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Parks bargaining team raises pay issues, rejects short term disability proposal

ParksBargainUpdate

Our Parks negotiating team met with the employer’s team on June 28 and 29, 2016.

We opened our discussions by expressing our dismay and anger toward the agency regarding the ongoing pay issues. We concluded our discussion by advising the agency that pay day should be not be a stressful event. Meanwhile, PSAC, along with other federal government unions representing thousands of federal government employees filed a Notice of Application with the Federal Court directing the Respondent to implement a pay administration system that meets its obligations under the FAA and the Directive on Terms and Conditions of Employment.

The agency tabled a revised short term disability proposal to replace our current sick leave provisions. Similar to the proposals tabled with other groups recently, the agency’s proposal would remove sick leave provisions from the current collective agreement and short term disability would be administered as an agency policy. Our negotiating team remains committed to resisting this concession and rejected the agency’s proposal.

Negotiations are set to resume on October 24-27 and November 14-17, 2016.

Our negotiating team thanks you for your ongoing patience and support.

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Unions file court application to force federal government to pay workers impacted by Phoenix pay system

FixPhoenix

PSAC, along with other federal government unions representing thousands of federal government employees filed a Notice of Application with the Federal Court today.

The unions are seeking a court order directing the Respondent to implement a pay administration system that meets its obligations under theFAA and the Directive on Terms and Conditions of Employment.

The federal government is responsible for paying public service workers on time for the work they do. The unions are demanding that the federal government meet its legal duty to provide timely and accurate pay for public service employees.

Pay system not working

The new Phoenix pay system is not working and hurting many public service workers. It is also putting excessive stress on the employees who process pay under the new system. Since its implementation, Phoenix has exhibited ongoing and significant systemic problems in the administration of pay for public service employees.

The application states Phoenix has resulted in the following pay system problems

  •          Outright failure to pay employees
  •          Delayed and inaccurate payments
  •          Failure to pay overtime and extra duty pay
  •          Failure to process information necessary for disability insurance, employment insurance and pension payments.

The unions argue that these ongoing circumstances raise concerns that affect all public service employees, constitute a breach of the employer’s duty to provide timely and accurate pay for public service employees.

Unions involved in this application

Association of Justice Counsel, Canadian Association of Professional Employees, Canadian Federal Pilots Association, Canadian Merchant Service Guild, Canadian Military Colleges Faculty Association, Federal Government Dockyard Chargehands Association, Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (West), Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (East), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Profession Association of Foreign Service Officers, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Research Council Employees’ Association, Unifor

Background: PSAC letter writing campaign

PSAC has called on its members and public service workers to send a letter to Minister Foote urgently calling for the Phoenix pay system to be fixed immediately. So far more than 2000 letters have been sent documenting serious issues.

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Phoenix Pay System and Grievances

PhoenixGrievances

What PSAC is doing

The PSAC is taking a number of high level steps to push for the earliest possible fixes to the problems at the Phoenix Pay System:

  • Regular meetings with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) management
  • Letter-writing campaign to PSPC Minister Judy Foote proposing high level intervention from the government to fix the problems
  • Filing a policy grievance to address the problems with training, workload and other adverse impacts on the compensation workers in Miramichi
  • Filing an unfair labour practice complaint with the labour relations board with respect to the new system’s failure to pay employees on time and accurately

What Members should do

By following these steps, most employees will have their issues resolved more quickly than going through the departmental grievance process.

  1. Contact your manager to confirm your paperwork was sent to the Pay Centre. If it was not, acquire the paperwork to request a salary advance and follow up with your manager to send the paperwork. It is also important that you advise your human resources department right away.
  2. If the paperwork was sent, call the Pay Centre at 1-855-686-4729 to speak to an agent about your file.
  3. If the compensation advisor doesn’t follow up within three days or you are unsatisfied with their response, contact the Client Satisfaction Bureau.
  4. Send us an email at info@une-sen.org so that we can work together with the employer and make certain our members are being paid. Please have members email details of their issue, their PRI number and a short statement indicating they consent to the union sharing their information with PSPC.

 Specific hardship cases

The Pay Centre is experiencing a particularly high level of problems processing pay for more vulnerable employees, such as those on gradual return to work from Sun Life due to disability, those on maternity and parental leave, and new hires. In these cases, grievances should be actively considered for any member who suffers serious financial damages.

If you believe a member needs to file such a grievance, please contact your UNE regional team.

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UNE Members See Roles Expanding on Parliament Hill

Scanners

When you visit Parliament Hill, either for a tour or to take part in committee meetings, your first point of contact is someone called a security scanner. Much like you encounter at the airport, this person plays a vital role by scanning briefcases and backpacks and waving a wand to ensure the security of all visitors. Scanners are members of the Union of National Employees and they are on the verge of playing an even more important role in increased security measures on the Hill.

Effective July 11, 2016, scanners will be replacing the existing RCMP officers, taking on the responsibilities of additional physical and electronic searches of vehicles entering Parliament Hill. They are trained to use sophisticated electronic technology including x-ray and explosive material detection in vehicles and of their occupants. The additional work for scanners will entail incorporating a 24-7-365 shift operation. As a result, there will be an increase from 44 members in 2015 to approximately 130 members by the time the vehicle scanning facility conversion is implemented in July 2016. Training and hiring of new employees is ongoing.

In 2018, Parliamentary Protective Services is planning to open its Visitor Welcoming Centre (VWC), which will become the primary controlled access point to Parliament Hill for all visitors and employees. UNE members, the scanners, will be an integral part of the VWC when it opens.

“This is yet another example of UNE members performing important, meaningful work,” said UNE president Doug Marshall. “The scanners have proven over the years that they are capable professionals and these new changes show the employer’s confidence that they are ready to take on additional roles and responsibilities.”

Are you a UNE member who wants to share a story about your workplace? We want to hear and share with the rest of the membership. Please contact Greg McNamara, Communications & Research Officer at greg.mcnamara@une-sen.org.

 

 

 

 

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Members at Museum of Nature ratify new collective agreement

MuseumNatureRatify

The members of PSAC Local 70395 recently voted in favour of the agreement negotiated with the Canadian Museum of Nature. The Local had been in negotiations for the last 2 years.

Highlights of the four-year contract, which expires June 14, 2018, include:

  • a 1% wage increase per year,
  • an increase in standby pay, and
  • a change in the definition of part-time employees.

Just as importantly, the Local was able to achieve its bargaining mandate of no concessions in the collective agreement / bargaining process.

“Reaching an agreement was a long process and the negotiation team worked hard to protect and improve our collective agreement,” said Local President Roger Bull. “We offer them sincere thanks for their efforts on behalf of all members.”

Local 70395 represents approximately 100 workers employed by the Canadian Museum of Nature in Gatineau and Ottawa. They work in the areas of administration, advancement, collections, experience and education, facilities, finance, human resources, IT, marketing and media relations protection services, research and visitor services.

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Ontario Regional Seminar

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Your regional seminar is fast approaching and it’s the best place to learn about our union and the many things we do.

This event is jam-packed with lectures and workshops to help you gain the knowledge and confidence you’ll need to help our members. It’s also a great place to meet active members just like you and forge long-lasting friendships.

For a sneak-peek at what else we have in store for you, check out the agenda.

Participants should arrive between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 19, 2016 to register. You should select representatives from your Local to attend the seminar. The Union of National Employees will fund two delegates per Local as well as one youth:

  1. One delegate should be the local president or designate.
  2. The second delegate should be a member who has not previously attended a UNE conference or seminar.
  3. One delegate from each local should be a youth delegate. (A youth delegate is defined as a member who will be 35 years or younger on December 31, 2017.)

During the seminar, youth delegates will elect two of their peers to represent them as delegates to our 2017 convention.

You must register by Friday, July 8, 2016. Unfortunately, we cannot consider late registrations.

Should you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Boucher at: suzanne.boucher@une-sen.org.

In solidarity,

Your regional team:

Mary Anne Walker, Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Diane Levola, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Andrew Shaver, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Craig Reynolds, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Sandy Bello, Regional Representative for Human Rights, Ontario

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Bill C4, division 17 to be repealed

C4Repealed

The president of the Treasury Board, Minister Scott Brison today informed PSAC that the Liberals will be repealing the Harper government’s Bill C4, division 17 that restricted our members’ rights to collective bargaining.

“We recognize this as an attempt to correct some of the harm done by the Conservatives. We are looking forward to further discussions to ensure that this round of bargaining will be conducted in a fair manner,” said Robyn Benson, PSAC National President.

“PSAC has asserted that Bill C4 is an attack on our members’ fundamental charter rights and not consistent with a free and democratic society.”

“Our members worked tirelessly to lobby members of parliament about the injustices of this Bill. I want to thank them for their continued vigilance,” concluded Benson.