VAC NUMCC Minutes - November 3, 2017

MEETING MINUTES

NATIONAL LABOUR-MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION COMMITTEE (NLMCC)
VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA (VAC)
and
ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN FINANCIAL OFFICERS (ACFO)
ASSOCIATION OF JUSTICE COUNSEL (AJC)
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES (CAPE)
PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF CANADA (PIPSC)
Friday, November 3, 2017
Ottawa, ON

Chairperson:

W.J. Natynczyk, General (Retired) Deputy Minister, VAC

In attendance:

Management:

Walter Natynczyk Deputy Minister

Karen Ellis Associate Deputy Minister

Michel Doiron Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery (ADM SD)

Elizabeth Stuart Assistant Deputy Minister, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services (ADM CFOCS)

Bernard Butler Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Commemoration (teleconference)

Charlotte Bastien a/Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Oversight and Communications (ADM SOC)

Anthony Saez Executive Director and Chief Pensions Advocate, Bureau of Pensions Advocates (BPA)

Sheri Ostridge Director General, Audit and Evaluation (DG AE)

Cyd Courchesne DG Health Professionals & Chief Medical Officer

Kiran Hanspal Director General, Human Resources (DGHR)

Youssef Mani Senior Director, Human Resources Strategy & Program Design

Mary Beth Larter Corporate Labour Relations Consultant

Bargaining Agents:

Doreen Weatherbie Consultation President for VAC, PIPSC

Susan Betournay Field Nursing Services Officer Representative, PIPSC

Dr. Sharon Thackeray Medical Representative, PIPSC

Gail Quinn NU-EMA Representative, PIPSC

Barry Hébert Employment Relations Officer, PIPSC

Lionel Dionne Labour Relations Officer, AJC

Sandy Anderson CS Representative, PIPSC

Regrets

Mireille Vallière Labour Relations Officer, CAPE

Grant Boland Labour Relations Officer, ACFO

1. Welcoming Remarks

The Associate Deputy Minister welcomed all to the meeting, in particular Charlotte Bastien as the acting Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Oversight and Communications and Lionel Dionne, a Labour Relations/Research Officer with the Associate Justice of Counsel, both new members of the committee. On behalf of the Deputy Minister and the Minister she thanked everyone for their dedication and support. She recognized the immense success that resulted from the INVICTUS games in Toronto, including the True Patriot Love conference on Military and Veteran Families, the annual Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum and the Veteran’s Career Summit. She further recognized the successful commemorative events that have taken place for Vimy and Dieppe this past year.

The Associate Deputy Minister explained that, given the many priorities of the Department this year, there was significant pressure put on the budget which, if left unchecked, would have resulted in overspending. To ensure this did not occur, senior management went through a belt tightening exercise and discretionary spending/priorities were deferred.

She recognized the many issues staff have had to deal with relating to their pay and benefits and provided assurance that senior management was very committed to improving the situation by doing what can be done within VAC. She closed by thanking all staff for their hard work and support for our Veterans and their families.

The Consultation President for VAC, PIPSC welcomed new faces to the table and recognized all of the hard work and tenacity of employees over the past year. She advised that she recently became a trained Joint Learning Program Facilitator for the Harassment-Free Workplace Workshop.

2. Approval of Agenda

Agenda approved.

3. Approval of Minutes from May 3, 2017 and Review of Action Items

The minutes from the May 3, 2017 meeting were approved.

The action items from May 3, 2017 were reviewed. The following action items remain under “Old Business” for further follow up:

Action Item: ADM SD provided clarification through the action items from the last meeting that the new Disability Adjudicators hired as of April 20, 2017 were NU EMA’s (13 hires). PIPSC requested clarification on the location of these hires.

Action Item: Meeting Structure and Timelines: PIPSC no longer wishes to combine meetings with UVAE. Explore option of additional meeting each year with Professional groups.

Action Item: The ADM CFOCS looked into concerns about the layout of some of the new area offices (exam room opens into reception) and provided an update. ADM to ensure the medical standards provided by PIPSC and Dr. Cyd Courchesne are considered and reflected in the General Fit-Up Standard Manual.

Action Item: ADM SD to ensure briefing is provided to Field Nursing Service Officers’ on Long Term Care Strategy

Action Item: ADM CFOCS to provide number of CS’ hired for the following periods:

April 1, 2016 – March 31, 2017

April 1, 2017 – September 30, 2017

4. Branch Updates

Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services (CFOCS)

The ADM CFOCS provided a brief update on her division, as many of the agenda items for the meeting fall under her branch later in the meeting. She advised that the Integrated Planning and Reporting Directorate moved to the Strategic Oversight and Communications Branch to better align with priorities. The ADM CFOCS advised that a very detailed update from the HR Division would be shared later but indicated that over the next three months there would be significant changes within the division as about 27 employees were seconded to PSPC. She indicated that this has assisted with the budget concerns but has left the division with a capacity issue. The ADM CFOCS provided an update on career development for the Computer System (CS) group, indicating that management are responsible to support employees and employees are responsible to show initiative regarding their career goals and work with management to achieve them. She advised that the Security Services Unit continues to complete Lockdown Drill exercises across the country and that all drills should be complete by January 2018.

Service Delivery (SD)

The ADM SD opened by recognizing the hard work of his staff indicating that it is a very busy time in his branch. He advised that the division continues to make good progress in hiring new staff and confirmed that 460 new FTEs have been hired as of October 11, 2017. He indicated that the process to hire a National Occupational Therapist is well underway and on track to be completed by the end of December. He advised that town halls continue to be conducted in offices across the country to share the results of the Service Delivery Review and to talk about pursuing Service Excellence at Veterans Affairs. He explained that it is an evergreen process and that a lot of work is being done to reduce complexity, overhaul service delivery and strengthen the partnership between Veterans Affairs and National Defence. He was extremely pleased to announce that that on October 5, 2017 Minister O’Regan and Minister Saijan of National Defence announced the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada Joint Suicide Prevention Strategy. A lot of hard work went into this initiative and it is an important step in preventing to the fullest extent possible, suicide among Veterans and serving CAF members and demonstrates meaningful progress in closing the seam between the two departments.

Strategic Oversight and Communications Branch (SOC)

The a/ADM SOC joined the SOC Branch in June 2017 and advised that work continues in her branch to implement The Policy on Results which sets out the fundamental requirements for Canadian federal departmental accountability for performance information and evaluation, as well as public reporting. She advised that her team is working closely with program areas on results and jointly with the CFOCS Branch on the Facts and Figures book which provides good oversight. She indicated that the Cabinet Business Unit is busy working on Treasury Board Submissions, Memorandum to Cabinets and on tracking and reporting on mandated commitments. The a/ADM SOC further updated that the Communications Division has been very engaged in the commemoration of Vimy and Dieppe, in addition to their involvement with Veterans’ Week and INVICTUS games and that the Corporate Secretariat continues to be fully engaged in supporting senior management and the Minister’s office.

A PIPSC representative expressed the importance of outreach to the public and another PIPSC representative agreed, indicating that in the past they were able to go to the Military bases to talk about programs for medically releasing Veterans but have not been able to do so as a result of travel restrictions this year. The Associate Deputy Minister indicated that it was a point well taken and that hopefully the budget will allow more for next year.

Audit and Evaluation (AE)

The DG AE advised that work continues in the Division to provide independent assessments of the Department’s compliance with TBS and departmental policy. She indicated that training and professional development continue to be priorities for the Division and that assignment opportunities throughout the Department are promoted so that staff can gain new experiences. The DG AE shared an update on some of the current and upcoming audit and evaluation work and the upcoming Leadership Awards as the Departmental Recognition Champion.

Bureau of Pensions Advocates

The Executive Director and Chief Pensions Advocate opened by welcoming Lionel Dionne to the table. He indicated that intake remains steady and has been increasing slightly over the last year. He advised that they are in the midst of concluding the establishment of an LP pool for all offices and that in the meantime, to assist with the increase in files and in reducing the backlog, BPA has hired a number of lawyers on a casual basis. Since the last meeting, they have had one more lawyer retire and expect two more to do the same in the coming months. He closed by indicating that continuing professional development and specific training relevant to their positions remains a priority.

Strategic Policy and Commemoration (SPC)

The ADM SPC joined by teleconference. He advised that the Policy and Research Division continues to be very busy working with colleagues across the Department in implementing Budget 2017, preparing for Budget 2018 and continuing work on the Minister’s mandate commitments. The Division also includes the Veterans’ Priority Program Secretariat that continues working on priority programs such as employment, homelessness and families. The ADM SPC advised that the European Operations Division is once again part of the Commemoration Division and these teams continue to work together to commemorate Canada’s military history and ensure Canadians remember and honour the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform, including the commemoration events recently held for Vimy and Dieppe. He also advised that the Team 20/20 Division wrapped up their project in September. The team successfully led the development of the Department’s five-year strategic plan and undertook a review of VAC’s disability program.

5. Departmental Budget Update

The ADM CFOCS opened by providing an update on the budget for last fiscal year. She advised that VAC finished the 2016-2017 fiscal year with a $12.1 million operating budget carry forward but that most of this would be required to fund the retroactive portion of the new collective agreements.

The ADM CFOCS explained that the 2017-18 Main Estimates provided VAC with funding of $4.69 billion, which represents a net increase of $1.06 billion (or 29%) in comparison to last year. She explained that over 80% of this increase is related to commitments made in Budget 2016 with a significant portion relating to the increase in Disability Award and to make retro-payments to all Veterans who received a Disability Award since April 1, 2006.

The ADM CFOCS explained that it is important to note that this funding does not include Budget 2017 initiatives. Once these initiatives receive TBS approval, the actual funding requirements are sought through Supplementary Estimates (in-year) and Main Estimates (future).

The ADM CFOCS advised that the Department operates on a very tight budget with only $271M to run the day-to-day operations (which represents 6% of the overall departmental budget, of which 76% funds the salary and wages of staff). The ADM CFOCS stated that senior management regularly review spending and will continue to utilize Integrated Business Plans to align financial resources to high priority activities and/or new pressures and that managers are expected to maintain a balanced budget throughout the fiscal year.

The ADM CFOCS then provided a further overview of the Period 6 Financial Update which highlighted that budgets had been updated to reflect $5.9M related to approved TB Submissions and $9.8M related to Collective Agreement increases. She provided a further update on the current financial status, an analysis of planned staffing and O&M and recommendations. She indicated that budgets must be adhered to, that VAC’s budget is fully allocated, there is no reserve money available to relieve pressure and as a result, planned staffing and O&M forecasts need to be clearly managed.

The ADM SOC advised that DGs and ADMs were asked to prioritize initiatives and determine what could be put on hold to meet current budget requirements. By August/September, the review was completed and a list of items were put forward. As money becomes available, senior management will look at what priorities will be funded. At this point, HR capacity, My VAC Account and Homelessness strategy remain the top priorities.

Action item: ADM CFOCS to provide bargaining agents a copy of documentation she referred to in her briefing on discretionary spending/recap of last fiscal year.

6. Veteran 2020: Workplace of Choice

The ADM CFOCS opened by thanking the bargaining agents for their collaboration on the Care, Compassion and Respect @ Work – Workplace of Choice Strategy and Action Plan and specifically recognized the Consultation President for VAC, PIPSC for her partnership in this.

She advised that Workload and Empowerment initiatives are ongoing. She also spoke of a number of Training and Development initiatives including Map Your Career, Service Excellence Training, the National Orientation Training Program, Talent Management and the Community of Practice for Administrative Professionals. The ADM CFOCS advised that the “Civility in the Workplace Campaign” would be launched in the coming weeks and is aimed at supporting staff to understand what civility at work looks like, and to encourage respectful, civil behavior at all times, as a way to manage and reduce stress as well as increase and promote a positive work environment. She also advised that mental health initiatives such as the Not Myself Today campaign, the Elephant in the Room and Self Care workshops have been rolled out and delivered to staff across the department.

A representative from PIPSC indicated that a number of new hires in the area offices come from the Canadian Armed Forces where the workplace culture is quite different and she spoke of the importance of working together to educate on the workplace culture in the Public Service. The DG AE, the DGHR and the ADM CFOCS all agreed on the importance of assisting with transition and promoting civility in the workplace at all levels, while highlighting the importance of not stereotyping. Employees and Veterans alike deserve Care, Compassion and Respect. The DGHR spoke of the vision for Veterans in the Public Service, including recruitment, onboarding and talent management.

A PIPSC representative encouraged the use of a variety of tools to seek feedback from employees, indicating that many employees do not complete the Public Service Employee Annual Survey (PSEAS), particularly in the CS community. The Deputy Minister indicated that senior management are listening to feedback and are committed to change. He advised that senior management wants to ensure employees are comfortable to participate in the survey and acknowledged that although it is not perfect, the feedback provided through the survey does help.

A PIPSC representative requested information on the delegated authority for Nurse Managers as it relates to decision making in the field.

Action Item: ADM SD to provide information on the delegated authority for Nurse Managers (MFNSs) as it relates to decision making in the field. The Union indicated it was expected to happen in summer 2017.

7. Increased Stress in the Workplace / Update on Mental Wellness

The Deputy Minister opened the discussion on Mental Wellness and recognized the importance of continuing the dialogue. He acknowledged the many changes and challenges that have occurred since 2008 in the Public Service and at VAC which have caused turmoil. He recognized the extraordinary example that Patricia Doiron has set in regards to Mental Wellness and wished her well in her retirement.

The ADM CFOCS requested that the title of this standing item be changed to “Update on Mental Wellness.” The ADM CFOCS provided an update on the PSEAS, which was administered from February 27-March 27, 2017. She indicated that the survey had six new questions related to Workplace Well-Being and that VAC Public Service Employee Annual Survey (PSEAS) scores were in line with the Public Service with the exception that we were 13% higher than the public service with respect to awareness of mental health activities, which was positive. She advised that 36% (as opposed to 34% in the public service) indicated their level of work-related stress is very high which was concerning. She indicated that the National Working Group for Workplace Mental Wellness is currently revisiting the Terms of Reference (ToR) and renewal of membership. A basic action plan will be drafted along with targeted dates for activities. She indicated they will work closer with Occupational Health and Safety Committees, Bargaining Agents and the field offices in a more consistent and inclusive approach. The ADM CFOCS indicated that the Wednesday Wellness Tip continues to be distributed to employees and spoke of the “LifeSpeak” campaign. She indicated that the launch of VAC’s Workplace Mental Wellness Strategy and Action Plan is planned for early 2018 and that mental health training remains a commitment.

A representative for PIPSC indicated that the Health and Safety Committee members are aware and available to assist and she reiterated the importance of continuing an open dialogue on mental health.

A PIPSC representative indicated that with the influx in new hires it is important that management continue to improve on the orientation program and ensure bargaining agents are made aware of new members so that they can be welcomed. In particular, the concern is that the bargaining agent is not notified of new employees as per the collective agreement. The DGHR indicated she would be open to working with the bargaining agents to improve onboarding. The Deputy Minister acknowledged that as a Department we have come a long way when it comes to onboarding and that management is committed to continuing to improve orientation of new employees.

Action Item: ADM CFOCS requested that the title of the standing item be changed to “Update on Mental Wellness”

Action Item: DGHR to ensure bargaining agents are involved in the onboarding/ orientation of new employees, including students

8. Transformation of Pay Administration / Phoenix Update

The DGHR opened by acknowledging that pay operations across government are strained and that public servants continue to experience pay issues which is unacceptable. She indicated that although there has been progress over the past year, she realizes there is a lot left to be done. She indicated that the Department had a small team of Compensation Advisors who tried to address the pay issues faced by VAC employees, but this team was unable to keep up with the demand, nor were they able to resolve the magnitude of pay issues as they had limited access to the Phoenix system. She indicated that the Department is now focusing on doing things differently and has entered into a partnership with Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to help improve pay processing at VAC and at a government-wide level. She believed that with more staff devoted to compensation, more training in pay and full access to the Phoenix system, a lot more progress would be possible. She did, however, note that it is important to understand that it will take time and managing expectations is key. She requested the bargaining agents’ support and full cooperation in this regard. She advised that there are only 3 remaining VAC staff who are dedicated to issuing priority payments, processing leave without pay, processing return to work, processing terminations and entering overtime and that all other requests must be sent directly to PSPC. She provided an update on planned staffing for PSPC which will result in approximately 300 Compensation Assistants hired by January 2018 in Miramichi, Moncton, Charlottetown and Kirkland Lake. The DGHR also advised that VAC is one of three Departments participating in a Client Focused Pilot Project where Compensation Advisors would be organized into “Pods” by department. She also advised that the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO) would be offering training as a part of the HR-to-Pay Project.

The Senior Director, Human Resources Strategy & Program Design provided an overview of the partnership with PSPC, indicating that 27 of VAC’s HR employees have been seconded to PSPC and that they will be working on VAC and other government department priority pay files. He gave an update of the status of the process to hire 300 Compensation Assistants and requested bargaining agent support in promoting the upcoming training that will be made available on topics such as “Understanding the Pay Cycle, Pay Calender and Pay Stub” and “Submitting Leave and Pay Requests.”

A representative for PIPSC thanked the DGHR and Senior Director for the update, and agreed on the importance of employees receiving substantial updates and direction on what is being done. She, along with another representative from PIPSC, further indicated that what is missing is the human touch, having someone to talk to, which was previously available when Compensation Advisors worked directly within the Department. The DGHR indicated that the Department is working very hard and does not want to overcommit. That said, the Department will strive for this important goal.

A representative from PIPSC requested that NU EMAs be permitted to take leave with pay, similar to what was negotiated in other collective agreements, and have the Department invoice the union. The Senior Director, HR committed to following up on this.

The Deputy Minister, as the senior public servant at VAC, apologized for the many concerns employees at VAC have experienced with respect to their pay. He indicated that as a Department we are committed to doing what can be done within VAC to improve employees pay concerns. Although we are not there yet, because of the hard work that has been completed to date and the partnership with PSPC, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Action Item: The CS collective agreement and various Alliance agreements introduced changes to certain clauses under “leave for union business” to be “leave with pay” where the bargaining agent will be reimbursing the employer for salary and benefit costs according to terms established by joint agreement (instead of having the employee take leave without pay). Although it is not in their collective agreement, PIPSC requested that this same practice be adhered to within SH group. DGHR to follow up on this with the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Action Item: Bargaining Agent to provide support in promoting the upcoming pay related training.

9. Contracting Out

A representative from PIPSC spoke about the new paragraph in the CS collective agreement (article 30) on contracting out which states the following:

30.01 The Employer shall make a reasonable effort to use existing employees or hire new indeterminate or term employees as needed before contracting out work described in the Bargaining Certificate and the Group Definition. However, to meet operational requirements, public service managers may choose to contract professional services in certain circumstances instead of making an appointment pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act.

30.02 The Employer will continue past practice in giving all reasonable consideration to continued employment in the public service of employees who would otherwise become redundant because work is contracted out.

30.03 When work is contracted out due to technological change, the provisions of Article 23 shall apply upon the implementation of the new technology.

30.04 Communication Through Labour Management Consultation Committees, or through another forum as agreed upon by both parties, Departmental and PIPSC representatives shall meet to discuss and exchange on issues associated with contracting out, such as but not limited to, the influence on working conditions, complexity of tasks, information on contractors in the workplace, future resource and service requirements, skills inventories, knowledge transfer, position vacancies, workload, and Managed Services.

The PIPSC representative stated that the Liberal government promised to reduce contractors in the Federal Government. The Deputy Minister confirmed his commitment to normalizing the workforce but indicated contractors do have a role to play in the workplace and in meeting operational requirements. The ADM CFOCS provided the statistics on contracts in place as of October 2017 and shared that contract resource engagement is a common practice within an IT development organization. Given the location of head office in Charlottetown, the pool of IT resources is limited, and therefore, the same resource is often re-engaged for various purposes.

Action Item: ADM CFOCS provided additional information on contracts in place as of October 2017 at the meeting. ADM CFOCS to provide information on contracts in place as of October 2016 so that bargaining agent can do comparison. (actual number of contractors hired per contract for Financial services, Legal services, Medical physician services, Nursing services, Occupational Therapist services, Procurement services, Psychologist services, Computer services)

Action Item: PIPSC to provide documentation confirming Government of Canada’s commitment to reducing contractors

Action Item: Request for “Contracting Out” to be a standing agenda item

10. Update on Office 2.0 (including DJM Refit Schedule)

The ADM CFOCS advised that no recent updates to the standard as a whole have been implemented and that as leases expire at VAC offices across the country, the offices are being re-fitted to the Workplace 2.0 standard. She explained that effective September 2016, Workplace 2.0 Guidelines for the Labour Relations Community have been added and set out the requirements for this community relative to the Workplace 2.0 Refitting Standard.

With respect to the DJM Modernization, she indicated that PSPC is leading the six-year project to renovate and modernize the DJM building in Charlottetown. She shared the key milestone dates for the six year project and indicated that information sessions for staff will begin in December 2017 and will continue as needed throughout the project.

Action Item: ADM CFOCS to share information on Workplace 2.0 with bargaining agents including plan for DJM design.

11. Support for Trans Employees: PSPC Guide for Employees and Managers

A representative from PIPSC introduced the document recently created by PSPC titled Support for Trans Employees: PSPC Guide for Employees and Managers. She indicated that two/three years ago this did not exist and it was difficult to find guidance on this subject for employees and management. As such, she wanted to ensure VAC management were aware that this guidance now exists in the Federal Government. The Deputy Minister thanked her for bringing this forward and expressed the importance of ensuring the workplace is a safe, respectful and welcoming place for all employees, free of harassment to which the ADM CFOCS and DGHR both agreed.

12. Exit Interview Update

The DGHR advised that the Workplace Effectiveness & Learning (WEL) unit is responsible for exit interviews and explained that employees can either complete the exit interview form electronically or have an in-person interview with an HR Advisor. She explained that once received, the feedback is reviewed, analyzed and filed accordingly. She further indicated that exit interviews are not mandatory and that HR is not monitoring who is being offered an interview. A representative from PIPSC indicated that the reason she had put this on the agenda was because she was made aware that five nurses recently left the Department and wanted to know the reasons why. The ADM SD advised that he does encourage employees to fill out the exit interview when they leave and that in his experience, employees leave the department for a variety of reasons. Although he does not like to see employees leave the department, he understands when the decision is made in their personal best interest.

13. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Education for Professional Issues

A representative from PIPSC indicated that second to Phoenix, this is the biggest concern for the physicians at VAC. She explained that it is a condition of employment for physicians to maintain their license and in order to do so, they are required to complete a certain number of continuing education hours. She explained that with the introduction of the new TBS Directive, VAC is interpreting professional development requests as events and conferences which has caused delays in the approval process resulting in missed opportunity for training. She further explained that based on the Finance Bulletin she feels it should be considered training and not an event which would mean the approval process would not be required (as was the case in the old process). The ADM SD responded that he agreed that the old process worked well but that VAC had received a TBS interpretation which must be followed. The ADM SD committed to requesting another interpretation from TBS indicating that he would be willing to change the process but if there is no change in direction, he must follow the TBS process. The DG HP further advised that the CAF were formally challenging the interpretation and that they will keep us informed on the outcome. The ADM SD and the Deputy Minister both agreed on the importance of professional education and committed to following up.

Action Item: ADM SD / DG HP and ADM CFOCS to request another interpretation of TBS Policy on approvals for health professional education and professional development activities and to work closely with DND given work underway on interpretation of policy.

14. Update on Security in Surrey, BC Area Office

The ADM CFOCS advised that when the decision was made to open the new Area Office in Surrey, BC, VAC went through the normal lease tender process with PSPC. She indicated that the location is close to public transit, including the SkyTrain with 24/7 security. There were security concerns brought forward as a result of the downtown core location and Security Services conducted a Security Site Review and Lockdown Drill at the new location in June 2017. There were minor security deficiencies identified (requirements for key control system, improved signage and door deadbolts), however, staff did not raise any concerns with regards to their physical or personal security. She indicated there is a full time Commissionaire in the lobby who is present during working hours and security cameras monitor the entrance and parking garage. She spoke of the Safe Injection Site that was opened in June 2017 two blocks from the Area Office but indicated there were no related security issues raised. A representative from PIPSC advised that members in the office brought forward the security concern to her attention, particularly concerns with security when the underground parking is taken away (staff are currently utilizing the underground parking but will be unable to continue this when new tenants begin working in the building). The ADM SD and the Deputy Minister indicated there were no concerns brought forward when they visited the office. They reassured the union that employee and Veteran safety was a priority and as such they would monitor the situation.

15. Human Resources Division Review

The DGHR provided an overview of the tiered service model that was implemented in HR recently and provided an update on the significant work that has been completed to improve services including replacing checklists with documentation requirements, creating a Client Service Centre to process staffing and classification transactions, implementing a new electronic HR Service Request module in MyGCHR and transitioning from HR Generalists to HR Specialists. She advised that it has been a challenging time in HR as staff numbers have been reduced and a new business line was added. After a reorganization in July, there was a reduction of four middle managers. In September, the Veterans in the Public Service unit launched. In October, 27 employees were seconded to PSPC. She indicated that although great strides have been made, given the significant change that has occurred, HR must pause and stabilize. She wanted to ensure everyone was aware that with fewer staff, turnaround times would be impacted. A representative from PIPSC wondered how these changes would impact employees and the DGHR indicated that it may take some time for change to become evident. In moving forward, as the structure stabilizes and with appropriate staffing and reinvestment, employees will see a reduction in the backlog of staffing actions. Improvements will also be made in Workplace of Choice and Mental Health and, in partnership with PSPC, assistance in pay related issues.

16. Other Items and Next Meeting

A representative from PIPSC requested the next meeting to be February 21, 2017 in Charlottetown.

The Deputy Minister closed the meeting by thanking the bargaining agents for their collaboration and leadership and thanked PIPSC for the wonderful hospitality.