2024 AGM Resolutions - Financial

F-01 - Audited Financial Statements (E)

Be it resolved that the 2024 AGM receive the Institute audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.

RSC: No Comment

F-02 - Appointment of Auditors (E)

Be it resolved that BDO be appointed as auditors of the Institute for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and its related entities, for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.

RSC: No Comment

F-03 - Budget (E)

Be it resolved that the 2024 AGM approve the budget for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

RSC: No Comment

F-04 - Dues Increase (E)

Be it resolved that the member fees be increased by $17.50 per month per regular member effective January 1, 2025.

RSC: No Comment

F-05 - PIPSC Dues Inflation Adjustments (E)

Whereas inflation is an ongoing concern in budgetary considerations for the Institute; and

Whereas PIPSC has a history of approving dues increases on an infrequent basis causing a detrimental impact on the services provided to members; and

Whereas the last dues increase resulted in seven years of inflation impacting the ability of PIPSC to provide services to its members; and

Whereas an inflationary based dues increase would resolve these concerns;

Be it resolved that PIPSC membership dues be indexed to CPI inflation annually, starting in 2026, with an indexing cap of 3.0% per year.

RSC: No Comment

Finance Comment:  

Based on current dues, for active members, this would represent a maximum increase of $2.18 per month in the first year

F-06 - Provide a PIPSC Staffed satellite Office in Fredericton (E)

WHEREAS it has been identified that the NB Groups and members require a local PIPSC human resource and,

WHEREAS the 2015 AGM passed a resolution to provide a PIPSC staffed satellite office in Fredericton, New Brunswick and,

WHEREAS there was a local resource put in place by PIPSC from 2016 to 2021 and,

WHEREAS the provincial groups and members still require this resource,

Therefore, be it resolved that PIPSC provide a resource to support NB Groups located within 120km of Fredericton.

RSC: No Comment

Finance Comment:

The cost to establish a dedicated HR Business Partner to support NB Groups, headcount expense (salary, fringe etc.) would cost between $150,000 to $190,000.

F-07 - Dues Increase (E)

Whereas costs for accommodations, meals, and meeting space to host events have increased rather significantly in the last few years and;

Whereas the Institute while looking at cost saving measures internally is still running a deficit and;

Whereas with the increased membership and increased demand for services there is a dire need to hire more labour relations staff and;

Whereas there has not been a dues increase since 2016;

Be it resolved that a dues increase of $15 a month per regular member beginning on July 1, 2025;

RSC: No Comment

F-08 - Ratio for Labour Relations Resources to Regular Members (E)

Whereas Employment Relations Officer and Labour Relations Officers provide representational services to Institute members and;

Whereas as Institute membership continues to grow while the number of Employment Relations Officers and Labour Relations Officers has not kept up with the growth of membership and;

Whereas representational services is one of the key functions of a union;

Be it resolved that additional Employment Relations Officer/Labour Relations Officer positions be created in each region to have a ratio of a maximum of 1,100 regular members per labour relations staff resource based on the membership count;

RSC: No Comment

Finance Comment: The motion would result in an additional 25 EROs/LRO’s  and would range, inclusive of salaries and benefits between $3,200,000 and $4,600,000

F-09 - Group AGM Delegates (E)

WHEREAS the purpose of a constituent body Annual General Meeting is to govern that constituent body; and

WHEREAS regular members of group should be able to meaningfully influence and modify the direction of the Group Executive and outvote the Group Executive as necessary; and

WHEREAS there are significant fixed costs to holding a Group AGM, regardless of delegate cost; and

WHEREAS Group Executive size is based on the need to represent regional and departmental diversity, which also applies to Group AGM delegates, 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT for Group AGM meetings made up of delegates, the number of accredited delegates funded from PIPSC general funds will be the members of the Group Executive plus either: one delegate per two hundred (200) members of the Group, or, one greater than the size of the Group Executive as calculated in By Law 10.1.5, whichever is greater.

RSC: Recommend Out of Order – Contravenes existing policy.

F-10 - Dues Increase (E)

Whereas PIPSC is a labour union comprised of members earning a wide range of salaries as well as ones who are retired,

Whereas fixed nominal dues for Regular and Rand members represent a varying fraction of members’ income and their buying power erodes, sometimes rapidly, with inflation, and the impact of nominal dues increases falls disproportionately on members with lower incomes who tend to be younger,

Whereas fixed nominal dues also result in long periods of frozen dues followed by significant increases,

Whereas the current system requires the Institute AGM to engage in periodic debates to merely keep up with rising costs associated with inflation,

Whereas many of our fellow unionists have successfully implemented dues as a function of income in a variety of pay systems including those of the Government of Canada,

Whereas the last dues increase, in 2017, set fixed dues at a level that was approximately 0.95% of the salary of the average member (calculated from 2021 salary mass and pattern salary increases between 2018 and 2021),

Be it resolved that PIPSC change its dues as of July 1, 2026 to 0.95% of the maximum salary at the member’s group and level, pro-rated for part-time workers and discounted for affiliate and retired members as before. Where a member is not currently an employee in a PIPSC group, that the current salary grid for their last group and level be used to calculate dues. Members whose group no longer exists or who never had a group and level shall pay dues at the 2017 rate, adjusted annually and retroactively to 2018, in the same manner as the Canada Pension Plan, discounted for affiliate and retired members as before.

RSC: No Comment

Finance Comment: Due to the complexity of this resolution, Finance is unable to provide a financial estimate of the impact of this resolution on the budget or of the cost of its implementation and maintenance.

F-11 - Travel Restrictions When in Deficit (E)

Whereas the purpose of the Institute is the representation of members with employers, and

Whereas it is in the interest of the membership for the Institute to remain financially solvent, and

Whereas the current budget is in a significant deficit circumstance, and

Whereas the Board of Directors has not adequately addressed this financial circumstance, and

Whereas travel expenses for Constituent Bodies and Committees of the Board are discretionary expenditures, and

Whereas Annual General Meetings are required to be held,

Be It Resolved that for any fiscal year where a deficit is projected, that emergency cost-cutting measures shall be imposed on the Constituent Bodies (Regions, Branches, Groups and Sub-Groups, and Consultation Teams) and Committees of the Board for the entire year as follows:

a. Executive meetings shall be conducted at no cost reimbursement for travel, with the expectation that locally-held and/or virtual meetings will be used to conduct the business of that body;

b. Travel costs associated with the Annual General Meeting of each body may be conducted as usual, with one executive meeting that is held during the same period; 

c. Sub-Group Presidents and Branch Presidents meetings are also restricted travel reimbursement costs;

d. Travel for the purposes of representation of members shall not be affected;

e. Travel for the purpose of active bargaining with the employer shall not be affected.=

RSC: Missing RMG and Consultation Teams are not constituent bodies.

Also, in conflict with Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation – per diem for meals if virtual meeting over 90 minutes. 

F-12 - Limits of Past Expenses for Presidents and Vice Presidents (E)

Whereas the President and Vice Presidents require certain expenses to be reimbursed for duties and tasks required by their positions that are to the credit and benefit of the Institute, and

Whereas there had been long-standing practices for reimbursement of expenses for appearance and clothing for the President and claims for reimbursement of expenses were made in good faith, based on these long-standing practices, and

Whereas there now exists direction for these reimbursements in the Terms of Service for Presidents and Vice Presidents that is effective as of 1 January 2025,

Be It Resolved that the Expense limits for Presidents and Vice Presidents as of 1 January 2025 be made retroactive ten years to 1 January 2015. This provides a firm reference with fixed limits of expenses that are transparent and fair to previous incumbents, while protecting the Institute and members from excessive payments made under unclear long-standing practice.

Reference: Service Agreement of President, effective 1 January 2025

4. Expenses

a. Travel expenses for the President will be provided as set out in the Policy on the Institute’s Board of Directors Article 8. The President may travel Business Class if desired.

b. Hospitality expenses for the President are described in the Policy on the Institute’s Board of Directors Article 9.

c. The President will receive a Personal Allowance which covers travel, parking and taxis in the headquarters area (16 km radius).   The ECC will review the amount of the Personal Allowance on an annual basis to determine if changes are necessary. This allowance is a taxable benefit.

d. Office related expenses that are not defined in the policies are limited to a maximum of $250 per claim and will require a completed expense claims with receipts submitted on a monthly basis to the Finance Section.

e. Parking will be provided as a taxable benefit.

f. Professional image expenses up to $5,000 annually for considerations such as personal grooming, clothing, image consultant, etc.

g. No direct payment of personal credit cards will be made.

h. Expense accounts are subject to the review of the Finance Committee, under the authority of the Board.

RSC: Recommend Out of Order - Cannot change a signed contract (Service Agreement) retroactively.

F-13 - Hospitality Spending Restrictions When in Deficit (E)

Whereas the purpose of the Institute is the representation of members with employers, and

Whereas it is in the interest of the membership for the Institute to remain financially solvent, and 

Whereas the current budget is in a significant deficit circumstance, and 

Whereas the Board of Directors has not adequately addressed this financial circumstance, and 

Whereas hospitality expenses for members of the Board of Directors are discretionary expenditures, 

Be It Resolved that for any fiscal year where a deficit is projected, that the hospitality limits for Board members shall be reduced by 70% of the previous year.  Should the deficit extend to a second year, the hospitality limit shall be reduced by 50% again.  This leaves 15% of the original hospitality expenses should the deficit extend two years.

RSC: No Comment 

Finance comment: 

Hospitality Expenses budgeted at $9,000 per Board member plus $40,000 for President.