News and Political Action

• PSAC National President Chris Aylward comments on the new ‘pod’ approach to processing pay under Phoenix. Video from CBC's Power & Politics.
   
• Canada’s largest federal union elected new leadership to steer a sweeping ‘escalating action’ plan to pressure the Trudeau government to resolve the Phoenix pay crisis before next year’s election. Story at iPolitics.ca.
   
• Around 800 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada marched from Allan Gardens to the Toronto office of Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Parliament St., insisting the Liberal government should be held accountable for the Phoenix pay system crisis. Story and video from the Toronto Sun.

• Delegates to PSAC national convention, which took place in Toronto last week elected Chris Aylward as our new National President and Magali Picard as the new National Executive Vice-President. Read more here.
   
• Delegates also approved the 2019-2021 budget, adopted an action plan to address Phoenix, mandated PSAC to mount a campaign on precarious work, and allocated funds to equip activists with the resources they need to challenge harassment effectively and directly in the workplace.
   
• PSAC members and allies marched and rallied outside Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s office in Toronto last week. Their message for his government - do more to ensure federal public service workers are paid properly and on time and drop anti-pension Bill C-27. Photos at Facebook.
   
• This link to the daily convention newsletter contains all the news and updates from each day of the six day convention.

PSAC Scholarships

• PSAC offers 14 scholarships for dependent children of PSAC members and three scholarships for PSAC members who will be attending university, college or a recognized institute of higher learning on a full-time basis during the 2018-2019 academic year. Applications are now open.

Federal firefighters in B.C. now enjoy the same coverage as municipal counterparts

• PSAC is pleased to see that the B.C. government recently passed Bill 9, which contains changes to the provincial Workers Compensation Act that adds federally employed firefighters to the list of eligible occupations that are covered by presumptive cancer language. Read more at the regional website.

• PSAC members gathered at Jody Wilson-Raybould's constituency office in Vancouver on April 7th to highlight some of the ways they have been affected by the Phoenix pay fiasco and to deliver a message for the Minister of Justice to take back to Ottawa: the government must take every step necessary to pay federal public service workers correctly and on-time, every time, and make amends for the hardships caused by Phoenix. Some photos at Facebook.
   
• Two surveys conducted by the Canadian government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, respectively, confirm that federal public service workers have suffered a number of significant hardships that should be remedied through damages. Read more at the national website.

• PSAC has partnered with the PNE to offer discounted admission to Playland for PSAC members and their families. Details in a poster here. Put one up on your worksite!

• Canada Border Services Agency (FB): In person and online tentative agreement information sessions have been scheduled for members in BC. More information here.
   
• Parks Canada: Members working at Parks Canada have ratified their new tentative agreement. More information here.
   
• Statistical Survey Operations: Our bargaining team met with the employer in Ottawa from April 17 to 19. Read the update at the national website.
   
• Canada Revenue Agency: Our negotiating team is in place and the first set of dates is scheduled for the week of June 18. Read the update here.
   
• Treasury Board (PA, TC, SV & EB): We are working to schedule bargaining dates and will keep you up to date as the process move forward.
   
• IMP Group, Comox: We are awaiting a decision from the arbitrator. Contact your Local Executive for more information and to find out how you can support the team.
   
• First Nations Health Authority: The next meeting with the employer is scheduled for July. Email the team to sign up for updates.
   
• North Peace Airport - Meetings with the employer take place May 17 and 18. Contact your Local Executive for more information.
   
• Purolator - The next set of bargaining dates are scheduled for the third week of May in Vancouver. Watch for an update.
   
• Prince Rupert Airport - The Union and the Employer were unable to meet in April and will now be meeting in July. Contact your Local Executive for more information.
   
• NAV CANADA - The next round of bargaining takes place this week in Ottawa, we'll keep you up to date.

Union Education

Save the dates! We are pleased to announce that three advanced/province-wide courses will be offered in BC in the fall of 2018 - details and dates at the regional website. The full course descriptions including pre-requisites and applications will be posted in the late spring.

Vancouver

Steward Series II | May 26-27 | Vancouver

Southern Interior

Duty to Accommodate | Jun 2-3 | Kelowna

Are you 35 or under and a PSAC member? The Vancouver Island Young Worker's Committee would like to invite you to their spring meeting and bowling night social! May 11 in Victoria. Details and RSVP. The Mainland and Haida Gwaii Young Workers' Committee is also hosting a bowling night, June 21 in Vancouver. Details and RSVP.

"Celebrating Women" event | May 9
Vancouver Island Young Workers | May 11
Mainland Human Rights Committee | May 17
BRUSH (Health & Safety) Committee | May 23
Prince George Regional Women's Committee | June 4
West Fraser Valley Area Council | June 4
Vancouver Area Council | June 13
Okanagan Area Council | June 23

What are all these committees? Visit the website for more information about PSAC BC's Area Councils, Human Rights, Regional Women's, and Young Worker's Committees. More information about these meetings at the calendar.

Thanks for reading, <<First Name>>!

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

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