REPORT BY VICE-PRESIDENT STÉPHANE AUBRY

Presented at the 99th Annual General Meeting

I have been mainly focused on Phoenix and the problems it has caused for our members. We have continued to pressure the government, especially the ministers in charge of PSPC and the Treasury Board Secretariat, to put a sustainable solution in place in a timely manner. Our President, Debi Daviau, is PIPSC’s spokesperson and she has regularly given interviews to the media. This is in addition to all of the representations she has made directly to government officials. Almost every pay week, I was approached by Radio-Canada and other francophone media outlets for interviews to complement the coverage. We kept the Phoenix issue alive in the media, which helped push the government to implement some concrete solutions and agree to work together with us to replace Phoenix. But the story is not over yet, because we are also seeking compensation for the harm caused to us by this fiasco and to include some provisions for prevention in future collective agreements. #NixPhoenix

I must recognize the excellent work you have all done to help each of our members who were affected by the pay system. This includes our employment relations officers, our research teams, our legal and communications staff and, of course, our network of Stewards.

The Better Together team, for which I am responsible, was involved in organizing many events across the country. We set up and helped organize information booths, distributed brochures, organized demonstrations and walks for official days such as Labour Day and gay pride events, and arranged Public Service Week activities. Of course, the Better Together team was behind most of the rallies to denounce the failures of the Phoenix pay system. We also attended over a hundred events organized by activists across the country.

Our team is getting accustomed to digital tools. We are using NationBuilder, a mobilization and communication tool that has helped us set up our first electronic campaigns, including emails to MPs, surveys and a kit for activists. It is also being used to mobilize RCMP members. NationBuilder will be used in future to send all of PIPSC’s digital correspondence, in an attractive format, instead of the good old emails that started with “The purpose of this email is to provide an update on . . . click here.” It’s making a world of difference!

As Vice-President, I am obviously a member of the PIPSC Board of Directors. The Board is constantly looking at how to improve the organization’s operations and management/leadership structure in order to continue to offer excellent services to our members. PIPSC is recognized by our partners in the labour field as a major player. The actions we take in partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress and the Fédération des Travailleuses et Travailleurs du Québec (FTQ) are paying off and giving us a stronger voice to improve working conditions for all Canadians. Whether it’s to establish universal pharmacare, obtain minimum wage to provide the necessities of life for workers, enhance the Canada Pension Plan, defend defined-benefit pension plans, or demand that the government fix Phoenix, our united voices are forcing change. We must continue to stand up for professionalism and expertise in Canada, and remind governments and employers to invest in their human resources. Better together!

Lastly, this has been another busy year for us all. I am only part-time, but my substantive-position supervisor knows how dedicated I am to by the sheer number of hours I spend away from the office. All of this time has allowed me to make progress on the issues I am working on, while promoting union values and defending member interests.

It has been a privilege and an honour to serve you again this year. Feel free to contact me with any comments or questions. I am always connected somewhere. Aubry.S@pipsc.ca, twitter @StephAubry_GF, facebook.com/stephane.aubry.GF.

Stéphane Aubry

National Vice-President