Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been in the works for two decades. It calls for world-wide measures to address the widespread hardship, poverty, and human rights violations against Indigenous Peoples around the world.

• Sign the online petition
• Write to Harper urging the Government of Canada to stop opposing the UN Declaration.

The Declaration was adopted by the newly formed UN Human Rights Council in June 2006. But the Declaration has not yet been adopted by the UN General Assembly. Canada supported the Declaration in the past, but is now among a handful of states pressing for further negotiations … despite the fact that 20 years of negotiations have already taken place.

Such negotiations will only delay - and quite possibly weaken - a human rights instrument critical to the survival and well-being of some of the world’s most impoverished, marginalized and frequently victimized peoples.

PSAC has joined the list of over 22,000 organizations and individuals who are pushing for the immediate adoption of the UN Declaration.

$10 minimum wage critical as BC’s economic boom bypasses provinces’ working families and key region

BC’s current economic boom is bypassing working families, according to a Labour Day analysis prepared by the B.C. Federation of Labour, forcing them to work longer hours just to stand still while corporate profits rise and CEOs take home massive pay increases.

• Sign the minimum wage petition @ bcfed.com
• Download a copy of the report (pdf)

“A $10 minimum wage would help nearly 250,000 working people who are at or below the poverty line,” says B.C. Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair. “Despite positive economic news, most British Columbians are not seeing their incomes improve and some regions are actually experiencing declining employment. BC has a very high level of people living in poverty. To them, this is not the ‘best place on earth’ as provincial propaganda suggests.”

The Federation issued a review of the provincial economy to support its call for a $10 minimum wage - which has been frozen by the Campbell Liberals at $8 per hour since 2001. The increase would bring 246,000 British Columbians up to the poverty line with particular benefits for women and younger workers, who make up a large share of BC’s low-paid workforce.

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Daughter of former federal cabinet minister James Sinclair joins public service union, BC Fed to urge federal government to drop sale of historic Sinclair Centre named after her father

Vancouver – Janet Sinclair, the daughter of former federal Liberal government cabinet minister James Sinclair, has joined the union for public service workers and the BC Federation of Labour in urging the Conservative government to drop plans to sell the historic Sinclair Centre that is named after her father.

• Send an email to your MP: Stop The Sale!

The federal government has requested bids for nine buildings across Canada, including the Sinclair Centre, located at 757 West Hastings Street, and is expected to announce its decision today to sell them and lease them back, says Kay Sinclair, Public Service Alliance of Canada BC Vice President.

“We are urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to not sell the Sinclair Centre or the other buildings and keep these public assets that benefits all taxpayers, Sinclair said. “Why would the government want to be a renter when it’s already an owner?”

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To the editor,

RE: Mental leaves in PS Soar (The Ottawa Citizen, July 31, 2007 - read the article at canada.com )

To suggest that mental health absences in the Public Service are soaring is more than a stretch. More troubling is the possibility that your article will discourage workers suffering from depression from seeking the help they need.

Mental health is a growing issue for the global workforce, not just federal public sector workers. According to the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health:

“Depression is the leading source of disability in the world and as a percentage of the burden of disease, it is growing faster in the global population than cardiovascular disorders yet it remains under researched, under diagnosed and under treated.”

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PS unions scoff at idea to end right to strike; Federal workers dismiss call for dispute-solving alternative

No way.

That sums up the response of the largest public service union to a federal study that calls for a new collective bargaining system for government workers that removes their right to strike.

“It’s a non-starter,” Patty Ducharme, national executive vice-president of the 150,000-member Public Service Alliance of Canada, said yesterday. “Quite honestly, I think it’s a non-starter for the government as well.”

The reaction was similar, though less emphatic, from the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC). “The stars would have to be perfectly aligned for us to consider something like that,” said Johanne Bray, PIPSC’s manager of policy and national representational activities.

The wide-ranging study, known as the Lahey report after its lead author, senior bureaucrat James Lahey, questions whether the current conciliation/strike model is appropriate for public servants.

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PSAC members with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have ratified their tentative agreement. Arrangements will now be made to sign the new collective agreement which expires on December 31, 2007. Preparation for the next round of bargaining will begin soon. Discussions are underway to begin negotiations with the employer early in the fall.

For more information visit the national website.

United Steelworkers in the lumber and forestry sector as well CUPE members from Locals 1005 and 15 (Vancouver) and Local 389 (North Vancouver) are currently on strike, and CUPE Local 391 (Vancouver Public Library) has issued strike notice. Major Issues include wages, classification adjustments, pay equity, job security, and whistle blower protection. Although job actions are not expected to directly impact PSAC worksites, there may be situations where PSAC members encounter a picket line.

If you encounter a picket line:

• the BC Federation of Labour has a strict picket line policy that obliges all union members in BC to honour picket lines.
• the PSAC has a picket line policy (No.21) that also urges members to honour picket lines.
• if you encounter a picket line, speak to the strikers and/or picket captains and ask for direction from them.
• contact your union representative for direction and contact the Regional Office of the PSAC.
• call your supervisor to let him/her know that there is a picket line
• if you choose to cross the picket line, ask for a management escort across the line
• if it seems unsafe, do not attempt to cross the line, let your supervisor know that you feel your safety is in jeopardy.
• bolster picket lines before/after work and during breaks
• it would be appreciated if you would provide coffee, snacks and moral support to striking workers
• unfortunately, most PSAC members do not have picket line protection in their collective agreements, or in legislation, and therefore are obliged to report to work.

Please contact the Vancouver RO if you have any questions, and check back here for updates.

• More info: CUPE BC
• More info: CUPE Local 15
• More info: BC Coast forestry strike.

The third negotiation session between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and MDS Nordion Inc. is scheduled for July 23 and 24, 2007. The first meeting between the parties was held from April 25 to 27, 2007. The second meeting was scheduled from May 8 to 11, 2007, but was cut short due to the employer representatives not having the mandate to deal with the Union’s monetary issues.

The major outstanding issues include wages, benefits, vacation, shift schedules and job security.

Approximately 40 PSAC members work at MDS Nordion Inc. in Vancouver. Nordion produces medical isotopes for worldwide distribution. The collective agreement expired March 31, 2007.

Commissionaires at Library Square working for Immigration Canada sign up with union, seek safety improvements at workplace

VANCOUVER - Commissionaires working at Vancouver’s Library Square on contract with Immigration Canada have signed up to join a union and are seeking safety improvements at their workplace.

The Commissionaires, who provide assistance and security to the public, have signed cards to become members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada,a union that represents Commissionaires across the country.

Kay Sinclair, PSAC’s BC Regional Executive Vice President, said the union has filed an application to the BC Labour Relations Board for certification.

“One of the main reasons these workers are seeking union protection is safety,” Sinclair said. “They are required to work in potentially violent situations and yet are provided no safety equipment or adequate training.”

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It may have been Canada Day, but the PSAC was busy serving notice to bargain on the Canada Revenue Agency on July 1, the earliest possible date it could be served under the new Public Service Labour Relations Act.

Your union’s demands are designed to improve salaries and working conditions for all members, including part-time and term workers. CRA, on the other hand, has a number of demands that would reduce or eliminate hard won benefits, particularly for those members who are not indeterminate or full-time.

• Union demands
• Union demands - addendum
• Employer demands

Your bargaining team is committed to saying NO to any demand calling for a roll-back in current terms and conditions of employment.

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Meetings are taking place across the Country starting the week of July 9 and continuing until the end of July to conduct a ratification vote on the tentative agreement with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Bargaining Team member Bob Jackson will be in attendance at all the meetings. For more information please contact the Victoria Regional Office.

These meetings are your opportunity to cast your vote on the tentative agreement. The ratification kit document will be available at the meetings and is also available on-line at the national website.

The deadline for PSAC scholarships is July 16th.

The PSAC Scholarship Program is offering the following 15 scholarships to PSAC members and their children:

• one $4,000 PSAC - Groulx National Scholarship;
• one $4,000 PSAC - Coughlin National Scholarship;
• two $3,000 PSAC - Groulx National Scholarships;
• two $3,000 PSAC - Coughlin National Scholarships;
• one $2,000 J.R. (Joe) Power National Scholarship;
• one $1,000 PSAC National Scholarship;
• seven $1,000 PSAC Regional Scholarships; – one for each of the seven regions (Atlantic, Quebec, National Capital Region, Ontario, Prairies, British Columbia, and the North).

Scholarships are available for the children and dependants of PSAC members. As well, three out of the seven $1,000 PSAC Regional Scholarships may be awarded to PSAC members (if applications are received) who are returning to university, college or a recognized institute of higher learning on a full-time basis.

PSAC members (as parents of applicants or as applicants) must be in good standing as of March 31st of the current year.

Visit the national website for more information and an application form.

Negotiations between the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - Granville Island Office and the Public Service Alliance of Canada were held from June 19 to 22, 2007. The parties exchanged proposals on June 19, 2007, and progress was very slow. As the Corporation representatives did not have a mandate to deal with several of the Union’s monetary proposals, the parties have agreed to meet again from September 17 to 19, 2007.

Over 40 PSAC members work at CMHC - Granville Island. They perform a variety of duties including Administration, Grounds Maintenance, Market and Events Coordination, Janitorial, Painting, Building Maintenance etc. The collective agreement expired March 31, 2007.

Feds receive bids for purchase of Sinclair Centre, other sites; Ottawa yet to decide if it will proceed with sale and leaseback of buildings

Potential buyers have submitted bids on Vancouver’s historic Sinclair Centre and eight other federal buildings across Canada, though Minister of Public Works Michael Fortier says no decision has been made to sell.

Speculation is that properties together would be worth more than $1 billion, but government officials have not revealed what prices bidders are willing to pay.

• Read John Gordon’s letter to Stephen Harper re the sale of government buildings
• Video: Stop the sale of government buildings - rally in Ottawa

Public Works and Government Services Canada did hire the real estate divisions of BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets to advise it on the potential sale and leaseback of 40 government-owned buildings, from which nine were singled out as good candidates.

And those advisers have put that list of nine properties, which includes the Sinclair Centre and the government office tower at 401 Burrard Street, out for offers and were actively marketing them between May 1 and June 12.

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The Public Service Alliance of Canada has called on the Prime Minister to mandate the Auditor General of Canada to review the federal government’s plan to sell nine office buildings and lease them back from the new owners. The text of the PSAC’s letter to the Prime Minister is below.

June 27, 2007

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister:

The sale of nine office buildings owned by Canadians will lead to one of the largest sales of public assets ever, assuming the government endorses Minister Fortier’s view that the federal government should not be in the business of owning real estate assets.

This transaction is taking place behind such a heavy veil of secrecy it may well do harm to your call for greater transparency and openness in government. To date, Minister Fortier has refused to release any details related to any aspect of the transaction.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada has deep concerns about the merits of the sale and lease back plan and serious questions about its costs and benefits. We believe that taxpayers will pay $2 in leasing costs for every $1 gained in proceeds from the sale of the buildings.

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The PSAC stands in strong support with the Assembly of First Nations’ National Day of Action to Make Poverty History. We encourage all members across the country to participate in the actions taking place on June 29, and in the AFN’s Make Poverty History for First Nations campaign.

In Vancouver: Solidarity for Aboriginal justice

• March and Rally
• March: 11:00 AM - Vanier Park to Library Square
• (Begin assembling at 9:30, Coast Guard Station by the Burrard St Bridge)
• Rally: 12:00 Noon - Library Square (300 West Georgia)
• more info: (604) 684-0231 or www.ubcic.bc.ca/NDOA.htm or NDOA@ubcic.bc.ca

The Make Poverty History for First Nations campaign highlights the struggles facing First Nations people and communities. First Nations and all Canadians must take action together and demand that Canada’s political leaders honour their commitments to end poverty.

Too many First Nations children, elders, families and communities are living in conditions that should not be acceptable to anyone in Canada:

• 1 in 4 First Nations children live in poverty.
• First Nations youth commit suicide at 5 to 8 times the Canadian rate as a result of poverty and despair.
• High school graduation rates for First Nations youth are half the Canadian rate.
• Close to 1 in 4 First Nations communities are under boil drinking water advisories.
• Mould contaminates almost half of all First Nations homes.
• More than half of First Nations people are not employed.
• Diabetes among First Nations people is at least three times the national average.
• First Nations suffer from Third World diseases such as tuberculosis at 8 to 10 times the rate of Canadians in general.

More than half of First Nations people are under 23 years of age. If poverty is not addressed today, it will continue to negatively impact First Nations families and communities into the future.

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Your PSAC negotiating team reached a tentative agreement on June 20th for our members working at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. This is a one-year agreement that includes a salary increase of 2.5% effective January 1, 2007. The agreement would expire at the end of 2007.

The tentative agreement contains changes to reflect new provisions in the Public Service Modernization Act regarding union leave (the replacement of Conciliation Boards with Public Interest Commissions) and a Grievance Article to reflect our ability to file Group and Policy grievances.

The Maternity and Parental Articles were also updated to reflect the improvements gained as a result of the introduction of the changes made in the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.

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June 21st is the summer solstice, marked for centuries by many Aboriginal communities as a day to celebrate their heritage. In 1996, the Parliament of Canada proclaimed June 21st as the National Aboriginal Day.

For the PSAC, it is a day to express solidarity with Aboriginal Peoples as well as a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the Aboriginal Peoples in our communities.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis people have and continue to make important contributions in their struggles for social justice, equality and workers’ and human rights.

Their struggles are numerous, given the failure of successive governments to address Aboriginal poverty, access to education, employment, housing, water, health care and access to other basic infrastructures and social services within the Aboriginal communities.

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PSAC held a demonstration in downtown Ottawa yesterday to protest the Conservative government’s plan to sell off and lease back valuable federal government buildings.

• Pictures at the national website.

PSAC National President John Gordon, and REVP-NCR Ed Cashman delivered speeches in downtown Ottawa yesterday against the government’s plan to sell off the buildings … here’s the video on youtube.

OTTAWA — In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday declared for the first time that collective bargaining rights are protected in the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The court was ruling on the B.C. Government’s introduction of a law in 2002 that effectively canceled collective agreements for health-care workers and resulted in mass layoffs. The court gave the B.C. government, which imposed the law to cope with soaring health-care costs, a year to deal with the fallout of the decision before it takes effect.

A majority of judges concluded several sections of the legislation violated section two of the charter, which protects freedom of association.

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