Happy Holidays//Joyeuses fêtes from UNE/SEN president Eddie Kennedy

Hello everyone;

I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone for all their hard work in having dealt with the pressures and stress put on all of us, our friends, family and coworkers as a result of the work force adjustment brought forward by the Government this year.

I hope you all have an opportunity to relax over the holiday season and that you have a wonderful time enjoying special times with the people that mean the most to you.

Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays

Eddie

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Bonjour tout le monde,

Je tiens à tous vous remercier pour l’excellent travail que vous avez fait cette année. Vous avez su faire face à la pression et aux stress auxquels nous avons tous été exposés, comme l’ont été nos amis, nos familles et nos collègues, en raison du processus de réaménagement des effectifs du gouvernement.

J’espère que vous prendrez le temps de vous reposer durant les fêtes et que vous passerez de bons moments avec les personnes qui vous sont chères.

Meilleurs vœux et Joyeuses fêtes!

Eddie

Bill C-377 - Please take a moment to consider signing this petition

To sign the petition, click here.

Remembrance Day *Message from ReVP, PSAC Ontario Region*

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

On November 11th we commemorate Remembrance Day by reflecting on the
sacrifices made by those who have served and the many that have lost
their lives. The horrors of war leave numerous veterans with physical
disabilities, mental health issues and emotional wounds, which impact on
family and entire communities.

There are hundreds of thousands of veterans, including those from World
War II, the Korean War, RCMP, peacekeeping forces and the current war in
Afghanistan. Exposure and stress caused by conflict leads many veterans
to require financial and medical assistance upon their return home. PSAC
members, who work at Veterans Affairs Canada, help with counselling,
delivering benefits and providing support to veterans.

The Conservative Government’s austerity measures have included cuts
of $226 million from Veterans Affairs Canada’s budget, leading to a
decline in staffing levels. The difficulty in accessing veterans’
benefits is already being felt. Difficulty in accessing programs and
losing face to face support has left many veterans vulnerable.

PSAC stands in solidarity with veterans to fight against cuts to their
benefits and services. Please contact your local Member of Parliament
and urge them to support our veterans by improving their benefits and
services.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx 

Also, remember to attend a Remembrance Day service in your community to
honour our veterans. You can find a full listing of events here:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/veterans-week/events.  

In Solidarity,

Sharon DeSousa
Regional Executive Vice-President, Ontario
Public Service Alliance of Canada

Emerging Issue of "Arrears pay" - Something to watch

This info was forwarded to our Local Executive today, and although I don't know a lot about the issue yet, we'll be keeping this on our radar.  Posted here for our members' info.    

***********************
From UEW Local 20147 note Letter from National President enclosed
***********************
Arrears pay: Coming to a workplace near you.

Posted by Megan Eliza ⋅ October 26, 2012 ⋅ 2 Comments 

Your union local has just discovered that *all* Treasury Board employees will move to arrears pay in 2013 (possibly starting with the first cheque of the year). This means that each employee with a six month term to indeterminate will have a full two weeks recovered from their pay in 2013, to be returned only when they leave the federal government. This is pay for time already worked being taken. The employer has not released any details about how this is going to happen (all in one cheque? spread over the whole year?) except to say that moving in this direction will ease their compensation centralization efforts. At this time, there is no public information available from the employer or the union on this issue and we have put a call up through the union to get more hard facts on the matter.

We believe this so-called recovery constitutes a theft of wages, and we call on the PSAC to issue a strong response in opposition to this plan. We further ask you, the membership, to send us a message about what the loss of two weeks salary in 2013 would mean to you so that we underscore to both management and the union that this would have serious consequences for our membership. Since many of us do live paycheque-to-paycheque, any pay grab (even over several cheques) will leave people in difficult straits. (Responses to this new direction can be sent to megan.e.adam@gmail.com for collection by the union local).

Finally, we ask the membership to be alert to these changes and ready to respond to union calls for action in the near future. After a year of kicking by the Stephen Harper Conservatives, this move serves only to rub salt in the still-fresh wounds of WFA and re-organization. We hope that when the time comes you are ready to take action – and we will be keeping you informed as we hear more down the road to ensure you are as up-to-date as we are.

 Todd Woytiuk
Regional Representative
London Regional Office
Public Service Alliance Of Canada
1-800-366-0539 ex 224

You and Your Pension, Workshop on September 19, 2012

Follow this link for information on a workshop on pension planning being offered by the Ontario Federal Council in September.

The Ontario Federal Council, in partnership with the National Managers Community, Ontario Region, is offering You and Your Pension Plansessions.  These sessions will cover various topics related to pension benefits related to how your pension plan works, service buy back, supplementary death benefit plan and retirement benefits etc. Employees are encouraged to bring their latest Pension and Insurance Benefits statement with them.  This interactive event is presented by Jennifer Mew from the PWGSC Pension Centre.

Survey/Enquête!

 FRENCH FOLLOWS

As one of your representatives in UNE/SEN, I am an associate member of many other groups.

One of these is FLO -Future Leaders of Ontario.

This is a network of dedicated public servants from various departments across Ontario who contribute to Public Service Renewal - Retention and Recruitment by creating a forum where future leaders of Ontario can bring forward and engage in the issues of the day, make recommendations to various stakeholders, and offer opportunities that respond to priorities identified by FLO's membership. They are asking:

1. What challenges are you facing in developing professionally in the changing public service milieu?

2. What questions about professional development within the current environment do you want answered?

3. Which leaders/sectors do you want to hear from on these issues?  

Out of this will likely come professional devolpment days/sessions.

Please feel free to take the survey if you have something to add.

***************

Comme l'un de vos représentants au UNE / SEN, je suis un membre associé de nombreux autres groupes.

L'un d'eux est FLO - les  Futurs Leaders de l'Ontario. Il s’agit d’un réseau de fonctionnaires dévoués provenant des divers ministères en Ontario qui contribue au renouvellement, à la conservation et au recrutement de la fonction publique en créant un forum où les futurs leaders de l’Ontario peuvent présenter et débattre leurs enjeux actuels, faire des recommandations aux divers intervenants et offrir des possibilités répondant aux priorités énoncées par les membres de FLO. Les Futurs Leaders de l’Ontario veulent sonder les fonctionnaires pour découvrir :

1. Quels sont les défis par rapport au développement professionnel dans le milieu de la fonction publique en mutation?  

2. Quelles sont les questions concernant le développement professionnel dans le contexte actuel que vous voulez répondues?  

3. Quels sont les intervenants et secteurs clés du développement professionnel qui vous intéresseraient le plus?  

Les résultats du sondage formeront la base d’une journée d’ateliers en développement professionnel à l’automne. 

S'il vous plaît, n'hésitez pas à participer à l'enquête si vous avez quelque chose à ajouter.

A Great Article, Definitely Worth the Read

Unions are still as necessary as ever

When I was a union steward for Local 541 of the CAW, representing workers at the ABB plant here in Guelph, I heard nearly every argument you could imagine against unions.

I had my own issues with the union. I didn’t like the culture of unnecessary and unproductive union-management confrontation that did more to hurt our public image than help us. I also had concerns with the growing disconnect between the workers and the union executives who had adopted a lifestyle not unlike the corporate executives they were paid to negotiate with.

Nevertheless, I took my role as a union steward seriously and did my best to protect the rights of the workers.

I am no longer a union member. There is no international brotherhood of freelance journalists that I am aware of, but I still sympathize with the labour movement and recognize the right and, in many cases, the need for workers to organize.

Before we look at the relevance of unions today, it would help to remember the historical contribution they have made to our standard of living.

Guaranteed work hours, guaranteed wages, minimum wage, pay equity, paid holidays, unemployment insurance, workplace health and safety legislation, universal health care, as well as many other benefits and protections we take for granted, were won through the sacrifice of average working people who organized to improve working conditions.

Some say, now that we have these benefits and protections, unions are no longer necessary. My experience suggests otherwise.

Sure, there are ethical employers who respect their workers and pay them a decent wage. Generally, those employers live in the same community as their employees. They shop at the same stores and their kids go to the same schools and play on the same sports teams. In the case of my former employer, ABB, the company had no connection to the community. The senior managers lived in Sweden and Switzerland and had little or no connection to the community here.

Right or wrong, this is the nature of a globalized economy that is driven primarily by the bottom line and anything that interferes with achieving that narrow goal is an obstacle to be removed.

The single biggest obstacle for ABB was the union, as is the case with most multinationals operating in North America. If you can drive down wages and benefits you can increase profits for the company and shareholders.

I suppose we should ask ourselves what is the purpose of an economic system. Is it to generate wealth for the few or is it to benefit the largest number of people and society as a whole?

The gap between the rich and poor is widening and the middle class is all but wiped out. Over the last four decades wages for working-class people in North America have stagnated and even declined in relation to the cost of living. In the same period, the salaries of corporate executives have tripled, quadrupled and, in some cases, risen 1,000 per cent.

Many economists equate this trend with the reciprocal decline in union membership over the same period. Some would argue this is a simplistic explanation for a complex problem but it makes sense to me.

As the average wage declines it becomes harder for working-class people to afford domestically produced goods so we drive manufacturers that can’t afford to relocate in developing countries to make cuts to wages and benefits or go out of business, thus perpetuating the steady decline.

Why do these multinationals relocate to China and other developing countries? It is not to raise the standard of living for the people there. It is to exploit a cheap workforce and take advantage of weak environmental and labour laws.

We are told we are going to have to give up many of the benefits and protections we fought for if we want to compete. Tell me again why we don’t need unions.

Troy Bridgeman is a Guelph author and journalist. His column appears Wednesdays.

PSAC Ontario Region's New Website

If you haven't already check it out, here's a link to our newly re-launched PSAC Ontario Region website.

Young Workers Summit

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

The PSAC Ontario region will be holding its 2012 Young Worker Summit on July 27-29, 2012 at the PSAC Toronto Regional Office.

This year’s theme is Recognize the Past, Organize the Present, Win the Future.

The Summit will provide young PSAC activists a chance to:
● Meet other young worker activists
● Share experiences and develop skills
● Identify important issues facing today’s young workers
● Develop ways to advance the voice of young workers within the PSAC

Summit participants must be PSAC Ontario members who are 30 years and younger and are members in good standing. Space is limited, so apply soon.

Please see the attached call out letter and registration for further details.

In Solidarity,

Christo Aivalis, Young Worker Representative
PSAC Ontario Council

and

Sharon DeSousa, REVP Ontario
Public Service Alliance of Canada

In Solidarity,

PSAC Toronto Regional Office
90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 608
Toronto, ON   M4P 2Y3
Phone:  416-485-3558

PSAC National Triennial Convention - Message from Sharon DeSousa - REVP

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

PSAC members elected at the 2012 PSAC National Triennial Convention Robyn Benson as the new National President, Chris Aylward, National Executive Vice-President and Danielle Dubuc as the Alternate National Executive Vice-President. 

A few highlights of the resolutions passed at this years convention include:

Electronic voting for Convention 
The creation of regional youth committees
A new campaign to support clean water in First Nations communities
A campaign to stop Bullying
Continuing the Mental Health campaign for the prevention and respectful representation of mental illness
A commitment to organize workers in workplaces that were formerly unionized and are now contracted out in the federal public sector

For more information on the Convention, including; updates, photos, videos and resolutions passed visit the national website:
http://www.psac-afpc.org/conventions/2012/index-e.shtml 

In Solidarity,

Sharon DeSousa 
REVP Ontario 
Public Service Alliance of Canada 
(416) 485-3558 ext 231 
Fax No. (416) 485-8607 
Email: desouss@psac.com

WFA Update - Message from Sharon DeSousa, REVP Ontario

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

As PSAC members in the federal public service receive affected notices, it is important that members be aware of their rights under workforce adjustment.

PSAC has created a site dedicated to materials to help members during this difficult time: http://www.psac.com/what/wfa/index-e.shtml 

The site will be continuously updated with new materials, some of which include:

●Flow chart and WFA Guide for Parks Canada employees
●Merit and workforce adjustment
●Employment equity and workforce adjustment
●Don’t make hasty decisions if you receive an affected notice
●Alternation and workforce adjustment
●Retirement and workforce adjustment

Please note that 2 webinars have been scheduled for:

Tuesday May 15th 7:30-8:30 p.m. EDT
Registration and instructions [http://bit.ly/IE896D]

Thursday May 17th 9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT
Registration and instructions [http://bit.ly/IE8c2r]

The webinars will be recorded and posted on-line for those who cannot participate at the allotted times.

Enrollment is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

In Solidarity,

Sharon DeSousa
REVP Ontario
Public Service Alliance of Canada
(416) 485-3558 ext 231
Fax No. (416) 485-8607
Email: desouss@psac.com

WFA Webinar - May 15 and May 17

Work Force Adjustment Information Webinar

PSAC will be holding information webinars on Work Force Adjustment. The webinar will provide you with an overview of your rights under the Work Force Adjustment Appendix.

Two times:

Tuesday May 15th 7:30-8:30 p.m. EDT 
Registration and instructions [http://bit.ly/IE896D]

Thursday May 17th 9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT 
Registration and instructions [http://bit.ly/IE8c2r] 

The webinars will be recorded and posted on-line for those who cannot participate at the allotted times.

Enrollment is limited and is on a first-come first-served basis.

Below is an info bulletin on a large event planned tomorrow in Ottawa to protest federal government cuts, the PSAC will be out in force along with other public service unions.

May Day 2012

International Workers' Day (May Day) is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour workday, after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public meeting. Several demonstrators and several police officers were killed. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event in 1891.

Since then, May Day has evolved into a day of commemoration and active civic engagement that takes place on International Labour Day, when we remember the struggles of workers across the world who have fought and continue to fight for fairer wages, better working conditions, and equal economic opportunities.

This year, an Ottawa-based group called "Solidarity Against Austerity" is organizing a rally to protest the federal government cuts at 12:00 p.m. on May 1 at the Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa. Follow their efforts on Twitter at @MayDayOttawa and join the Facebook page: Solidarity Against Austerity.

Updated PSAC WFA Guide

The PSAC has updated its guide to Workforce Adjustment.

The latest version can be found here, and ici en français.

This week, and going forward

This week has been a difficult one in our offices, with a great deal of anxiety surrounding the announcement of positions that will be eliminated, some effective this week.

It's important for all of our members to know that there are resources in place to help them during this post-budget period, including a great deal of information posted to the PSAC website.

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is another invaluable resource available to all employees, which I would encourage everyone to inform themselves about.

As always, if you are concerned about what's happening, or have any questions related to the on-going WFA processes please talk with any of your local executive members (Andrew, Frances or Paula).

The local executive is working closely with the regional managers to make sure all decisions are made in the best interest of our members, and that once we know if retention processes will be required we are able to communicate how those will proceed in a fair and transparent fashion.

If you have specific concerns or comments you'd like us to forward (anonymously) to management at any time, please email us at local00303@gmail.com.

I also encourage you to post comments to this site if you have them, but with the understanding that anything that appears on this site is potentially accessible by the general public as this is not a private or intranet blog.

Once again, for all sensitive feedback please email local00303@gmail.com.

Checking In (post by Local President)

By this point in time it's become clear that public service job cuts will be a big and on-going story in the media.  Here's a typical report from today's round of articles.

If you find yourself upset or alarmed by these daily news items, please remember that every employee who may be affected by the upcoming cuts will receive the full support of their union, and that our Regional management team is working hard to minimize the negative impacts on all staff during this difficult time. 

I recently attended a day-long training session offered by the PSAC Ontario Regional Office which included the latest information about Workforce Adjustment (WFA) from the union's perspective.

The most import take-away from this session was that we are all in this together, and your union is here to inform you of your options and to protect your rights.  No employee will have to face this time of change alone.

I strongly encourage all members to visit the PSAC WFA resource page for in-depth information and resources to help you understand the WFA process and to learn what kinds of questions we all need to ask to ensure our rights as dedicated and hard working public servants are respected during the weeks and months ahead.

As always, if you have any specific questions or concerns please email me, or the rest of your Local Executive at local00303@gmail.com.

Presidents and Stewards Assembly Tomorrow

Periodically the PSAC National Component (now known as the Union of National Employees) holds regional assemblies to solidify networks across the provincial organization, to discuss priority issues and ensure all Local's have the most current information available through their local leadership.

Our Local's president will attend the Toronto Assembly all day tomorrow (Saturday, March 31), to connect with other Toronto-area union leaders, discuss the pressing issues facing us in the wake of the 2012 budget, and get a better sense of what kinds of strategies are being developed to assist members as we figure out what the proposed cuts to the public service mean to us, and to learn what tools and services are available through the PSAC. 

Relevant information coming out of this assembly will be shared via this site early next week.

If you have any issues you'd like us to raise tomorrow at the Presidents and Stewards Toronto Assembly, please email us at local00303@gmail.com.

PSAC Reaction to Budget 2012

Click here for the official PSAC response to yesterday's budget.

More Quick Facts on the Budget - from CBC.ca

The CBC.ca site has created a Budget Highlights section, with a graphic slideshow, as well as bullet points providing a useful executive summary on key issues.  Worth a look.

Budget 2012 - First Look

The Federal Budget has now been tabled, and below are some salient numbers mainly related to PCH, as well as some government-wide impact bullet points.  This information was compiled by Jesse, the Regional Policy Officer, shortly after the budget was released.

We'll be posting more information in the weeks ahead, as we get more specific interpretations from our Deputy Ministers, Regional Managers and official responses from the PSAC.

BUDGET FIRST LOOK:

PCH & PORTFOLIO

• $17.8 million in 12/13, $24.4 million in 13/14, $4 million in 14/15 = $46.2 million
• Canada Council and national museums have no reductions
• Within portfolio, CBC takes biggest hit @ $115 million.  Total portfolio reductions over three years are $191.1 million

ARTS & HERITAGE

• "The Government recognizes that arts and culture is an important generator of jobs and growth"
• Travelling Indemnification Fund is strengthened by raising limit
• CCSF's role in EAP is highlighted (along with Nat'l Arts Training Fund, Periodical Fund and Media Fund)
• 1812 & Diamond Jubilee are highlighted and linked to 2017

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

• "Economic Action Plan 2012 will continue support for official languages by maintaining funding to protect, celebrate and enhance Canada’s linguistic duality."

OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

• FedDev is reduced by $22 million over three years
• PHAC is reduced by $68 million over three years
• HRSD is reduced by $183.2 million over three years
• CIC is reduced by $71 million over three years
• DFAIT is reduced by $168 million over three years

WORKFORCE IMPACT

• "The planned reduction in departmental spending is expected to eliminate about 12,000 government positions over a three-year-period, with affected individuals qualifying for collectively bargained workforce adjustment measures. This number takes into account attrition—largely retirement or other voluntary departures."

• In total, federal employment will be reduced by about 19,200 or 4.8 per cent. To the largest extent possible, the Government will use these vacancies towards redeploying individuals whose jobs have been affected by the spending reduction. The planned reduction in employment includes the elimination of about 600 executive positions, or 7.4 per cent of the executive workforce, bringing the level of management overhead more in line with private sector best practices."

• "A large proportion of full-time-equivalent reductions will occur in the National Capital Region. The regional distribution of employment in the federal public service will be largely unaffected by the implementation of the departmental spending reductions."

• "Where possible, the Government will use natural attrition and internal redeployments to mitigate the impact on permanent federal employees. The Government will strengthen workforce information sharing across federal departments to ensure that hiring managers can be easily linked with affected employees."

PUBLIC SERVICE PENSION PLAN

• "The Government proposes to adjust the Public Service Pension Plan so that public service employee contributions equal, over time, those of the employer (50/50)."

OTHER NOTES

• PCH is placed in budget section entitled "Supporting Families & Communities"

A message from the PSAC UNE National President

~~~ le français suit ~~~

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Like many of you, I am deeply concerned with the Harper government’s plans to cut the public service.  Rest assured that we will continue to do everything we can to protect your jobs and quality public services.

As we approach the release of the federal budget, we can expect a clearer picture to emerge. Whatever the scenario, we must prepare ourselves so that we are ready to assist our union brothers and sisters, our colleagues and our friends.

I would kindly ask you to become familiar with the workforce adjustment material that has already been compiled by the PSAC. To make this process easier, we have created a section, on our website, entirely dedicated to WFA resources: http://www.nationalcomponent.com/WFA-RE/

Here, at the UNE head office, we will focus our expertise on helping those whose cases require a more peculiar attention. It’s a team effort; you can help us tremendously by offering your own expertise to cases that don’t require a higher level of attention.

Above all, we are here to provide you with the knowledge and expertise you need to help your fellow brothers and sisters – so don’t hesitate to call when you need it!

Finally, we have not lost sight of the human dimension of these cuts. Many of your colleagues will be blindsided and many will experience grief. We urge you to keep your organization’s Employee Assistance Program information handy. Remember that your desire to help can only go so far; know when it’s time for a professional to take over.

We hope you find this information valuable. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact members of your regional team.

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall

National President

Union of National Employees, PSAC

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Chers confrères et consœurs,

Comme bon nombre d’entre vous, je suis profondément préoccupé par les plans du gouvernement Harper, qui souhaite réduire la taille de la fonction publique. Soyez assurés que nous continuerons de faire tout ce que nous pouvons pour protéger vos emplois et la qualité des services publics.

Le budget fédéral sera déposé prochainement, et nous aurons alors une meilleure idée de la situation. Peu importe le scénario, nous devons être prêts à aider nos confrères et nos consœurs, nos collègues et nos amis.

Je vous demanderais bien gentiment de prendre connaissance des documents sur le réaménagement des effectifs élaborés par l’AFPC. Pour faciliter le processus, nous avons créé une section sur notre site Web, entièrement dédiée aux ressources sur le réaménagement des effectifs : http://www.elementnational.com/WFA-RE/

Ici, au bureau principal du SEN, nous utiliserons notre expertise pour aider ceux qui dont le cas nécessite une attention particulière. C’est un travail d’équipe; vous pouvez aider grandement en travaillant à des cas qui n’ont pas besoin d’être pris en charge à un niveau supérieur.

Nous sommes ici avant tout pour vous fournir les connaissances et l’expertise dont vous avez besoin pour aider vos confrères et consœurs. Par conséquent, n’hésitez pas à demander de l’aide lorsque vous en avez besoin.

Enfin, nous reconnaissons qu’il y a une dimension humaine aux suppressions d’emplois. Bon nombre de vos collègues seront désagréablement surpris et bon nombre auront du chagrin. Nous vous encourageons à garder sous la main les renseignements sur le Programme d’aide aux employés de votre organisation. Rappelez-vous que votre capacité d’aider a ses limites; reconnaissez le moment où il un professionnel doit intervenir.

Nous espérons que ces renseignements vous sont utiles. Si vous avez des questions ou des préoccupations, n’hésitez pas à communiquer avec les membres de votre équipe régionale.

En toute solidarité,

Doug Marshall

Président national

Syndicat des employées et employés nationaux, AFPC

Doug Marshall

National President / Président national
Union of National Employees - PSAC / Syndicat des employées et employés nationaux - AFPC
613-560-4301 (work/bureau)

613-741-8954 (cell)

doug.marshall@national-component.org

Welcome to your Local's blog!

Welcome to the Local 00303 blog, a site dedicated to keeping our membership updated on the latest union-focused news.

In the coming weeks we'll be publishing posts about the Federal Budget 2012, including information on the impacts on our members as well as updates from our regular meetings with the Regional Management Team (Marie, Robert and Alice) through our Labour Management Consultation Committee (LMCC).  A post on how LMCC works will follow soon.   

We'll also post links to PSAC releases, other useful web resources and anything that can help us navigate this uncertain time with as much information and support as possible.

As of today, you will no longer receive union updates through our Lotus Notes email system, so please check back on this site regularly for the latest PSAC-related news.  

We encourage you to comment on anything posted to this site, and if you have any suggestions for things you'd like to see here, or general questions or concerns, you can also email your Local executive at local00303@gmail.com.