Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

VIHRC AGM September 9, 2010 5 to 8 pm PSAC Victoria Regional Office – 210-1497 Admirals Road

What is the Vancouver Island Human Rights Committee?

Our goals:

• to actively promote and encourage members from the Aboriginal Peoples, Racially Visible Persons, Pride and Access equity groups to participate in the union and in society as a whole;
• and to educate union members at large on sensitivity and inclusiveness in the union.

Our hope:

• that you join us in championing human rights on Vancouver Island.

Our agenda:

• Adoption of minutes
• Election of officers
• Resolutions
• Dates for 2011 meetings

Afterwards, please stay for snacks and drinks and to meet the committee.

Download the poster (pdf)

Public Service Alliance of Canada – British Columbia Regional Union Safety and Health (BRUSH) – Minutes, March 31, 2010

Chair: Sam Wiese (Regional Councilor, H&S)

In Attendance: Alice Woods (UCTE), Leanne Hughes (NAT), , Louise Richard (NAT), Bob Jackson (AGR), Tracey Shudo (CEIU), Virginia Vaillancourt (UVAE), Monique Bakker (UEW), Bob Bridgeman (UNDE), Barry Cunningham (UCTE), Linda Harding (GSU), Angela Marafon (UTE), James Little (PSAC, H&S).

Regrets: Wayne Little (UTE), Melvin Dureen (USGE), Bill Pleming (GSU), Gail Jewsbury (UEW), Susan Yaciw (UTE), Laura Gracie (CEIU, Jim Sidel (DCL).

Continue reading below, or download the BRUSH Minutes March 31, 2010 (pdf)

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Bargaining Conferences are the opportunity for bargaining unit members, Elected Officers and activists to meet, plan the upcoming round of bargaining, review bargaining demands, identify priorities, develop initial mobilization strategies, and to build awareness of the political context in which the round of bargaining will take place. They also present an important learning opportunity for new activists and an equally-important opportunity for all members in attendance to build solidarity.

There are 3 Regional Bargaining Conferences scheduled for this round of Treasury Board bargaining – the Eastern and Ontario/NCR Conferences, and the Western Bargaining Conference, which will be held in Winnipeg, December 4-5 2010. Members at these conferences will discuss bargaining demands and mobilization strategies, and elect delegates to the National Bargaining Conference, to be held in Ottawa in January.

The PSAC constitution outlines a process under Regulation 15A that provides for increased participation of Regional Women’s Committee, Equity, and Youth members in our Bargaining Conferences. Accordingly, Union activists that fit those criteria are strongly encouraged to submit an application to be considered as a delegate. One member per eligible group, per bargaining unit (PA, TC, SV, EB, and FB), will be selected to attend each Regional Conference.

An online application is available at the national website. Note the deadline for applications is September 17th. If you have any questions or would like more information regarding the upcoming round of TB bargaining, contact your Regional Office.


Bargaining with CRA starts soon and we’re ready!

Our negotiating team has been getting fully prepared for the first bargaining session with the Canada Revenue Agency.

The nine members of our negotiating team, which includes the PSAC negotiator and PSAC research officer, met August 24 and 25 to review our demands and establish priorities based on input from our members. The team also considered current bargaining trends in today’s difficult economic climate and worked out their bargaining strategy for this round.

The union and employer teams are scheduled to meet from September 20 to October 1 in a concentrated effort to achieve an early settlement before the agreement expires on October 31. An additional nine days in October have also been set aside to continue this process.

Our Locals have also been gearing for this round of bargaining. We need them to be prepared and ready because our team depends on the support of all of our members.

We’re committed to keeping you informed – once bargaining begins, we’ll be issuing regular bulletins to keep you up to date.

For bargaining news visit the PSAC national website and sign up for email updates at www.ute-sei.org. No CRA e-mail addresses please.

The program of demands and input call for Treasury Board Bargaining has been posted at the national website.

PSAC is also conducting an online bargaining survey to allow members to weigh in on the bargaining priorities set out in the program of demands. Members who fill out the survey will receive a $25 gift certificate for PSAC merchandise from Cavan Advertising’s online boutique.

Please see the letter below from Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, President of the Native Women`s Association of Canada (NWAC) and take a moment to download and circulate the petition calling for Parliament to ensure NWAC and the Sisters In Spirit initiative continue to receive funding (.pdf).

*****

Dear friends,

The Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC) has just recently learned of and would like extend our appreciation for the support by NDP MP Irene Mathyssen and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) in their creation of a petition to ensure that the Federal Government take steps to renew funding for Phase II of the Sisters In Spirit (SIS) initiative called Evidence to Action.

For the past five years, the Native Womens Association of Canadas (NWAC) Sisters In Spirit initiative has worked to identify root causes, trends and circumstances of violence that have led to disappearance and death of Aboriginal women and girls. In March 2010, NWAC released the report What Their Stories Tell Us which provided evidence that 582 Aboriginal women and girls have gone missing or been murdered in Canada.

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After more than three weeks of being locked out members of UCTE/PSAC Local 20221, Fueller Supervisors and Admin Group, ratified their first Collective Agreement on August 11th. They returned to work today.

The 21 members, who provide fuelling and administrative support, perform safety monitoring, and calculate fuel loads at YVR, were locked out by Servisair, a large Paris-based corporation, on July 19th. Theyshowed great solidarity and determination picketing and leafleting at the airport.

In an effort to avoid negotiations the company employed numerous delaying tactics – after over a week of Servisair’s refusal to negotiate PSAC filed a bad faith bargaining complaint on August 9th.

Representatives from the company finally returned to the bargaining table late in the afternoon of August 10th and presented members with an offer.

Members fought hard under challenging circumstances against a very difficult employer, and appreciate the support at the picket line and via email that fellow PSAC members at the airport and across the Province have provided over the last three weeks.

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PSAC members marched with Pride in Vancouver on Sunday August 1st.  This year, the Multi-Union Pride entry, which won the prize for “Captivating Community Cluster”, took inspiration from Vancouver Pride’s “educate, liberate and celebrate” theme. MUP educated last year, liberated this year, and next year they’ll celebrate!

PSAC BC also hosted a Think Public booth at the Pride Festival at Sunset Beach. PSAC members and the public stopped by to play “Spot The Public Service” and learn about the work PSAC members do. We also gathered over 300 signatures on our long form census petition.

Read more for some photos …

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Join us for the evening to listen to a keynote address from David Foster, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance

The BlueGreen Alliance is a national (USA), strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy.

Date: Friday, September 10

Time: 7:00 -10:00pm

Space is LIMITED – Register Now to ensure your seat.The event is Free, but you must pre-register at columbiainstitute.ca.

This event is part of the Green Jobs Conference, which is sponsored/hosted in part by the Union of Environment Workers/PSAC, along with many other Unions and environmental groups. Download a poster (.pdf)

Labour Day is just around the corner … here are some events scheduled for Monday, September 6, 2010. PSAC members and staff will be at all three events – stop by the PSAC booth or table and say hi!

• Vancouver Labour Day Picnic – a celebration of Solidarity
• Sept 6th – 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Central Park, Burnaby, BC (map)
• Families welcome! Come join us for food, music and games for kids.
• Download a pdf copy of poster.

• 22nd Annual Victoria Labour Day Picnic – hosted by the Victoria Labour Council
• Sept 6th  – 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
• Irving Park, Victoria, BC (corner of Menzies & Michigan – map)
• Kids games – Clowns – Refreshments – Fun for the whole family!
• Volunteers and Donations are Welcome! Contact the Victoria Labour Council
• Download the poster as .pdf.

• 1st Annual Fraser Valley Labour Day Picnic – hosted by the Fraser Valley Labour Council
• Sept 6th – 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Mill Lake Park, 2310 Emerson St. Mill Lake, Abbotsford, (Bevan Road Entrance – map)
• East Meets West! Join members of the PSAC East and West Fraser Valley Area Councils and other Unions for entertainment, food, information booths, kids events and solidarity!
• Contact: Fraser Valley Labour Council, phone: 604 314-9867
• Download a poster as PDF: Labour Day Picnic Fraser Valley

Is there a Labour Day event happening in your community? Email Patrick and we’ll add it to the list!

Ottawa – In a groundbreaking decision today, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that employers cannot discriminate against their employees should they choose to become parents. Fiona Johnstone, a Canadian Border Services Officer and a member of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, convinced the Tribunal that she was a victim of discrimination based on family status.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) refused to accommodate her request for more regular hours so she could arrange for proper child care. The CBSA told her that the only way that she could care for her kids was to work part time. Fiona Johnstone was unable to obtain child care because she and her husband both worked rotating shift schedules at Pearson International Airport.

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Servisair on the line

After spending the weekend picketing, PSAC members began leafleting workers and the public at the airport, warning them of possible flight delays and encouraging them to call ahead prior to traveling.

After spending the weekend at home, Servisair representatives returned to Vancouver on Tuesday August 3rd and informed the bargaining team they had left some of their documents at home. They finally presented the team with a second “best and final” – which actually contained less than the previous offer – and have since not been heard from.

Servisair are no longer returning phone calls from the Union or from the mediator.

In the meantime PSAC has taken out advertisements in local papers, warning the public of possible delays and members continue to picket and leaflet at the airport. A blanket leaflet action is planned for tomorrow, with help from some of the other unions at the airport.

PSAC is examining legal means of forcing Servisair back to the table to bargain in good faith, and we are also investigating reports of serious health and safety violations at the airport and discussing these with Transport Canada.

Applications are now being accepted for the fourth year of Next Up: A Leadership Program for Young People Committed to Social and Environmental Justice.

Next Up was created by a group of people who wanted to help emerging leaders develop new and better skills, smarts and ideas. The program is intense. Over 6 months, we dive into a number of topics and disciplines, combining theory, practice, deep thinking, and hard skills. This is an amazing, intensive and transformative program for young social change activists between the ages of 18 and 32.

Visit www.nextup.ca for more information – application deadline for BC is September 12th.

Servisair lockout causing delays. Call your airline or check YVR.ca.

On July 19th Servisair, the Paris-based corporation using its subsidiary GlobeGround Fuel Services, locked out 21 workers at the Vancouver International Airport, after walking away from the bargaining table. The company admits the dispute has nothing to do with money. These workers provide fuelling services and calculate aircraft fuel loads to Air Canada, WestJet, and many other airlines operating at YVR.

Vancouver International Airport said about 40 flights experienced some delays …

“a higher number than we normally see delayed because of refuelling”

- Vancouver Sun, July 20, 2010

In an application to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the company stated:

The following Servisair clients have reported fueling delays: United, Air New Zealand, Continental, KLM, US Airways, Cathay Pacific, American, WestJet, Air North, Air Canada.  There were roughly two years’ (worth) of fuelling delays.

– Application to the CIRB, July 22, 2010

A public service message brought to you by the Union representing the locked-out workers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada / Union of Canadian Transportation Employees.

Vancouver – The union representing Vancouver International Airport refueling supervisors and administrative personnel locked out by employer Servisair says flight delays continue and the public should take note.

The lockout, imposed by Servisair on July 19, has caused major flight delays and the employer’s refusal to negotiate a first collective agreement inconveniences the public and airline companies, says Kay Sinclair, PSAC Regional Executive Vice President.

“We’ve begun an advertising campaign to let the travelling public know that the continued lockout of our members impacts departure times at Vancouver International Airport,” said Sinclair. “We strongly recommend travelers flying out of Vancouver check the airport website – www.yvr.ca – or contact their airline to get the latest information.”

Sinclair points out that legal documents Servisair filed with the Canadian Industrial Relations Board show that “Air Canada advised Servisair that it could not afford a repeat” of delays experienced the day the lockout started and that United, KLM, Continental, Cathay Pacific, Air New Zealand, US Airways and Air North all reported fuelling delays.

“It’s clear that you cannot replace veteran YVR refueling supervisors with replacement workers from outside the area and expect this complicated scheduling to be maintained,” said Sinclair. “Our members are very frustrated that Servisair – a Paris-based multinational corporation – does not care what happens at Vancouver International Airport.”

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Photo day at psacbc.com! Thanks to Amal Rana and Aly Kanani (President, CEIU 20901) for this report and photos from the Union Pride Celebration at Library Square in downtown Vancouver.

On Thursday, July 29th, CEIU Local 20901 held their 1st annual Union Pride Celebration at Library Square. Everyone was invited to celebrate the LGBT community. The event was also a celebration of culture and diversity. A number of people came out to mingle, enjoy wonderful food and conversation, fabulous decorations and great music. Congratulations to the local executive for such a successful event! We look forward to next year!

PSAC members of the Servisair Fuellers Supervisory and Admin group, UCTE Local 20221, ended a second week of being locked out by their employer, a Paris-based company, in high spirits despite the employer’s reluctance to return to the bargaining table in a timely fashion. The weather has been good, and there’s plenty of propane for the barbeque!

The workers were locked out on Monday, July 19th and the bargaining team had a response to the very few outstanding issues left on the table prepared the next day, Tuesday the 20th. With the assistance of a mediator, the employer promised our bargaining team an offer they termed a “last and final offer” on Friday the 23rd, then delayed until Monday, and the offer finally appeared on Tuesday the 26th – a full week after receiving the Unions proposal.

After holding a membership meeting, PSAC responded to this offer, and was ready to meet with the employer on Wednesday the 27th. The employer agreed to meet the next day.

Our team was then very disappointed to hear the employer had decided to take the weekend off and would not be returning to the table until Tuesday, August 3rd.

Members have decided not to take the weekend off, and will continue to picket at YVR.

Here are a few photos from the picket line …

Cheers to Garry Fraser and Jennifer Ho (NAT 20088) for these photos and report from the PSAC Think Public booth at Surrey Fusion Festival, July 17 and 18!

PSAC BC set up a Think Public Booth at the Surrey Fusion Festival on July 17th and 18th. Many members volunteered to help promote Public Services and encourage the public to sign a petit…ion to the House of Commons urging them to reverse the decision to eliminate the mandatory long form Canada Census questionnaire.

The event was a celebration of community diversity in the second largest city in BC, Surrey. We had many good discussions with the public on why Public Services are critical for Canada. Many people played our game of spot the Public Service and were given a Think Public prize.

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Come down to the Van Pride festivities and join PSAC and other Union members in the parade, Sunday August 1st.  To march with Multi-Union Pride, be at the staging area (AS – on Robson, south side, between Thurlow and Alberni) by 11:30AM.

Also, be sure to visit the PSAC Think Public booth which will be in the Pride Festival area at Sunset Beach – stop by, say hi to fellow PSAC members, sign a petition, and play “Spot the Public Service”.

OTTAWA – First the Harper Conservatives cancelled the mandatory long-form census, now they’re going after the federal Employment Equity Act that depends on this data with the announcement that they will be reviewing employment equity policies and practices in the federal public service.

“The government claims to support diversity but its news release implies the opposite”, says PSAC National Executive Vice-President Patty Ducharme. “It reinforces the misconception that equal opportunity is threatened by employment equity measures and that employment equity hiring policies are not based on merit.”

The purpose of employment equity is to ensure equal access to jobs for all and to make sure that workplaces reflect the diversity of the Canadian population. The Employment Equity Act and the Public Service Employment Act already require all hiring to be based on merit and qualifications.

Less than 2% of job competitions in the federal public service are designated for equity group members, and managers have to justify the use of these designations with data showing large gaps in their workforce representation.

“In fact, the government needs to be doing more to ensure diversity throughout its workforce,” says Ducharme.

Continue reading at the national website.