Film Festival screening sponsored by the Okanagan Area Council! Watch 8 interesting and engaging short films online! Head to eventlive to RSVP for your free pass - then login and start watching between 6PM-8PM on November 6th to get 24 hour access to all 8 shorts.

• On Sunday December 6th - the 31st anniversary of the 1989 Montreal massacre and the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women - join in an End Violence Against Women Virtual Memorial.
   
• The PSAC Vancouver Island Regional Women's Committee is organizing this online event which is open to everyone. Please RSVP here and we will send you the Zoom coordinates.

Take care and stay safe out there,

Patrick Bragg
PSAC Vancouver Regional Office
604 430 5631 | 1 800 663 1655