Professionals Canada
Robert MacDonald
Director, BC-Yukon Region
RE AGM May 3, 2019
Labour issues and trends
- The employment landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift
- Emplyees and contractors moving from job to job among thousands of ununionizable small employers
- Unions are grappling with uncertainties, including threats to the Rand Formula
Realities for workers
- Isolation
- Lack of employment security
- No benefits
- No retirement plans
- Discrimination and harassment
- No professional advice
Professionals Canada Concept
Professionals Canada – Due Diligence
2013 – 2017 - early research and strategic discussions with Board on PC concept.
2017 - 2018 in-depth analysis
- Business plan
- Market research
- Financial projections
- Technical solution
- AGM proposal presented in November 2018
Why Professionals Canada?
- Support workers
- Combat isolation
- Build engagement
- Enhance PIPSC’s profile and influence
- Assist in diversifying PIPSC’s revenues
What is Professionals Canada?
- A new kind of Canadian labour organization, primarily digital and highly interactive
- A community of Canadian professionals
- Serving and supporting non-unionized professionals
- A strong and credible voice for professionals across the public and private sectors, multiple jurisdictions and across a multitude of professional fields
What Professionals Canada is not
- Not a traditional union
- Not an advocate for precarious work
- Not an advocate for privatization
- Not a replacement for PIPSC
- Not able to provide PIPSC-level services
- Not a benefits company
- Not better than PIPSC (or any other union)
- Not a replacement for improving services to PIPSC members
How Professionals Canada works
- Provide a shared space to connect and grow
- Represent members’ concerns at the highest level of government (advocacy)
- Provide professionals and their families access to affordable benefit plans that move with them
- Deliver specialized advice and expert knowledge
Survey and Focus Group Results
- Lack of benefits
- Income security
- Isolation
Professionals Canada Consultation
AGM Directive for Consultation
- At the 2018 Annual General Meeting, Resolution F-4 (Professionals Canada) was referred to the Board of Directors with direction to consult with the Advisory Council on Professionals Canada and provide a report to the 2019 AGM.
Professionals Canada Consultation ROLES
PC Consultation Process
PC Consultation questions and concerns
Governance
- Mandate
- Org Design
Service Offering
- Advocacy
- Benefits
- Growth
- Competition
Contracting Out
- Membership Definition
- PIPSC Values Conflict
- Advocacy
Finances
- Feasibility
- Funding
Due Diligence
- Comparative Data
- Consultation
- Risks
- Target Group
Perception
- Benefit to PIPSC
- Mandate
- Purpose