We are happy to announce that we have come to an agreement with the CFIA on all Regulatory Science (SR) job descriptions.
Members have identified concerns with their job descriptions dating back to 2015. Today’s announcement marks an important victory in resolving these issues.
Process
PIPSC and management representatives have been collaborating on a Joint Consultation Committee (JCC) to research and rewrite job descriptions. Randomly selected PIPSC members provided feedback through an online questionnaire last year. More feedback was collected from past grievance campaigns, members who volunteered to review management’s proposal, and analysis done by PIPSC CFIA-S&A stewards.
PIPSC presented over a thousand pages of comments to the employer. We then sat down with each of the Branch Management Representatives to identify ways to adapt members’ suggestions on their Job Description to work with the employer’s Job Description Writing Guide and Organizational Design Strategy.
As a result of these efforts, we are confident these job descriptions reflect the diverse work being done by members across the CFIA.
While we did not always have the same initial vision or phrasing, we were able to reach mutually satisfactory outcomes on each and every issue. We even helped create two new specialized positions that better reflect members’ work.
Desk audits and classification
We continue to work with the JCC and other management representatives to identify strategies to best approach mapping – confirming that members have the correct job titles and classifications. While our role is limited by legislation, both PIPSC and management recognize the importance of a comprehensive, transparent process.
We are seeking an advisory role during classification that might include identifying key individuals and worksites during the proposed desk audit process. During a desk audit, the employer observes an employee’s work to better understand what their job description means in practice.
We are also exploring a framework where we can provide information and analysis to support the employer’s classification decision-making process.
Understanding that COVID-19 presents new challenges, we hope to have more information on the employer’s process and timelines in the coming month or so. We will also provide you with a guide to desk audits so that you can present your work accurately.
Information sessions
Once this process is completed, which may take several months, PIPSC and the CFIA will be co-hosting information sessions for each of the branches. These sessions will explain the new job description wording, interpretation, and construction – which can be rather technical and generic.
At this point, we will also ask if members have any concerns with their job titles and classifications so that we can resolve them quickly via the JCC. This forum may also allow us to resolve outstanding grievance files.