Monday, 30 September 2013

Changements au RSSFP : le ministre refuse de les entériner

L'an dernier, des agents négociateurs qui siègent au Conseil national mixte, dont l'AFPC, ont négocié des améliorations au Régime de soins de santé de la fonction publique (RSSFP). Les syndicats, le Conseil du Trésor et les représentants d'autres employeurs ont conclu une entente : on apportera les modifications nécessaires pour que le RSSFP s'aligne sur d'autres régimes similaires.
Les parties ont envoyé l'entente au ministre du Conseil du Trésor Tony Clement. Pour pouvoir la mettre à exécution, le ministre doit la signer, mais ce dernier ne l'a toujours pas fait, malgré nos rappels fréquents. L'entente traîne sur son bureau depuis février 2012.
Voici quelques-uns des changements que nous avions négociés :
  • Ajouter les contraceptifs non-oraux à la liste des contraceptifs déjà couverts
  • Rembourser les traitements d'acupuncture dispensés par des professionnels de la santé qui ne sont pas médecins, jusqu'à concurrence de 300 $ par année
  • Rembourser les frais de réparation, de remplacement des pièces et d'entretien associés aux appareils d'aérothérapie (CPAP, par ex.) jusqu'à concurrence de 300 $ par année
  • Maintenir le partage des cotisations aux taux actuels : 25 % (retraités) et 75 % (employeur)
Cette entente a été négociée de bonne foi et a reçu l'aval de toutes les parties, y compris les représentants du Conseil du Trésor. Alors, pourquoi le ministre Clement ne l'a-t-il pas signé?
Parce que, comme il nous l'a expliqué cette semaine, le gouvernement ne mettra en œuvre le RSSFP modifié (approuvé l'an dernier) que si nous acceptons de doubler le montant des cotisations versées par les retraités. Le gouvernement veut aussi que la période d'attente avant de toucher les avantages complémentaires de retraite soit trois fois plus longue.
Le ministre a pris une entente négociée de bonne foi et a tenté de la modifier unilatéralement un an après qu'elle ait été conclue. Cela s'appelle négocier de mauvaise foi, et nous ferons tout ce qui est nécessaire pour que l'entente soit mise en œuvre.
Nous vous tiendrons au courant.
AFPC appui l'ANRF et leur campagne Respectez votre promesse
L'Association nationale des retraités fédéraux (ANRF) est le plus important organisme national de défense qui représente les employés fédéraux actifs et retraités (leurs partenaires et leurs survivants) qui recevront ou qui reçoivent une rente fédérale.

Minister Refuses to Implement the Negotiated Changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan

Last year your Union, along with the other Unions at the National Joint Council, negotiated some improvements to the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP).  An agreement was reached between the NJC Unions, Treasury Board and other Employer representatives to make changes that would help to bring the PSHCP in line with other similar health plans. 
The parties sent the agreement to Tony Clement, the Minister of the Treasury Board.  Before anything can be implemented, it requires his signature.  It has been on his desk since February 2012.  He has not signed it, despite repeated and regular requests that he do so.
The changes that were agreed to include:
  • Expanding the current prescription contraceptive benefit to include non-oral products
  • Expanding the acupuncture benefit to include providers who are not physicians with an annual maximum of $300
  • Expand reimbursement of aerotherapeutic devices (CPAP) and machines to cover repairs, replacement parts and servicing with an annual maximum of $300
  • Pensioner cost-share ratio to be maintained at the 25/75 Pensioner/Government cost sharing ratio
This agreement was negotiated in good faith, had the support of all parties, and we couldn't figure out why Minister Clement wouldn't sign when it was recommended by his own representatives. 
This week, we found out why. 
The government has now told us that they will only implement the updated PSHCP, which they already agreed to last year, if we agree to double the premiums that retirees pay for their health care plan.  They also want us to agree to triple the time that it takes for someone to become eligible for post-retirement benefits.  
The Minister has taken an agreement which was negotiated in good faith and has unilaterally tried to alter it over a year after the agreement was made.  This is called bargaining in bad faith and we will be pursuing all avenues to ensure that our agreement is implemented. 
We will keep you updated as this challenge proceeds.
PSAC supports the FSNA and their campaign Honour Your Promise
FSNA is the largest national volunteer advocacy organization representing active and retired federal employees (their partners and survivors) who will receive or are in receipt of a federal pension.

Stop the closure of Veterans Affairs offices

Canadas veterans will be in Ottawa Thursday, October 3rd to talk about why the federal government must not close 9 Veterans Affairs offices.
The office in Prince George has already been shut down and the government says that by February, offices in Corner Brook, Charlottetown, Sydney, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Brandon, Saskatoon and Kelowna will be closing their doors to veterans too.

Tune into a live webcast to hear what they have to say!

WATCH THE LAUNCH LIVE  (
http://www.psac.com/webcast ) at 11:00 am EST on Thursday, October 3. www.psac.com/webcast
These are the offices that both traditional and younger veterans - including those with serious physical and mental health issues, depend on for face-to-face frontline services.

Veterans in Thunder Bay will now have to travel over 10 hours to get to the next closest office!

Veterans in the Windsor area, will be forced to travel over 2 hours away to London.

This is not acceptable!

Tune in to hear how veterans will be impacted by these closure and find out how you can help.

Thursday, 26 September 2013

upcoming PSAC Ontario Council meeting


Hello Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to observe the upcoming PSAC Ontario Council meeting, scheduled for October 25th and 26th, 2013 at the PSAC Toronto Regional Office (608-90 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, ON M4P 2Y3).

Our hours of sitting are: Friday, October 25th from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, October 26th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you are, or will be in the Toronto area and would like to attend, please RSVP to my Executive Assistant, Cleo Reid (reidc@psac.com).

Note this event is a scent-free environment.

In Solidarity,

Sharon DeSousa
REVP, Ontario
Public Service Alliance of Canada
90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 608
Toronto Ontario M4P 2Y3
Telephone No. (416) 485-3558 ext 231
Fax No. (416) 485-8607
Email: desouss@psac.com 


Friday, 20 September 2013

"Right to Work" is a lie


Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
 
Bankers get bailed out, corporations get incentives, workers get attacked... and 'right to work' laws threaten to take this much further.
 
Below you will find links to the presentation Prime Your Mind for Resistance to the "Right to Work" Lie - Recorded in Toronto on September 12 2013.
 
Moderated by Tracy Macmaster President of the OPSEU Greater Toronto Area Council. Presentations by:
 
John Cartwright, President of Toronto and York Region Labour Council
Sonia Singh, Workers' Action Centre
Sam Gindin, Retired research director, CAW
 
Organized by the Labour Committee of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly.
 
Click here to view presentation ( http://www.socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed/ls186.php )
 
 
In Solidarity,
 
Sharon DeSousa,
PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President

Thursday, 19 September 2013

ONTARIO WIDE 'RAISE THE RATES' WEEK OF ACTION

ONTARIO WIDE RAISE THE RATES WEEK OF ACTION

October 14th - 20th, 2013

* Restore Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit
* Stop the attacks on Disability benefits
* Raise the Rates 55%!

Plans are being made in a range of communities to hold local actions during the week of October 14 to challenge plans to merge Ontario Works and ODSP and demand real action on poverty from the Wynne, Liberal Government.

We will be demanding restoration of the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit, supporting the right of First Nations Communities to control delivery of social assistance programs and calling for the raising of the minimum wage in Ontario to $14 an hour and social assistance rates by at least 55%.

As more communities, anti poverty organizations, unions and other allies make plans for this week, a list of all the times and places where actions will be held during the week will be listed.

JOIN THE WEEK OF ACTION!

Find out how you can get involved, contact: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) (416) 925-6939 ocap@tao.ca 

For more information please visit: http://update.ocap.ca/node/1095 

On Facebook, join the Raise the Rates page: www.facebook.com/RaiseTheRates  

Twitter: @OCAPtoronto #RaisetheRates

In Solidarity,

Sharon DeSousa,
PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President - Ontario