We hear from many members about issues affecting researchers in your department. This helps us plan our bargaining strategy. However, it is critical that you raise your concerns not only with us but also with your departmental consultation team.
|
I am an RE member and I have an issue with my working conditions. Who can I ask for support? Why is it important to raise issues when they come up?
|
How to find your Consultation Team
Consultation teams are listed by organization on the PIPSC website. Larger departments often have many representatives assigned to specific regions or portfolios, but at minimum, there will be a PIPSC staff contact person.
Teams meet at least twice yearly with Deputy Heads and others to proactively raise workplace issues and seek solutions. Issues won't get resolved if they do not hear about them from RE members in their departments.
Our Career Development Article gives the Employer specific responsibilities to develop and consult on conference attendance and professional assignments through these committees. Our earlier bulletin describes what to do if you are denied conference attendance.
When to contact your steward
Enforcing the collective agreement happens department by department and agency by agency. The collective agreement is only words on a page if we don’t put pressure on our managers to implement it. The two main mechanisms for that are Union-Management Consultation and, if that fails, filing grievances.
Unfortunately, even if we have the best language in our agreement and even if senior managers are actively consulting, some managers will not always respect the agreement. In these cases, we need to enforce the agreement by filing grievances. If you have tried everything else, please contact a department steward for help filing a grievance.
When to contact the RE Group Executive
If there are no RE stewards in your department and your local steward needs help understanding or interpreting our specific articles, they can reach out to the RE Group Executive, but it is the stewards in your department who will represent you and also raise the broader concerns to management through consultation.
If we want to demonstrate to the Employer that we need change, we need your help identifying the issues. Through collective action, we can work together to make positive change for RE members across the core public service.