SAC Meeting Minutes - May 23, 2025

Present:

Regret:

Matthew MacLeod - RE - NCR - Chair
Foster Scott - CFIA-VM - ONT - Member
Robert Lambert - SP - ATL - Member
Terri D’Souza - CFIA-S&A - B.C. - Yukon - Member
M. Rokib Hassan - NCR-RO/RCO - NCR - Member
Ira Hill - SP - Prairies, NWT - Member
Caroline Levasseur - SP - QC - Member
Timothy McKay - CP - Board Liaison
Lionel Siniyunguruza - PIPSC - Staff Resource
Marielle Nadon - PIPSC - Staff Resource

Guests:

1.Call to Order 

Matt welcomes all the SAC members and explains that PIPSC is running a test with their AV system for this meeting. Each member introduces themselves and their work. 

Matt presents the agenda, everyone is in favor of the agenda without change. Matt moves the agenda and gets seconded by Ira. Agenda accepted.

2.Approval of March Meeting Minutes & Business Arising

Matt shows the meeting minutes and everyone reviews them. Some specific numbers have been included in the latest meeting minutes which Matt asked Marielle to change as it’s not available to be published yet. The changes are now reflected in the meeting minutes presented today.

He proceeds to move the meeting minutes to be approved, seconded by Terri. Minutes accepted.

Marielle to send them to the PIPSC translation team.

3.Science/Research Survey Update (Lionel & Matt)

Lionel will talk with the SP Executive in June. He will have more updates at the next meeting.

Matt presses that PIPSC covers a lot of types of scientists and researchers and that it’s important to cover everyone’s experiences. 

4.SI Policies & Governance Committee (Matt & Lionel)

4.1 Trainings on scientific integrity

They started to work on these training before the pandemic. It got derailed until 2023 where they did 3 sessions for stewards - 2 English and 1 French. They opened the training to a wider group of steward lasts year. The engagement went differently but Matt said it was worthwhile. 

They also started to train EROs in February-March. In the case management system for grievances EROs are now able to add tags related to scientific integrity - soon it will be possible to see the magnitude of the Scientific Policy Integrity complaints and address them.

4.2 Model Scientific Integrity Policy 2.0

Matt presented a briefing note to be sent to the PIPSC President from the SAC Committee, outlining our concerns with the proposed “Model Scientific Integrity Policy 2.0” (mSIP 2.0).

As context, Matt went through  the latest draft of mSIP 2.0 from the Office of the Chief Science Advisor (OCSA) including comments and suggested changes from PIPSC. s. He then presents the recommended courses of actions in the briefing note  to take suggestions from the team. 

Matt to emphasize the science survey result in the recommendations. Lionel suggests to add ‘Request confirmation from TBS that they will continue in their role on the tri-party committee.’’ 

Moved by Terri and seconded by Caroline. Everyone voted in favour of endorsing the briefing note as amended.

5.PIPSC AGM (Terri)

At the 2024 PIPSC AGM, the SAC Committee had a booth, swags to distribute and two tablets where you could calculate your footprints to come to the AGM. Terri felt that people were more brought by the tablets than the swag. She also stated that the location of their booth was in a quiet hallway. 

Rokib suggests offering swag to the Executive members to increase visibility. 

Caroline states that a scarf would be a good idea as the AGM is in December and there won’t be any confusion around the size. 

Matt will talk with Eric Hortop to see what the Science Strategic Bargaining Committee is looking at - they often have good ideas and connection with suppliers. As the SAC doesn’t directly have ‘members’ in the same way as a constituent body, it would make sense to cooperate with the science Groups to reach members.

PIPSC generally has feedback surveys after each AGM, Terri would like to have access to the answers and see if members appreciated their booths. 

The AGM Team will send out a deadline by the end of summer.

6.Discussion on current/upcoming threats to federal science 

6.1 US status and knock-on effects on collaboration

Ira shares that a lot of trips to the US are cancelled because nobody feels safe enough to go there and the collaboration with US scientists are impacted. They are also muzzled by their own administration. 

Matt noted that at least three times since 2016, the liberal government has applied cuts to federal public service travel in the federal budget 

Rokib observes that in his department, sometimes not all scientists can travel for a project due to travel budget restrictions which impact their opportunities for promotions. Matt noted that those most likely to self-select out of travel to the US are 2SLGBTQI+, racialized, or working on topics about those communities - groups who already tend to fall behind in promotion rates. He has expressed concern about this to his departmental Chief Science Advisor and management.

7.Round Table & Next Meeting

Terri: No update except that the regional council will be in June

Ira: Nothing to add

Foster: No update

Caroline: There is a pilot laboratory in construction for people with disabilities to have access to a lab. A lot of issues are related to career advancement - they aren’t hiring new and young people who will take over their projects. There is no career progression and that makes these positions less interesting for people to apply. 

Rob: Meteorologists’ office may no longer be staffed 24/7 and they are concerned when severe weather happens at night. Travel and conference budgets are also an issue. Meteorologists are hired, trained and aren’t sent where we would need them to be due to travel costs. 

Rokib: not present during the round table

Next meeting will be on June 27, 2025.