Retro pay and economic increase schedule announced for Parks members

March 26, 2021

The Parks Canada Agency has announced the payment schedule for the implementation of monetary provisions in the recently signed collective agreement. 

Signature Economic increase and adjustments paycheque dateRetro paycheque   $500 lump sum paycheque 
Parks Canada Workers  January 14, 2021  April 14, 2021 May 12, 2021  May 26, 2021  

This schedule is tentative, and Parks Canada may still make changes. Note that Phoenix damages payments were made on March 3

Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about the implementation of collective agreements and the Phoenix settlement. 

Help us prepare for the next round of bargaining 

PSAC is getting ready to negotiate your next collective agreement with Parks Canada. This next round of talks will be all about the future of work in the federal public service and you can help decide what your union bargaining team brings to the table by completing our member survey.  

Please take 15 minutes to fill out the Parks Canada survey to make sure we address your workplace concerns at the table. Your input is essential. We need to hear directly from you about what has changed over the last year. And we need to know more about you so that we can make the case for a contract that equitably addresses our members’ diverse needs. The survey will be open until April 9, 2021

Source: Retro pay and economic increase schedule announced for Parks members | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

Parks & CFIA survey: You can shape the future of work in the public service

March 15, 2021

The pandemic has radically changed the way many PSAC members work. We have experienced the challenges of working remotely from home or having to work onsite with new protection measures; the impact of technological changes; the effect of an uncertain economy on job security; and the major inequalities that remain for women, racialized workers, and many other marginalized groups. These are some of the key issues that can be addressed in the next round of bargaining that begins this summer. 

This next round of talks will be all about the future of work in the federal public service and you can help decide what your union bargaining team brings to the table by completing our member surveys. 

Each survey is for PSAC members in the Parks Canada Agency and Canada Food Inspection Agency groups. They will be open until April 9th, 2021

Take 15 minutes to fill out our Parks Canada survey or CFIA survey to make sure we address your workplace concerns at the table. Your input is essential. We need to hear directly from you about what has changed over the last year. And we need to know more about you so that we can make the case for a contract that equitably addresses our members’ diverse needs. 

Your participation in the Parks Canada survey or CFIA survey and the broader bargaining process is key to our success in the next round of talks. 

Your component union and PSAC will review your proposals and they, along with the survey’s results, will be discussed at a bargaining conference of member delegates from across the country who will decide the bargaining priorities. 

The current collective agreements expire on the following dates: 

Parks: August 4, 2021 
CFIA: December 31, 2021 

Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive more updates as we prepare to negotiate your next contract. 

Source: Parks & CFIA survey: You can shape the future of work in the public service | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

Input Call – Parks Canada Agency

February 15, 2021

The Parks Canada agreement expires on August 4, 2021. It is time for you to submit bargaining demands, as part of the 2021 round of negotiations for the Parks Canada Agency.

How can I submit Demands?

  • Locals should schedule a membership meeting to discuss their priorities and proposed bargaining demands.
  • Once bargaining demands are agreed upon, members are encouraged to submit their bargaining input by completing the PSAC online form.

KEY DATES

Deadline to submit bargaining demands: March 12, 2021

Deadline to submit your application to be a delegate at the virtual National Bargaining Conference: March 26, 2021

Virtual National Bargaining Conference: May 31 to June 2, 2021

PSAC and Parks Canada Agency sign new collective agreement

January 18, 2021

The new collective agreement between PSAC and Parks Canada Agency was signed late last week. The deal was ratified by Parks members on November 4. The new collective agreement gives over 6,000 Parks workers a competitive economic increase, greater parity with the core public service, no concessions, and improved working conditions and job security.   

Implementation period begins

The formal signing of the agreement means new contract terms are now in effect, with the exception of monetary provisions which are retroactive. Parks Canada has 180 days to implement wage increases, wage adjustments and allowances.

As explained in the contract ratification kit, in view of this extended implementation timeline, PSAC negotiated a $500 lump sum payment for members into these new contracts. An additional $50 will be added for every subsequent 90-day delay.

Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about implementation of collective agreements and the Phoenix settlement.

Source: PSAC and Parks Canada Agency sign new collective agreement | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

Update on the Taxability of Phoenix Damages

January 13, 2021

Treasury Board has provided PSAC with a letter from CRA setting out its preliminary view that the general damages in the Phoenix settlement agreement are taxable. This letter, which was prepared at Treasury Board’s request and without PSAC’s input, is not a formal tax ruling and PSAC is contesting this conclusion.

PSAC maintains that general damages paid to all employees for “stress, aggravation, and pain and suffering” and for the late implementation of collective agreements are non-taxable, as CRA has acknowledged other specific damages in the settlement should be treated.

We carefully negotiated an agreement that reflects a wide range of impacts suffered by PSAC members, including the significant emotional toll that the implementation of the Phoenix Pay System had on them. The tax treatment of the general damages should reflect the purpose of that compensation. The letter from CRA contains numerous critical factual errors and misapplies the relevant income tax principles on this issue.

We have communicated with both Treasury Board and the CRA about our concerns and will continue to work to resolve these issues. Our goal is to ensure PSAC members receive the full compensation they deserve and that we avoid any time consuming and complex tax disputes for individual members.

The resolution of these issues is of extreme importance to PSAC and we will continue to update members as we work to bring this to a conclusion. We will also update members as soon as we receive a projected timeline from Treasury Board as to when members can expect to receive their payments.

Source: Update on the Taxability of Phoenix Damages | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

Retro pay and economic increase schedule announced for Treasury Board and CRA bargaining units

December 3, 2020

Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have provided PSAC with a payment schedule for the implementation of monetary provisions now that the PAEBTCSV and PSAC-UTE collective agreements have been signed.

 Economic increase and adjustments pay cheque dateRetroactive pay cheque date$500 lump sum (for late implementation) pay cheque date$400 lump sum pay cheque date (only for UTE members)
PANov. 25, 2020Feb. 3, 2021Apr. 14, 2021 
TCDec. 23, 2020Mar. 17, 2021Apr. 14, 2021 
SVDec. 23, 2020Mar. 17, 2021Apr. 28, 2021 
EBFeb. 17, 2021Apr. 14, 2021Apr. 28, 2021 
UTEDec. 23, 2020Spring 2021Spring 2021Dec. 23, 2020

This schedule is tentative and Treasury Board and CRA may still make changes.

Payment schedules for the Phoenix settlement have still not been finalized by Treasury Board and CRA. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to continue receiving information about the implementation of collective agreements and the Phoenix settlement.

CFIA and Parks Canada units

PSAC is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Parks Canada to finalize the text and pay grids of the new agreements – ratified in November – and expects to sign both new contracts shortly.

FB bargaining

The Border Services (FB) bargaining unit remains in talks with Treasury Board and the Canada Border Service Agency. Please check PSAC’s website for the latest developments.

Source: Retro pay and economic increase schedule announced for Treasury Board and CRA bargaining units | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

PSAC members ratify new agreements with Parks Canada and CFIA

November 4, 2020

PSAC members in the Parks Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) bargaining units have voted in favour of their respective tentative agreements. The two units represent over 10,000 federal public service workers who have gone above and beyond to support Canadians during this pandemic. PSAC has now concluded collective agreements for nearly 130,000 federal public service workers. 

The new collective agreement for Parks covers the 2018-2021 period, while the new collective agreement for CFIA members covers the 2019-2021 period. All agreements provide for fair wages, no concessions and improved working conditions.  

“I am proud of the elected members of our bargaining teams for their unwavering dedication during this round of talks,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC National President. “Thanks to their hard work and the solidarity shown by thousands of members across the country, we were able to negotiate a fair deal. We’re now in a strong position to build on these improvements in the next round of bargaining.”  

Next Steps  

In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with Parks and CFIA representatives to sign the new collective agreements. With the exception of monetary provisions, which are retroactive, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.  

Both employers have 180 days from the signing of the contracts to implement wage increases, wage adjustments and allowances. As explained in the ratification kits, in view of this extended implementation timeline, PSAC negotiated a $500 lump sum payment into all contracts.  

PSAC will update members when contracts are signed. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal

FB group still in talks 

Members in the Border Services (FB) unit are still in contract negotiations with the Canada Borders Services Agency.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/psac-members-ratify-new-agreements-parks-canada

Register to cast your ballot in Parks Canada and CFIA ratification votes

September 28, 2020

The Parks Canada Agency and Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) bargaining teams have reached tentative agreements with their employers, and PSAC members will now have the opportunity to vote on their new collective agreements.  PSAC has organized ratification votes between October 5 to November 4 to allow both Parks & CFIA members to cast their ballot.  See below to sign up for the ratification vote webinar that is most convenient for you.  

In order to be eligible to vote you must:  

1.   have received your personal identification number by e-mail or mail (your PIN is required to vote, but is not required to register and attend a webinar) 

2.   ensure you are a member in good standing (MIGS)   

3.   attend a 15-minute webinar session  

Step 1: Receive your Personal Identification Number (PIN)  

For those PSAC members for whom we have no personal email, we will send a letter in the mail containing your PIN to your home address two weeks before the beginning of the voting period. If we have a non-employer, personal e-mail address on file, we will instead send you an email with your PIN the day before voting begins (please check your junk mail folder). If you still haven’t received your PIN, please contact your PSAC Regional Office. 

Please take a moment to update your contact information and provide us with your personal, non-work email address. You can update your contact information online by logging into the PSAC member portal or create an account if you don’t already have one.   

If you still have not received your PIN after the voting period begins, please check your junk e-mail folder and if it is not found there contact your PSAC Regional Office.  

Step 2: Ensure you are a member in good standing (MIGS)   

In some situations, PSAC members cease being members in good standing (MIGS) and lose the right to participate in ratification votes.  To confirm your status, please contact your PSAC component.  

If you are on extended leave  

If you are on extended leave (e.g., long term disability, maternity or parental leave) and therefore not a member in good standing (MIGS), you can make a request to remain in good standing to the National President via this online form. This will allow you to participate in the ratification vote.   

If you have not signed a union card or are unsure that it has been processed  

If you have never signed a union card, you will not be able to participate in the ratification process. You can fill out and sign a union card online.  

If you are unsure that you have previously signed a card or are unsure that it has been processed, simply fill out a new card online.  

Even if you are already a member in good standing, please take a moment to give us your personal, non-work email address. You can update your contact information online right now.    

If you have difficulty updating your information, contact your PSAC Regional Office.  

Step 3: Register for a webinar  

In order to ensure that members are fully informed prior to casting their ballot, the PSAC constitution requires all members to attend an information session before they vote. These sessions will be held by webinar in each region and will allow members to ask questions regarding the content of the tentative agreement. Attendance will be tracked and only those who registered and attended the full presentation will have their member profile updated on the e-voting system, enabling them to vote.   

Find your PSAC region below to register for the webinar. Your PSAC ID is required to register for the webinar. It is listed in the top right corner of your voter package for easy reference or you can contact your PSAC Regional Office to obtain it. You must attend a session specific to your bargaining unit in order for your attendance to be counted. Please note that registrations will close 90 minutes (180 minutes in the Quebec region) before a webinar starts. Make sure to register early in order to secure your spot. 

It is strongly recommended that you join the webinar online and only call into the webinar if you have no other option. This will allow you to pose questions in the question box, follow along with the videos and presentation, and easily have your attendance tracked. Those who join by phone will have to go through an additional verification process. 

*You do not need to have received your PIN in order to register for and participate in a webinar* 

Ratification vote webinar schedules for your PSAC region 

Note: GoToWebinar is not supported on Internet Explorer. Please use a different browser to register for the webinars (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). 

British Columbia: http://psacbc.com/parks-canada-ratification-vote-information-members-bc#webinars

Prairies: https://prairies.psac.com/node/11171

Ontario: http://ontario.psac.com/cfia-parks-webinar-schedule

National Capital Region: http://psac-ncr.com/events/parks-canada-bargaining-unit-ncr-information-sessions

Quebec: http://afpcquebec.com/en/information-session-ratification-votes-parks-canada-cfia

Atlantic: http://psacatlantic.ca/updates/register-cast-your-ballot-parks-canada-cfia-ratification-votes

North: http://psacnorth.com/collective-agreements/ratification-votes-parks-canada-october-5-november-4

Online webinar participation is preferred  

We strongly recommend joining via browser or the GoToWebinar app (iPhone, Android) as this allows us to automatically track your attendance. If you wish to join by phone, you can have your participation counted by briefly joining the webinar via browser or the app and retrieving an audio PIN using the control panel. You can then log off the online webinar to continue listening by calling in by phone and have your participation counted.  

If you will be joining by phone and are unable to retrieve an audio PIN through the app or browser, please note that your attendance will not be automatically registered. Therefore, you must inform your PSAC Regional Office of your presence on the webinar. Instructions on how to do so will be provided during the webinar. If we do not have a record of your attendance, your vote will not be counted.  

Requests for accommodation   

If you require any accommodation to be able to participate fully in the webinars (such as ASL interpretation), please contact your PSAC Regional Office as soon as possible.   

Technical notes  

Please join the webinar a few minutes early to make sure you are able to log-in and address any technical problems in advance. 

The webinar may not work on all tablets.  

Step 4: How to Vote 

As a PSAC member working for Parks Canada Agency or CFIA, you will have the opportunity to vote on the tentative agreement with your employer from 
October 5 to November 4

You can vote on the tentative agreement by telephone or online. As stated above, you must attend an information session before voting.  

  • Using the PIN that was sent to you by e-mail or mail, you can vote any time from 8:00 a.m. (EDT) the day voting begins until 12 p.m. (EDT) the final day of voting after you have attended a webinar outlined in Step 3.  
  • The phone number and website for voting will be provided to you during the webinar.    
  • Please be aware that if you should be interrupted while voting, you may re-access the voting system to complete your voting.  
  • This vote is by secret ballot. How you vote is entirely confidential.  

Source: http://psacunion.ca/register-cast-your-ballot-parks-canada-and-cfia

Parks Canada ratification kit, including the full text of the agreement, now available

September 14, 2020

On September 3, PSAC’s Parks bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the Parks Canada Agency. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will be invited to participate in an online ratification process from October 5 to November 4.