Statistical Survey Operation employees took their message to the front steps of Statistics Canada, earlier this month. Despite the nasty snowstorm raging outside, there’s no way the honchos at StatsCan didn’t hear the crowd decrying these employees’ unfair working conditions.
SSO members have been at a standstill with their employer for some time now. Everything is on hold while they wait for a decision from the federal court and the Public Service Labour Relations Board. Nonetheless, the labour side remains open to resuming talks.
“Our work conditions continue to decline,” explained Géraldine Fortin, an a human rights representative for the UNE in Quebec and a member of the bargaining team.
During the demonstration, Fortin shared just how difficult life has gotten for SSO members. She shared with the crowd that her annual salary has dropped by more than 50% in just a year. SSO employees do not receive a minimum salary; their wages are entirely dependent on how many surveys StatsCan has to do, which can fluctuate greatly.
According to Fortin, many SSO members live below the poverty line.
These members definitely need our loud and fervent support. Fortin was especially thrilled to see so much support at the demonstration, which included a ton of members who were in town for the Treasury Board bargaining conference.
“I got a lot of pats on the back,” said Fortin. “It made me feel good.”
But it was seeing her fellow field interviewers from Montreal and Trois-Rivières arrive that really gave her a burst of energy.
“They braved the snowstorm to come,” explained Fortin. “It changed my mood instantly – I jumped for joy.”
“I can’t explain how much I appreciated it. It warmed my heart.”
Fortin said that she and her colleagues often feel like they’re not understood by their employer. Those feelings were cemented after she attended the recent arbitration hearing in January.
“The way they talk about us, it’s degrading. They either don’t understand or we’re not at all on the same wavelength,” she said. “But Morgan Gay, our negotiator, made a great presentation to the labour board’s arbitrators.”
“Whether we win or lose, I’m proud. I felt that his presentation really humanized us.”
