Introduction - New President of Consultation
Greetings, my name is Dean Corda and I was appointed as the President for your PIPSC National Consultation Team for ESDC in January 2024. I’ve been employed by the department since 2001 and I have spent the entirety of my career there in CS, now IT-classified positions. My work as a Steward began in 2005 and I have been involved in consultation since 2008. I look forward to advancing our goals in making ESDC a better place in which to work. Please feel free to get in touch with me via email at dcorda@pipsc.ca or through our Consultation Team General Delivery box at ESDCConsultation@pipsc.ca.
Time Off with Pay for Medical/Dental
The flexibility of managers has been extended when dealing with this type of leave. There may be cases where the appointment is periodic but not routine, yet could still qualify as being diagnostic and preventative in nature. Examples of this could include an appointment for a blood test, colonoscopy, eye exam, or a mammogram. If you are denied this type of leave by your manager, you can direct them to the appropriate iService page in the Labour Relations section or contact a PIPSC Steward.
Your collective agreement has, or will very soon, contain a Letter of Agreement between PIPSC and Treasury Board which will require all departments to create a Review Panel for telework-related grievances heading to the third level. The panel will consist of two representatives from PIPSC and two from management. Usage of the panel will be optional and upon the request of an employee. We are still negotiating the Terms of Reference for this panel.
My name is Daniel Shen (Shih-Ho), I’m the new communication officer for the ESDC Consultation team. My prime responsibility is managing and organizing our team drive and to handle all communication in and out of the ESDC Consultation Team GD mailbox; esdcconsultation@pipsc.ca
Additional AS Positions within IITB
We raised concerns around the hiring of AS positions being used to do the work previously done by IT members. Initial discussions occurred regarding the amount of time it takes to pack/unpack and ship equipment, including receipt of RVDs. There was an agreement that this is not technical work and uses valuable time required for technical onsite support, while eroding the skill set of our members.
We are aware of the reduction of onsite support technicians in areas across the country where the number of clients far exceeds a rational ratio to number of technicians. We challenged the employer to reduce the burden of work on our members and ensure areas are resourced based on the number of clients being served. While IITB continues to define a plan for service to clients and develop initiatives to address this inadequacy, we remain diligent in our message that these changes need to come quickly. It is important our members do not suffer burn out and added stress while waiting for a response.
In November of 2024, TBS announced the movement of cloud responsibility from Federal departments to Shared Services Canada, (SSC) as per the GC Cloud Strategy from Cloud First to Cloud Smart. The announcement made it clear that resources from departments that have their own Cloud infrastructure will move to SSC. During discussions with IITB we requested details around the impact to IT members within ESDC. Senior Management within IITB have begun work on an operating model, with a focus to ensure the business side is not impacted by this change. As of this writing the number and type of resources moving to SSC has not been finalized. Peter Littlefield, CIO anticipates there will still be a Cloud presence in ESDC. We have advised the employer we want to be involved in this process and consulted prior to any decision making.
There are a number of grievances ongoing related to the breach of information experienced by the MA’s when our information was pulled from GEDS to third party sites. While a settlement has been offered, there is no full resolution as yet.
The return to the office in any capacity remains a vital concern amongst the MA community who have been granted a further year of predominantly offsite work. The MACs have been participating in the hybrid work model since early 2023.
At the national consultation level, we continue to push for a realistic, inclusive, national productivity tool encompassing all the factors affecting MA productivity. Although there was some hope of this being discussed seriously earlier in 2023, there has been no progress. We also continue to extoll the merits of having nurse service managers to manage the MA’s. The current structure of MACs and managers attempting to assist an individual MA who is struggling is fragmented and difficult. This also has gained little traction.
While we hear there is a high level departmental action plan to manage the backlog and service delivery standards, PIPSC was not consulted on this issue. There have been few formal announcements forthcoming but rumors abound. There is a plan to hire 24 new MA’s in the WT in Q1.
MA’s continue to experience issues with Phoenix involving overpayments and underpayments. It is distressing to hear that the acceptable service standard for processing interdepartmental transfers is 18 months! Also, remember that there is a six year limit on overpayment collection from the the first notification of the overpayment. For example, if the overpayment occurred in 2016 and your first notification was 2023, the collection is statute barred.There is a dedicated team at PIPSC to assist with these matters and they can be reached at phoenix-help@pipsc.ca. Please reach out to a steward or this Phoenix team if you experience issues.
Farewell Address – Past President PIPSC ESDC Consultation
It is with some sadness that I take my leave of both ESDC and our Consultation Team as I will have retired on April 30, 2024.
It has been 25 years since I first began consulting on behalf of PIPSC at the local level. Over the years my progress brought me to consult at the Regional Level in Ontario and ultimately at the national level as Vice-president of PIPSC ESDC Consultation and finally as President for the past 10 years, my term ending in January of 2024.
I have witnessed many changes over those years and many events that have impacted on this department and our members. The growth of automation brought an exponential increase in the number of IT workers in ESDC and subsequently the creation of Shared Services Canada saw an exodus of members and stewards to the new department. The SERLO process of the Harper Deficit Reduction Action Plan saw many of our members leave both the department and government service to be replaced throughout the ensuing years.
Our consultation structure changed substantially with the reclassification of Medical Adjudicators to NU positions and representation by PIPSC. This influx of new members brought a new perspective and the drive to ensure that their interests became key to our way forward.
Our consultation structure has always been dynamic and reflected the shift in our member representation.
Our team has always demonstrated a keen desire to protect our members and the professionalism of our union.
I am proud of what we have achieved over the past 25 years and thankful to all those I have worked with in consultation with our employer.
Thank you to all who have supported our efforts, worked to common goals and understood the meaning of true consultation.
I will miss you, the work and the camaraderie of a team of dedicated unionists.
Until we meet again.
Stan Buday
Past President
PIPSC ESDC Consultation