However, roughly 200 employees were not on the list that was created from employees who self identified. CEIU believes that if these employees worked in the above mentioned positions, they should receive a payment as well. HRSDC and CEIU met recently to work on the next steps. The employer is analyzing the list to determine who is entitled to receive a lump sum under the terms of that agreement. More information will be posted when the employer has made a decision.

We ask that you read the Scholarship Application Instructions sheet as well as complete the Application Form. 

Please note that the deadline date to receive completed application forms for these scholarships is August 17, 2012.

Our delegates stood at the microphones numerous times stating that PSAC must find a way to live within its’ means and that especially in these times our members’ pockets were not a bottomless source of revenue.

Throughout convention, we wore black armbands denouncing the supplemental pension plan previously passed by the NBoD. Lively debate took place on a number of issues entailed in the budget.  After a vote on a dues levy substantially increasing dues, each of the CEIU delegates went to the microphones in solidarity to be recorded against. Eventually the budget did pass but was opposed by CEIU.

CEIU cannot and will not stop our members from expressing their outrage to the newly elected PSAC National President and the PSAC National Board of Directors.  The members need to be heard and every member has the right to let PSAC know how they feel.  

Having said that, as a Union, we need to move forward and continue building a successful fight back campaign against the attacks imposed by the Harper Government on public service workers and the social safety net that the Canadian public relies on. 

CEIU will fight for our members and our message will be heard by both the government and the general Canadian public.  We will ensure that the PSAC leadership pushes all of its members in the same direction – pushing to ensure that the Harper Government is held to account for its attack against our members and the wellbeing of Canadian citizens.

I believe that we as a Union can fight this government; however, we need our members’ support.  Union leadership at all levels cannot do it alone.  Solidarity is needed now more than ever. 

Let’s stand together and fight for our rights, our jobs and our citizens.

In Solidarity,

Don Rogers
National President

The biggest impact is in the National Capital Region where 665 members received their letters. The second most impacted region is the West with 142 affected members, while Ontario, Québec and the Atlantic regions have 11 affected members in total.

At a meeting in the past week, the CEIU Representative on the WFA Committee asked Management that all measures be taken in order to provide assistance to these employees. Also, Don Rogers made it clear that the timing of this action was not appropriate given that all CEIU elected members were to be at the PSAC Convention that week. CEIU will ensure that members who won’t get a reasonable job offer do get an explanation as to why this was the case. CEIU will monitor the processes used by HRSDC to select who retains their job to ensure that is done equitably and transparently.

WFA Impact on Members at CIC

CIC is facing a 5.3% reduction from the Federal budget. CIC notified its employees on the cuts and gave letters on April 11.  19 offices will be closed and consolidated.

• In the Western Region the offices to close are Nanamio, Prince George, Kelowna, Victoria, Lethbridge and Regina
• In Ontario the offices to close are Thunder Bay, Barrie, Oshawa, Sudbury, Sault St.Marie and Kingston
• In Québec the offices to close are Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Trois Rivières and Québec City
• In Altantic the offices to close are Saint John (NB), Moncton and Charlottetown.

459 of CEIU members at CIC received a letter tell them either they were “affected” or “opting”. (109 in the West, 184 Ontario, 99 NCR, 39 Quebec, 28 Atlantic). As per an ADM, 283 of our members at CIC will be declared surplus.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada “HRSDC”

WFA Committee

Management and the unions have met twice. The Terms of Reference “ToR” of the National Labour-Management Committee on WFA have been established and monthly meetings are to be held. There will be Regional WFA Committees in the West, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic. The regions would take the National ToR as a model, but they would be able to make some modifications that fit their needs. The National Capital Region will be included by the National Committee. There is a meeting on decisions concerning the 2012 Budget on April 25.

WFA Impact on Members at HRSDC

The Federal budget shows that HRSDC will face a 3.8% reduction of its budget. However, the government has put additional initiatives that have an impact to this department. Senior management has to reassess the whole thing before coming with the final figures and their impact on the staff. Senior management told the unions that the information on the staff cuts will not be available before the end of April. They committed to meet with CEIU to give us more information ahead of time to help us prepare before the managers give the notification to the staff.

However, because of a modernization of its compensation and benefits, 114 of our members are now affected (10 in the West, 42 in Ontario, 33 in the NCR, 27 in Atlantic). HRSDC is consolidating all its compensation and benefits services in Winnipeg and Montréal.

Immigration and Refugee Board “IRB”

WFA Committee

Management and the unions have met twice. The Terms of Reference “ToR” of the National Labour-Management Committee on WFA have been established and monthly meetings are to be held. The IRB ToR is almost identical to the ToR from CIC. Management provided the unions with a WFA Guide to impacted employees who received their WFA letter. There is a WFA meeting either on May 16 or 22.

WFA Impact on Members at IRB

At the IRB, Bill C-31 The Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act “PCIS” has the biggest impact on CEIU members. Bill C-31 affects 87 Tribunal Officers in Montréal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Also it touches 11 Clerks in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. The budget also affects 5 members in Ottawa. Members received their letter on April 11.

We are working to protect your rights at work. Your collective agreements contain clear commitments on your rights and employer obligations around workforce adjustment. Your local union representative can help if you have received an ‘affected’ notice, as can your Component, or the PSAC regional office closest to you. We also have an online guide to the WFA and other tools on our web site to ensure you know your rights and options. You are not alone – help is available to you throughout this process.

We know that this government is making the wrong choices at the wrong time. That’s why we are challenging these cuts by ensuring Canadians understand the very real impact on the services they rely upon. We will continue to track the impact of these cuts and we will continue to hold this government accountable for the consequences of its actions.

Some of you are courageously speaking out – in the media and at public events – about the ways that these cuts are affecting your families, communities, and the services you provide. You have the right to speak out on political issues, especially if you hold an elected position within PSAC, and we are committed to protecting your right to tell the truth about your experiences.

We must work together to help our members impacted by these cuts, and we must continue to challenge the attempted dismantling of our public services. These are difficult times. Moving forward, our unity and solidarity will be our greatest strength.

In Solidarity,

John Gordon
National President

We also have support from respected Economists and from your MP’s who were elected by 60% of the Canadian voters, also known as, the Opposition. This support is by way of simply telling the truth about cutting Public Services. This fight is not over, it is just beginning! Let’s get started!

Keep up the good fight!

In Pride and Solidarity,

Paul Croes,
NVP CIC

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada “HRSDC”
Management met on the week of February 13 to discuss the creation of a WFA Union-Management Committee. HRSDC invited the Unions to a first meeting to establish the ToR, but it was delayed for some reasons we are not aware of.  This first meeting was held on March 14. The CEIU Representatives on that committee are: Don Rogers, National President of CEIU, Steve McCuaig National Executive Vice-President, and Luc Pomerleau, National Resources Officer. At the National Union-Management meeting on March 6, Management mentioned also that they will establish WFA regional committees in the West, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic. The NVPs in these regions will be key players on these committees. The National Capital Region “NCR” would be included in the National Committee. For that reason Jacques Perrin, National Vice-President in the NCR, would be part of the National Committee. The Unions agreed to work together to provide the employer with their comments.

Immigration and Refugee Board “IRB”
IRB invited the Unions to a first meeting to establish the ToR. This meeting was held on March 20.  The CEIU Representatives on that committee are: Steve McCuaig National Executive Vice-President, Norm Murray National Vice-President for IRB and Luc Pomerleau, National Resources Officer. Same as with HRSDC, the Unions agreed to work together to provide the employer with their comments.

As written in his response: “these grievances are denied and the corrective measures will not be granted”; and that “HRSDC is committed to providing a work environment where all persons in the workplace are treated with dignity, respect and appreciation”. It is sad to read this response considering Minister Finley’s comments to the Charlottetown Guardian Editor last November, and the fact that HRSDC did not consider her comments as problematic of even disrespectful.

CEIU will forward the case to PSAC for consideration.

InOttawaand elsewhere, CEIU local activists were joined by sister unions and local labour councils in a show of solidarity with federal government workers.

The Harper government has made it clear that it plans to impose cutbacks of up to 10% across government departments, in an attempt to shave between $4 billion and $8 billion off the current deficit. That means up to 100,000 jobs disappearing. And that means a significant loss in vital services to Canadians.

“We’re talking about protection of our environment, food inspection and ensuring that the water we are drinking is safe, tracking of infectious diseases, search and rescue services, safe and secure borders, pensions and other services for seniors, and EI benefits—we believe that those programs and services are valuable to Canadians,” said Jeannie Baldwin, PSAC Regional Executive VP for the Atlantic region, at a rally in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

CEIU/PSAC members across the country questioned the government’s misplaced priorities: corporate tax cuts (which contributed heavily to the current deficit) and massive expenditures on jets and prisons. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, for his part, stated: “We ask the public service to participate in the belt-tightening that the rest of the country has been doing.”

The problem is that not everyone is tightening those belts—although the government is happy to cinch its workers’ belts for them. According to the Conference Board of Canada, the gap between rich and poor inCanadacontinues to widen. In 2011, as cuts were already making themselves felt in EI centres, leading to vast backlogs of benefit applications from unemployed Canadians, corporate profits soared.

“Canada’s deficit could be eliminated by ending the corporate tax cuts that have cost billions of dollars,” said CEIU/PSAC member Andrea Holmes, attending a demonstration inBelleville,Ontario. “These tax cuts were sold to the public on the belief that the private sector would reinvest in the economy and create jobs—which has not happened.”

Meanwhile the government is playing politics with EI offices, closing those in opposition ridings while keeping the ones in Conservative ridings open, and recently moving one out ofRimouskito Conservative MP Christian Paradis’ riding inThetford Mines.

The most vulnerable are, as always, getting the worst of the government’s austerity measures. Service Canada Centres for Youth, tasked with helping students find summer employment to offset their huge tuition debts, are on the chopping block. The Service Canada Job Bank website has been inaccessible for weeks.

Throughout all of this, the government remains unfazed. Speaking of the unprocessed claims in EI offices, Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro stated: “We imagine these backlogs will begin to be addressed.”

Imagination, however, just isn’t enough.  Canadians are already hurting, and the looming cuts will affect countless more. The CEIU/PSAC members who hit the streets on March 1 know from personal experience that public services are vital to communities, both large and small. As involved members of those communities, they are standing up for Canadians everywhere–and CEIU front-line workers are in the forefront of what promises to be a major struggle in the weeks and months ahead.

March 1st Protest; Members from Local 00601 Immigration -

March 1st Protest; Members from Library Square Vancouver

March 1st Protest; members from Local 60254

References:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/despite-poor-growth-corporate-profits-soar/article2092732/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/24/christian-paradis-ei-office-move-ethics-probe_n_1300148.html
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/hot-topics/caninequality.aspx
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1138550–student-summer-job-centres-to-be-axed-by-ottawa
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/02/24/bc-motelbaby.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/01/13/pol-service-canada-closures.html