CFIA-IN NEWSLETTER/AGM NOTICE – May 2023

IN GROUP EXECUTIVE

PIPSC WEBSITE

To get an update of ongoing PIPSC CFIA-IN issues or meeting minutes, please visit our website at https://pipsc.ca/groups/cfia-in.

While browsing, also take a look at our ServicePlus member benefits program and take advantage of several benefits offered by various partners. For more details, follow the link https://www.serviceplusgroup.ca/.                  

2020 CFIA-IN GROUP BURSARY

Due to the pandemic CFIA-IN did not have a draw in 2021 or 2022. The draw for the 2020 CFIA-IN bursaries took place in the spring of 2020 shortly after we had to cancel the planned AGM. The names of all eligible applicants were placed in a container and names were randomly chosen. We are pleased to announce the First draw for $500 Winner: Jean-Michel Grenier’s daughter Kethia Chiba Ndamuso. The second draw for $250 Winner: Warren Hagar’s daughter Helen Hagar.

If you have any questions regarding the CFIA-IN bursary, please contact one of the Executive members.

2023 CFIA-IN GROUP BURSARY

It is now time to send your entries for the annual bursary for the 2022-2023 scholastic year. This bursary will cover the school year that will end in May or June 2023. Eligible applicants are children of Regular/Retired members in good standing or of members who were in good standing at time of death, as long as the member is part of the IN Group or was part of the IN Group at the time of death. Children of RAND deductees are NOT eligible. 

Applicants may enter any year of post-secondary education, in a full-time post-secondary program at an educational institution. This institution must be a member of the AUCC or AICC and includes CÉGEPs. 

Eligible applicants must offer the CFIA-IN Executive the following information:

-  Proof of attendance at an accepted post-secondary educational institution for either the Fall of 2022 or the Spring of 2023 Semester is required.

Please note that proof of attendance is not required in order to apply for this scholarship. However, the winner will be required to submit his proof of attendance before the bursary is handed out. 

All entries must be received by end of day, June 30th, 2023. Entries must be sent by e-mail to Alain Parent (alain.parent@inspection.gc.ca).

The draw will be held in July. The names of all eligible applicants will be placed in a container and a name will be randomly chosen. The winning names may be included in a future CFIA-IN newsletter. 

BARGAINING

Our Collective Agreement expired May 31, 2022 and we filed the Notice to Bargain with the employer to maintain the collective agreement. Negotiations with the CFIA have not yet begun but we hope to do so soon.

The Institute’s 18 Treasury Board bargaining Groups have been working together in this round at a Central Bargaining Table that has negotiated some issues common to all PIPSC members.

Building on the PIPSC Central Table, there will be a CFIA Central Table with the IN Group and the CFIA S&A and VM Groups. Our CFIA-IN Bargaining Members at the Central Table are Alain Parent and Spencer Underwood. In addition to these two central tables, issues specific to the IN Group will be negotiated separately.

Your CFIA-IN bargaining team has met twice this year with the CFIA-S&A and CFIA-VM teams and the negotiators for the 3 groups. We discussed issues common to all 3 groups and the negotiators will review the results of the bargaining survey.

Your current bargaining team consists of:

Don Kenny, Filomena Tittarelli, Alain Parent and Spencer Underwood.

PIPSC negotiators are Denise Doherty-Delorme and Robert Séguin.

STEWARDS

Our union steward are volunteers who represent and defend the interests of his or her fellow employees. We are always looking to recruit Stewards for the CFIA-IN group. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your terms and conditions of work, please contact any one of the stewards listed below. Considering the growth in the number of CSs, we are seeking more volunteers for Stewards in the regions as well. Steward training is provided by PIPSC for those who wish to step up and become involved. Currently our Stewards are as follows:

Spencer Underwood, Chief Steward - NCR, Donald Kenny – NCR, Alain Parent – Saint-Hyacinthe, Houman Vafaie – NCR

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

We held the CFIA-IN Group’s Annual General Meeting on May 24, 2023. This was the first in-person AGM since 2019 due to the pandemic. You can consult the agenda on the CFIA-IN Group page on the PIPSC website. At our AGM, we held an information session with our negotiators, Denise Doherty-Delorme, Robert Séguin, and PIPSC Economist, Ryan Campbell. (Upload AGM Agenda to the PIPSC website and link it to the word “agenda”. This document contains the French and the English agendas)

CHANGE IN EXECUTIVE

During the pandemic, Houman Vafaie stepped back from the role of President and was replaced by Don Kenny. We want to thank Houman for all his work in the past and thank him for remaining on the Executive as a member-at-large. Alain Parent, a former executive and bargaining member, has stepped in and has taken on a larger role. As you can see above, we have two vacant positions on the Executive. We want to encourage anyone interested to put their name forward. It is not necessary to be a Steward to be on the Executive.

RECRUITMENT CALL!

We currently have vacant positions and succession planning is always a priority. It is extremely important that some new members stand for election to fill these positions.

Whether you are interested in a higher profile position or would prefer to just be involved in meetings and decisions affecting the IN Group, you are welcome to submit your name. Elected members to the CFIA-IN Executive select their officers by an internal vote as to who holds which office. If you have any questions on what participation in the Executive entails, reach out to any member of the Executive.

Thank you for your continued support,

Your Executive, Don, Alain, Filomena, and Spencer.