Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

TORONTO - The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) is the co-recipient of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Award of Excellence. In a ceremony May 2 in Calgary, representatives of CCNC shared the spotlight with co-recipient Le Carrefour BLE and 5 other Award finalists. CRRF also anounced the establishment of a new fund to recognize the efforts of CCNC, redress-seeking groups and the Chinese Canadian community for its efforts in seeking redress of the Chinese Head Tax, Newfoundland Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.

Sid Chow Tan, CCNC National Chairperson and President of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada and Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director attended the CRRF Gala. Over the last 24 years, CCNC has worked in coalition with head tax families, redress-seeking groups and activists and allies including the Head Tax Families Society of Canada and the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Families and lobbied the administrations of seven Prime Ministers in seeking a just and honourable resolution.

“We are honoured to share this recognition with Le Carrefour BLE and with all of the finalists, the honourable mentions and all of the groups that participated in the CRRF Award of Excellence this year,” Sid Tan, CCNC National Chairperson said today. “We share this recognition with the head tax families, redress-seeking groups and activists and allies from coast to coast to coast who assisted us over the years in the 24-year campaign for justice.”

The Chinese Head Tax (1885 - 1923), Newfoundland Head Tax (1906-1949) and Chinese Exclusion Act (1923 - 1947) were racist legislation targeted directly at people of Chinese descent. On June 22, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a Parliamentary Apology in the House of Commons and announced direct redress in the form of $20,000 ex-gratia payments to living head tax payers and surviving spouses and a $2.5 million community education fund. More than 82,000 Chinese paid the Chinese Head Tax, yet only 800 living head tax payers and surviving spouses will receive direct redress.

CCNC continues the campaign for inclusive redress by calling upon the Canadian Government to extend a meaningful apology in the form of direct redress to all head tax families. There are some 3000 families where the head tax payer and spouse have both passed away and these families are excluded under the June 22, 2006 Parliamentary Apology and redress announcement. The sons and daughters of the head tax payers were also directly affected by this legislation and experienced poverty, racism, family separation and lost educational opportunity first hand.

Founded 28 years ago on April 20, 1980, CCNC is a national non-profit organization with 27 chapters across Canada and a community leader for Chinese Canadians in promoting a more just, respectful, and inclusive society.

For more information contact: Victor Wong at (416) 977-9871.

Using the 7 “W”’s…”Once the steward identifies what the problem is, they will begin to gather the facts. What kinds of questions will assist them in that process? The following list provides a number of examples to assist you in the fact gathering exercise.

Who

• who are the grievors (and contact information)
• who are the protagonists
• who caused/contributed to the problem
• who are the supervisors/managers
• who are the witnesses
• who will provide signed statements, testify
• who did the grievor tell
• who else has this problem, now or in the past
• who will be affected by the outcome
• who has information you need
• who will investigate
• who will provide representation
• who will set up the hearing
• who will be at the hearing
• who will “hurt” the grievor
• who will “help” the grievor
• who do you need to consult with
• who can you get advice from
• who will provide representation at next levels

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Please see the document below (jpg), which outlines the bargaining process for CFIA under the Public Service Labour Relations Act: Conciliation/Strike route.

Download this document as a pdf: CFIA bargaining process under the PSLRA

“Employees will not be worse off than the core of the Federal Public Service” - Tom Lee, CEO Parks Canada Agency

One of the priority bargaining proposals for the current round of bargaining with the Agency is protection against job loss. Parks Canada has announced that they intend to reduce the bargaining unit in a number of different ways.

The Agency issued a document called “Integrated Delivery Through Shared Leadership – Mountain Parks Business Plan – 2007/08-20011/12”. In this document under the “Recruiting” section Parks Canada states “An aggressive and coordinated mountain park student recruitment program will be put in place, targeting 50% of pure summer seasonal positions to be staffed by students within five years.”

Seasonal employment is but one aspect of the Agencies plan to attack the current size of our bargaining unit by taking away your seasonal work.

Contact a member of your Local’s Executive to find out what you can do to assist and support your bargaining team. United We Stand!

Nominate the exceptional work that is bringing PSAC locals in BC together!

Local Development has been a successful initiative that has been with us for many years. This year, we in BC want to get even more creative with developing strong and vibrant Locals in the workplace and as a result we have created the PSAC Local Achievement Awards. We want to recognize and honor Locals who have achieved workplace victories on behalf of Sisters and Brothers in a variety of categories.

Building strong Locals, one steward at a time.

This is an initiative of the BC Stewards Network, for more information, contact Dave Jackson at the Victoria RO at (250) 950 1050 | 1 (866) 953 1050 | email jacksod@psac.com and download the …

• Local Achievement Awards poster
• Local Achievement Awards background information
• Local Achievement Awards nomination form

A nomination form is available, to be used by Locals and/or members to nominate a Local whose victory at the Local level deserves recognition. Watch for more information coming soon in the mail.

We have lots of photos this month! Many from May Day in Vancouver where a good contingent of the PSAC BC members and staff joined migrants, immigrants, undocumented, indigenous and Canadian workers for the May Day Organizing Committee’s annual International Workers’ Day march & rally on May 1st. This years’ theme was “Reclaim May 1st, International Workers’ Day! March for Workers Rights!”. Megan Adam, Alternate-REVP and First Vice-President for the PSAC Vancouver & District Area Council (VAC), spoke as a member organization of the May Day Organizing Committee at Grandview Park in Vancouver.

As well as some from the 2008 BC Regional Triennial Convention (a full convention report and all the photos are coming soon) and from the May Day celebrations in Terrace where Be Gomes, RC Geographic Coordinator for Northwestern BC, distributed “Think Public!” materials with the Kitimat-Terrace and District Labour Council.

Cheers to Jack Seto and the GSU 20008 Executive for sending in some We Support Our Bargaining team photos (the posters have been signed and sent to the TB Bargaining Team) and to Rosemary MacKenzie, James Little and Cindy Little (RC Coordinator for the South Island) who attended the April 28th Day of Mourning event in Victoria.

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OTTAWA – While the Harper government is in denial about women’s inequality, income gaps between men and women persist and are growing, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

“It’s unacceptable that four years after a federal Pay Equity Task Force released its report recommending a new proactive federal pay equity law, women still face wage discrimination,” says PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President Robyn Benson.

• More at national website: Put pay equity back on the agenda!

In the mid ‘90s women working full-time earned on average 72 cents for every dollar earned by a man. By 2005, that proportion had dropped to 70.5 cents. And the pay gap for immigrant women, many of whom are racialized, is much worse.

“Women know where the Prime Minister and his government stand”, says Benson. “As head of the National Citizens Coalition in 1998 he declared that pay equity was a rip-off and that ‘the federal government should scrap its ridiculous pay equity law’.”

According to Benson, “what’s ridiculous is that women are denied their right to pay equity because their complaints take decades to resolve under the current law. What’s ridiculous is that there is nothing in the current law to force employers to review their pay practices and correct discriminatory wages.”

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Demands Includes Wage Increases to Bring CBSA Workers in Line with Other Enforcement Workers.

The week of April 30th our Bargaining Team met with Treasury Board/CBSA Administration to continue negotiations for a first contract for FB workers at CBSA. At the table our team made it clear to management that officers are leaving CBSA on a regular basis because working conditions and wages are inferior at CBSA in comparison to other unionized law enforcement agencies in Canada. Recently our team received the first installment of an independent pay study produced for the PSAC that confirmed that compensation for CBSA workers are significantly below market. To address the issue of wage inequity, our team tabled an economic package based on the initial findings of the independent study, a package proposal that includes the following …

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• Sign up for regional TB bargaining updates by email
• Contact your Area/Hub Strike Coordinator here.

Your PA negotiating team finished its work on our pay proposal and spent two days, April 23 and 24, with the Treasury Board team.

Our proposal has three significant elements:

1. Adjusting our salaries to keep them in line with other federal public sector employers

We’re proposing what are known as “market adjustments” so that salary rates in the PA unit are in line with comparable jobs in the federal public sector – particularly the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Effective June 21, 2007, before applying an economic increase, we’re proposing that job rates (the maximum rate) for each classification, except WPs, be increased to the job rates for comparable positions at CRA when they were converted to their new classifications on November 1, 2007. To ensure that none of our members are left behind, we’ve also asked for increases to job rates for the small number of classifications and levels that can’t be compared to CRA. These market adjustments, if implemented, would result in increases to all pay rates.

In the case of WP positions, and two groups of PM-4 positions with enforcement responsibilities, we’re proposing adjustments based on the results of an Enforcement Study conducted for the Union by compensation consultants Morneau Sobeco. For WPs, we’re proposing to increase all job rates, which would result in an increase to all WP pay rates. For PM-4 wildlife officers and fishery officers with enforcement duties, we’re proposing an annual allowance, on top of the market adjustment for PM-4s, outlined above.

2. Changes to our system of increments

Right now there are differences in the number of increments for each of the groups in the PA bargaining unit. In order to even this out, we’re proposing that there be a job rate (the maximum rate) and two increments for most levels in each classification. The period between increments would in most cases be 52 weeks and the difference between most levels in each classification would be 4%.
Deep discounts shouldn’t apply to your job

We’re proposing this change to stop the employer’s practice of discounting your job. We understand that some members see the increments as a way for the employer to recognize their years of service. But think again. The actual value of each classification is the maximum rate. Increments are calculated downwards from that rate. In other words, every year that you are not at your maximum rate, the employer is devaluing your work, not recognizing it. We want to reduce the number of years the employer can take advantage and pay you less than your job is worth. Fewer increments mean more years at the maximum rate of pay.

3. A fair economic increase

After applying market adjustments and fixing up the increment system, we’re proposing economic increases of

• 4.5% - effective June 21, 2007
• 4.5% - effective June 21, 2008
• 4.5% - effective June 21, 2009

The full details of our pay proposal will be posted on the PSAC web site soon.

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This round of bargaining is taking place under the new Public Service Labour Relations Act, here are 10 things you ought to know about the law …

1. The basic framework remains unchanged
2. The new Act emphasizes “the public interest”
3. There are new factors which Arbitration Boards must consider, including an “ability to pay” clause.
4. Conciliation Boards are replaced by Public Interest Commissions, which also must consider the same factors.
5. The conduct of strike votes is now governed by the law.
6. The strike vote has a “best before” date (60 days).
7. The Employer has a “free speech” clause.
8. Designations are gone, replaced by “Essential Services Agreements”.
9. There are prohibitions against impeding ESA workers.
10. Planning strike vote timing and strike vote commencement has become more complex.

source: Canwest News Services, via Anne Marie Sleeman, UEW 20729

OTTAWA - Canadians are increasingly stressed and depressed on the job, and it is costing the economy and society dearly, says a study released Thursday by Desjardins Financial Security.
According to the results, 83 per cent of Canadians report having shown up for work while sick or exhausted, and did so an average of six times in the past year.

Another 89 per cent of the 1,594 adults interviewed for the survey believe incidences of stress-related mental-health problems such as burnout, depression and anxiety have been increasing over the years.
All this is costing the economy $30 billion a year, says a 2005 study produced by the journal Chronic Diseases in Canada, quoted in the Desjardins report.

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The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is holding a Public Forum on Monday May 5th in Surrey and Tuesday May 6th in Vancouver.

• Surrey: May 5th, 7-9PM, SFU, 13450 102 Ave, room 3090. Moderated by Carolyn Chalifoux-Rice, New Westminster & District Labour Council
• Vancouver: May 6th, 7-9PM, Library Square 350 West Georgia, Alma VanDusen room. Moderated by Jim Sinclair, BCFL.
• Presentation by CUPW National President Denis Lemelin and discussion to follow both meetings.

We want to talk about the public services in Canada including the public postal services. We will have great Moderators and a great presentation by our National President about OUR VISION. Open discussion to follow.

We are also looking for active audience participants that will keep the general conversation flowing by relating the information to the issues that all our public services have faced and will possibly be facing. For more information visit publicpostoffice.ca

The factors that go into developing a pay demand

Our Union considers a number of factors when putting together a pay demand.

1. We examine what other workers are being paid who are doing comparable work and we make direct comparisons with PSAC members working for other federal employers.

We use union research, sometimes supplemented by compensation studies, to see what workers are being paid for comparable jobs both in the public and private sectors. With this data, we can propose what are known as “market adjustment” increases. These increases are designed to keep the federal government competitive as an employer. In an economy with low rates of unemployment and an aging workforce, that’s important. Our negotiating teams for each Treasury Board unit are determining what “market adjustment” increases are needed for their members. Look for more information on proposed adjustments in upcoming bulletins from the negotiating teams.

1. We calculate what we need to give our members some real economic improvement that reflects the continued strength of the Canadian economy and protects against inflation.
2. We consider what kinds of increases other workers are negotiating.

Our demand for 2007-2008-2009

For this round of negotiations, we’re proposing:

• an economic increase of 4.5%,
• in each year of a three-year collective agreement,
• retroactive to the first day of the new three-year agreement (the date in 2007 will vary by bargaining unit),
• that applies to all members covered by the agreement.

This proposal has already been tabled with Treasury Board for the PA and FB units and will be soon for the SV unit.

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On May 1^st, 1886, 80,000 workers took to the streets of Chicago to demand an eight-hour work day. This was at a time when the right to organize and strike did not exist. The peaceful mass meeting at Haymarket Square in Chicago that followed was broken up by armed police, leading to the death of seven police officers, and later, the execution of seven prominent labour leaders. Since then, people all over the world have used May 1st as an opportunity to commemorate the struggle for decent working conditions and to press for social justice and workers’ rights.

• Read more about the Haymarket Affair at wikipedia.org.

In 2008, workers are still fighting to protect their hard-won rights to organize, to bargain collectively and to strike. In the last couple of years alone, we have seen workers’ rights eroded through:

• The defeat of Bill C-257, which would have made it illegal for employers to hire scab labour.
• The Harper government’s dismantling of a hard fought-for universal child care program.
• The removal of the “equality” mandate from Status of Women Canada and the abolishment of the Court Challenges Program, which gave marginalized groups access to the court system to fight for their constitutional rights.
• Continued closed-door negotiations on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America – a pact between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, which is being led by some of the world’s richest corporations, with zero input from working people.

In addition to standing up for people’s rights in the workplace, PSAC is building a movement to fight back and defend Canada’s valuable public services. We believe that the needs of people come first – that the role of government is to protect and promote the social, economic and safety needs of the public, rather than promote profits at any cost.

One hundred and twenty two years after the Haymarket Affair, PSAC celebrates our successes but we remain vigilant against attacks on our rights.