From the President’s Desk
Dear Members,
I hope all of you enjoyed the Holiday period with family and friends and were able to get some rest. As we enter 2025, I know many of you feel some level of uncertainty as the Return to Office and Refocusing Government Spending Initiatives continue to progress. All this in face of a looming Federal Election with results that will most certainly have major impacts on the Federal Public Service in the years to come.
Amid all those changes, I’m reassured by the fact that PIPSC now has a renewed Board of Directors and President ready to tackle the challenges coming ahead and ensure best value for our members. Moreover, the modest dues increased approved at the 2024 PIPSC AGM, the first since 2017 will ensure financial stability of the Institute as we enter what looks like a tumultuous period where the public service and our members will be under attack.
The NR Group also had a recent election that saw a good mix of experienced members as well as new members elected to the NR Executive. I would especially like to congratulate Thuc Van Quan, member of the NR PSPC Sub-Group for her election as an NCR Representative and Secretary. The renewed executive is now well equipped to take on challenges forthcoming in 2025 with focus on starQuting the preparations for the next round of collective bargaining.
On December 3, 2024, your Sub-Group hosted it’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in person, a first since the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was a good occasion for members to discuss current issues and priorities. We welcomed two new members to the Sub-Group Executive: Jean-François Leboeuf & Jérémie Maillet-Leblanc. I would also like to thank the executive members that resigned over the last year for their service and dedication to the Institute: Megan Beange, Ranya El-Sadawy & James LeBlanc. We still have one vacancy to fill on the Sub-Group Executive. If this is of interest to you or if you would like to discuss what the role entails, please contact me.
I would also like to congratulate our colleague Luc Généreux, Member-at-large with the Sub-Group who was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The Coronation Medal was created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, which took place on May 6, 2023. To be eligible for this honour, a person must
have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region of, or community in, Canada.
I hope to see all of you at an upcoming event and don’t hesitate to come and greet me if you see me in the workplace. Feel free to write to me, I would love to hear from you.
In Solidarity,
Charles Nellis (he/him), PMP, LEED Green Associate
cnellis@pipsc.ca
(613) 793-4099
Vacancy on NR PSPC Executive
There is currently a vacancy on the NR PSPC Executive for a one-year term. If you are interested, please submit a short statement of interest cnellis@pipsc.ca.
NR PSPC Sub-Group AGM & Elections
The PSCP NR NCR Sub-Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, in person at The Bridge Public House. Our Guest Speaker was Gary Corbett, the NR Group President who talked about the priorities of the NR Group. We also had the presence of several NCR Representatives of the NR Executive including John Eng, Tim Kirby, David Young and Yves Cousineau.
During the AGM, we also held our Elections that were chaired by Robert Porter who graciously accepted to volunteer in that capacity. The following individuals were acclaimed to a one-year term to fill vacancies that occurred during the past year:
- Jean-François Leboeuf
- Jérémie Maillet-Leblanc
On Thursday, January 16, 2024, the Executive members elected the officer positions of the Sub-Group Executive. The following individuals were acclaimed in their respective positions:
- President: Charles Nellis
- Vice-President: Cameron Smith
- Treasurer: Thuc Van Quan
- Secretary: Vacant
The PSPC NR Sub-Group Executive is looking forward to a productive year working on behalf of our members. You can find out contact information for all members of the Sub-Group Executive here.
NR Group News
NR Elections Results
The NR election committee has verified the results for the 2024 elections where 374 ballots were cast in the election. The following candidates have been elected to the NR executive, and will take office immediately:
- Michael Pauley – Atlantic Representative (2-year term)
- Nathaniel Cziranka-Crooks – Quebec Representative (2-year term)
- Gary Corbett – NCR Representative (2-year term)
- John Eng – NCR Representative (2-year term)
- Glen Schjerning – NCR Representative (2-year term)
- Thuc Van Quan – NCR Representative (2-year term)
Congratulations to the newly elected executive committee members and a big thanks to all the candidates. Our group relies on the contributions of volunteers to advance the interests of members like you.
If you have any questions about the election, please contact Thompsonaaron24@gmail.com.
NR Fall Newsletter
The latest edition of the NR Fall 2024 newsletter is available.
Highlights include:
- President’s note
- Recent NR Meetings
- Update on NR Logo Development
Download the pdf version of the Newsletter here.
PIPSC News
Progress Made, but the NJC Dental Plan is Still Second Fiddle in TBS's Eyes
The National Joint Council bargaining agents have concluded discussions with the Treasury Board regarding the long-awaited review of its public service dental care plan. While we welcome the upcoming changes set to take effect on January 1st, 2025 and thank the Treasury Board for their receptiveness to bring in some major improvement, we are disappointed to see they continue to treat this plan as an afterthought and imposed a plan without the sign off of Bargaining Agents.
The revised dental care plan does include several enhancements that will benefit public service employees and their families. These changes are the result of sustained advocacy led by PIPSC with our partners from other federal unions. The major changes speak to the importance of union representation in ensuring fair and meaningful improvements for our members. We are encouraged by these developments and recognize the positive impact they will have on dental care access and affordability for public servants, but disappointed in how the process was managed.
It is incredibly disheartening to see the Treasury Board’s continued reluctance to treat the NJC plan as a priority. Despite the value and significance of this plan to thousands of public service workers, it remains evident that the Treasury Board regards the NJC dental care plan as a secondary matter to the PSAC plan - a plan negotiated through collective bargaining rather than consultation. This second-tier status undermines the importance of a benefits program that is fundamental to employee well-being and morale.
As we move forward, PIPSC and the NJC will continue to monitor the implementation of the new plan and hold the Treasury Board accountable for its responsibilities to public service employees.
While we celebrate the improvements secured through our efforts, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for fair and comprehensive benefits for all public service workers, and equal treatment of benefit plans.
2024 PIPSC National Elections Results
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all candidates for their courage, dedication, and commitment in participating in this year’s National Election. Your willingness to step forward, share your vision, and represent our collective values is truly inspiring. Each of you has contributed to a more vibrant and inclusive election, and your efforts do not go unnoticed. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to making a difference for our members and the future of our organization.
Congratulations to the following candidates who have been elected to the PIPSC Board of Directors:
President
- Sean O’Reilly
Vice-President (full-time)
- Stéphanie Fréchette
- Katie Francis
Vice-President (part-time)
- David Sutherland
- Eva Henshaw
BC/Yukon Regional Director
- Morgan Cranny
Prairie/Northwest Territories Regional Director
- Katy Windl
Ontario Regional Director
- John Purdie
National Capital Regional Director
- Suzanne O'Brien
- Nabila Hadibi
- Keelia LaFreniere
- Tim MacKay
Quebec Regional Director
- Benoit Pelletier
Atlantic Regional Director
- Mark Bellefleur
Advisory Council Director
- Chris Roach
They took office on January 1, 2025, for a 3-year term.
PIPSC Legacy Foundation
The Legacy Foundation is committed to supporting the next generation of professionals. The foundation’s sole purpose is to support the education of deserving young people across Canada.
The mission of the Legacy Foundation is to promote the intertwined values of professionalism and service, both to community and to country. This mission is accomplished by awarding scholarships for post-secondary education.
The pursuit of knowledge is a cornerstone value for PIPSC. We have always understood the importance of education to our members and to Canadian society.
Through the generous donations of our PIPSC community and corporate sponsors, the foundation has generated more than a million dollars in scholarships for young Canadians.
Consider making a donation to the Legacy Foundation or find out more on how your children or grand-children can apply for this scholarship.
Understanding work force adjustment
A work force adjustment (WFA) situation arises when the service of an employee is no longer required because of:
- Lack of work
- Discontinuance of a function
- A relocation of a work unit where the employee does not wish to relocate
- An alternative delivery initiative
In some situations, only specific positions are involved in a WFA, while in other cases the adjustment may involve entire work sections, functions or departments.
The primary objective of WFA is to ensure continued employment.
- Continued employment does not necessarily mean continuation of work in the same or a similar position, or occupational group; accordingly, employees must not assume that their new job will be identical or similar to the vacated position.
PIPSC has prepared the following FAQ to help understand WFA. We have no indications that a WFA is being prepared at PSPC at this time.
ServicePlus
ServicePlus is your member benefits program where you can take advantage of preferential rates, discounts and savings on a variety of products and services available exclusively to members such insurance, retail, travel services, medical services, entertainment and many more. Make sure to check the website often as new partners and promotions appear regularly.
ServicePlus has partnered with an innovative Canadian company to bring you something that helps both today you and future you.
MedNow is a fully licensed online pharmacy with truly exceptional pricing, (we checked), service and a network of pharmacies that can usually get your medications to you the same day. They offer a secure, simple to use app and website for ordering, optional automatic refills and renewals and a proprietary PillSmart system at no extra cost to make daily medications easy to take and hard to forget.
“But why?” you might ask, your medications are covered by your health insurance through your employer.
Well, first of all, costs will go down with Mednow, which is good.
Rising healthcare costs affect us all, so beyond being the right thing to do, reducing overall plan costs on medication means that there can be more money available for other services.
Update your Contact Information
Have you recently moved or changed your phone number? Or just unsure if we have the most recent contact information? If so, please ensure to Update your Contact Information. If you receive communication from PIPSC on a professional email address, please consider changing it to your personal email. Our emails are often blocked by the employer’s email system.
If you have colleagues that are currently not a member of PIPSC or new employees within your team, please make sure to share this link to sign up with them. New employees are not automatically members of PIPSC, they must sign up.
More PISPC News
Stay current on the latest News & Issues that is of concern to PIPSC visiting this web page.
Upcoming Sub-Group Events
You Sub-Group Executive is very excited to present of series of events this coming year, both virtual and in person. Separate invitations will be sent by email for each of them, please ensure to check your inbox and register.
- Lunch & Learn with Sean O’Reilly, President of PIPSC – Virtual – Spring 2025
- Retirement Information Session – Virtual - Fall 2025
- Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Virtual – December 2, 2025
If you have any ideas for events that you would like to see or help organize, let us know.
We need your help!
We always need help to organize events and conduct other initiatives for the Sub-Group. Members can also attend our monthly Executive Meetings as observers to learn more about Union Business and contribute to their Sub-Group. If this is of interest to you, please reach out to cnellis@pipsc.ca
We are also always looking for Stewards to join our team to support members in the workplace. We are especially looking for Stewards that come from equity seeking groups including women, visual minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous individuals, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community. If this is of interest to you, please consult this link and don’t hesitate to reach to a fellow Steward to get a better understanding of the role and determine if it suits you.
We are also in need of volunteers to become members of local Occupational Health & Safety Committees as PIPSC Representatives. This is a great way to become more familiar with an important aspect of the workplace and contribute improve the safety of the workplace in collaboration with management. Please note that you can only become a member of the Committee of your official place of work. Training is available and offered by the Employer. Please reach out to cnellis@pipsc.ca if interested.
Your Feedback
If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact anyone on the sub-group executive. We also look forward to your suggestions for lunch-and-learns, or any other type of event that would benefit the members of our sub-group.
If you require representation services or would like some advice on a situation arising in the workplace, please contact one of our stewards as soon as possible.