2024 AGM Resolutions - Policy

P-01 - Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation Meal Stop (E)

Whereas the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation provides accommodations the night of the meeting if that member cannot arrive home by 8pm (meeting location time zone). This applies whether the member is driving or flying from the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner including a one-hour meal stop; and

Whereas the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation provides accommodations the night before the meeting if that member cannot arrive at the meeting location on time without leaving their home before 7 am. This applies whether the member is driving or flying to the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner without a meal stop; and

Whereas the distance travelling to the meeting location is the same as the distance travelling from the event; and

Whereas there is an unbalanced importance put on the evening accommodation and meal entitlements; and

Whereas some members may have strict meal requirements that would cause undue hardship to attend the event;

Be it resolved that the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation be amended to include a meal stop when travelling to the meeting as follows:

 Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation Effective Date:

1. Accommodations The Institute shall establish a per-night city maximum for hotel stays and provide members with preferred rates where available. 

Members attending a meeting will be entitled to accommodations the night before the meeting if that member cannot arrive at the meeting location on time without leaving their home before 7 am. This applies whether the member is driving or flying to the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner without a meal stop. including a one-hour meal stop.

RSC: No Comment

Financial Comment: 

Unable to quantify financial Impact, number of occurrences undeterminable. However, if an overnight stay is required, the cost would be up to $300 hotel stay, $17.50 incidentals, $61.85 dinner per diem and potentially additional salary replacement.

P-02 - Resume Printing and Distributing Calendars for Constituent Bodies (E)

WHEREAS PIPSC has decided not to print and distribute calendars as was the practice in the past and,

WHEREAS PIPSC Calendars are high visibility low-cost items used in the workplace, and

WHEREAS PIPSC Calendars are highly valued by PIPSC members and,

WHEREAS most constituent bodies do not have the staff and financial resources to print and distribute PIPSC calendars themselves and,

WHEREAS PIPSC is providing funding through “Better Together” for constituent bodies to cover the costs of printing their own calendars and,

WHEREAS the cost of a single mass production order made by PIPSC would be more cost effective than all constituent bodies producing Calendars independently and,

Therefore, be it resolved that PIPSC resume the printing and distribution of Calendars to all constituent bodies that request them as PIPSC has demonstrated that it has ample funds and resources available to cover the expenditure.

RSC: No Comment

Financial Comment:

Cost to resume printing and distribution of calendars would cost between $220,000 and $240,000

P-03 - Divestment from Fossil Fuels (F)

Whereas human activity, mainly through the emission of greenhouse gases, has unequivocally caused the current global warming of 1.1°C above the 1850-1900 level between 2011 and 2020.

Whereas climate change is already having an impact on living conditions across the globe, including through extreme weather events.

Whereas several major financial institutions (e.g., BMO, CDPQ, Desjardins) are adopting policies to reduce their investments in carbon-producing sectors.

Be it resolved that the AGM 2025 receive a detailed report on its investments in fossil fuels.

Be it further resolved that the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada hold no investments in the fossil fuel sector after 2030.

RSC: No Comment

Financial Comment: Report Cost?

P-04 - Policy on Steward Liberation (F)

Whereas the renewal, recruitment, and rejuvenation of PIPSC's steward workforce is a crucial issue that requires serious attention,

Whereas the workload varies from one steward to another depending on the mandates held (e.g. group/regional executives, consultation/negotiation teams, committees, etc.),

Whereas some members have professional obligations that require a replacement for each period of absence from work,

Whereas the employer sometimes uses professional obligations to prevent union leave,

Whereas the Institute has no policy on granting union leave, and 

Whereas the uniformity and equitability application of union leave will benefit all our stewards,

Whereas that report has not been made public at this time,

It is proposed that a national ad-hoc committee on union leave be set up, with a mandate that respects the following guidelines:

●     The duration of the ad-hoc committee’s mandate will be 1 year.

●     The ad-hoc committee will be made up of:

○     One (1) steward per region,

○     The National Chief Steward,

○     One PIPSC staff member to act as support to committee members,

○     And a Board of Directors liaison.

●     The Board of Directors will determine the committee’s composition after establishing clear criteria in a call to all PIPSC stewards, ensuring equitable representation of the most affected steward, i.e. youth and women.

●     The working group will have to assess the needs of stewards in terms of union leave by consulting them through a survey. The working group will have to develop this survey, circulate it, then collect and analyze the responses.

●     The working group will have to provide possible solutions to the pitfalls identified by stewards concerning their union leave.

●     The working group undertakes to produce the following results:

○     a report on its activities and actions presented to the Board of Directors, and

○     If necessary, a policy on union leave.

RSC: PIPSC does not grant Union leave, that is the employer’s responsibility

Financial Comment: Cost of a committee is $104,380

P-05 - Fair Distribution of Members (F)

Whereas our members are geographically dispersed, sometimes isolated;

Whereas we are unable to reach all our members adequately;

Whereas many members are not registered with the proper constituent bodies;

Whereas avoiding abuse in expense reimbursements with these disparities should be a priority;

Whereas having members in the right constituent bodies will increase the sense of belonging;

Whereas rectifying the situation will increase participation in union activities;

Be it resolved that the Institute modify its membership registration/modification form as soon as possible to take into account the changing realities of remote work as follows:

         - member's home address;

         - when the member must physically return to work, the address of the physical workplace;

         - an indication of whether the member is 100% teleworking.

Be it further resolved that PIPSC send an email once a year, starting January 2025, indicating to members their current work and personal coordinates inviting members to update their contact details, or to indicate that they have not changed.

RSC: No Comment

Financial Comment: Pending

P-06 - Prioritisation of National AGM Business (F)

Whereas delegates come to the national AGM first and foremost to ensure democratic management of the Institute's affairs;

Whereas, in recent years, the assembly has never been able to discuss all the motions put forward by members;

Whereas the AGM organizers place great emphasis on the peripheral aspects of the AGM (training, conferences, workshops, etc.).

Be it resolved that resolutions be given absolute priority over training, conferences and other workshops on the PIPSC AGM agenda.

RSC: No Comment

Financial Comment: Pending

P-07 - Bargaining Communications (E)

Whereas collective bargaining is a central pillar of PIPSC; and

Whereas communication with members can be time sensitive during active negotiations; and

Whereas PIPSC staff resources prioritize duties related to the PIPSC annual general meeting in the time leading up to the event; 

Be it resolved that PIPSC allocate staff resources in a manner that prioritizes bargaining communications for groups engaged in active negotiations at same priority level as duties related to the PIPSC annual general meeting.

RSC: No Comment

P-08 - Science Advisory Committee (E)

Whereas members of the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) are currently appointed for 1 year terms;

Whereas it requires several meetings for committee members to familiarize themselves with the work of the committee;

Whereas having committee members serving only 1 year terms can result in significant turnover of committee membership and can limit progress on longer term initiatives;

Be it resolved that the Policy on Committees of the Board be modified to increase the maximum number of years of consecutive service to 6 to allow for two consecutive 3-year terms:

5. Selection Criteria

Committee Chair shall normally use these selection criteria:

● Renew 1/3 of the Committee each year;

● Members and Chairs should only be on one national committee, with the exception of the Executive Compensation Committee. The membership (including the Chair) of a Committee of the Board will not normally consist of more than two members of the Board, and will normally include members from at least three (3) different Groups;

● The length of service on a Committee of the Board shall be no more than five six consecutive years;

● Due consideration should be given by the Regional Executive and Committee Chair to recommend the inclusion of at least two (2) new activists (i.e.: those that are not on Group or Regional Executives already) each year.

● Members of a committee shall include regional representation pursuant to By-law 17.1.3.

RSC: If B-13 Fails, then this resolution is Out of Order

P-09 - Virtual Meetings (E)

Whereas PIPSC strives to limit its carbon footprint by reducing travel;

Whereas travel can be a barrier to participation in union activities for some members and virtual meetings help promote more balance between union activity and family life; 

Be it resolved that the Policy on Accessing PIPSC General funds be amended to include a recommendation that Executive Meetings for Groups and Regions that do not coincide with other meetings be held virtually when feasible: 

Appendix A to the Policy on Accessing PIPSC General Funds:

Parameters for PIPSC Funding
of Meetings outside of Constituent Body Allocations

RSC: No Comment

Finance Comment: virtual meetings sometimes increase the costs due to AV and SI especially when accommodating time zones.

P-10 - Shift Workers Attendance at Branch & Subgroup Events (E)

Whereas the current 641 leave policy creates an inequity for shift workers attending branch and subgroup meetings and events. For example, at an AGM, this is when voting occurs. This puts shift workers at a disadvantage, forcing them to choose between using vacation leave or personal leave to attend an event that other members can attend no problem outside of their hours of work. To add further to this problem there is typically only a set number of leave spots allowed per worksite and once these are filled the member has no other option. The number of shift workers within PIPSC is low and thus the financial impact would be minimal, however the impact on morale and engagement within these small pockets of shift workers would be huge.

Be it resolved that the current 641 leave policy be amended to allow shift workers to access 641 leave to attend branch and subgroup events and meetings that fall on their days of work thus addressing the issues of inequality in ability to attend branch and subgroup events among PIPSC members.

RSC: Recommend being ruled Out of Order since this should be defined in a Collective Agreement
Note: PIPSC does not have a 641 Leave Policy

P-11 - Climate (E)

WHEREAS the release of Canada’s Changing Climate Report presents overwhelming evidence for the need to reduce carbon, which implies a shift away from a continued focus on the primacy of single occupancy vehicles – except in exceptional cases; and

WHEREAS a decade of advocacy and work by PIPSC has built a strong case around the errors of muzzling scientists and their work, 

WHEREAS not all members have access to or use of personal transportation and require sufficient public transportation access to the workplace,

WHEREAS members showed during the pandemic that much of our work can be done effectively without necessarily commuting into work, and the current hybrid work model has made carpooling at best more complicated to arrange, 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT that the Institute encourage its members to spread the word in their workplace about the conclusions of this report and to advocate for related changes, notably for employers to provide better options to encourage a shift away from commuting in single occupancy vehicles, to include working from home where the member prefers and there is no clear purpose to be at a government worksite.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Institute, through its consultation teams and other discussions with the employer, advocate for related changes, notably for employers to provide better options to encourage a shift away from commuting in single occupancy vehicles (including, but not limited to, ensuring adequate public transport, including childcare spaces within the workplace, supporting work from home arrangements where desirable, and choosing centrally located buildings for occupation).

RSC: No Comment

P-12 - Policy on Board of Directors (E)

Whereas article 11 unnecessarily limits the Board’s ability to do the business of the institute, and

Whereas the idea of “new initiatives” is vague and could be worked around making article 11 meaningless, and 

Whereas the board is elected by the membership and should have the ability to do what is necessary for the institute and would need to justify/speak to these expenditures at the AGM,

Be it resolved that the Policy on the Board of Directors be modified to remove Article 11.

11. Significant PIPSC Expenditures on New Initiatives

Expenditures of more than $500K on new initiatives shall be approved by the PIPSC Annual General Meeting.

Subsequent renumbering...

RSC: No Comment

P-13 - Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation (E)

Whereas the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation provides accommodations the night of the meeting if that member cannot arrive home by 8pm (meeting location time zone). This applies whether the member is driving or flying from

the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner including a one-hour meal stop; and

Whereas the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation provides accommodations the night before the meeting if that member cannot arrive at the meeting location on time without leaving their home before 7 am. This applies whether

the member is driving or flying to the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner without a meal stop; and

Whereas the distance travelling to the meeting location is the same as the distance travelling from the event; and

Whereas there is an unbalanced importance put on the evening accommodation and meal entitlements; and

Whereas some members may have strict meal requirements that would cause undue hardship to attend the event; and

Whereas the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation provides entitlement for breakfast if they leave home before 8:00 a.m but does not allow any time to consume that meal;

Be it resolved that the Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation be amended to include a meal stop when travelling to the meeting as follows:

 Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation

1. Accommodations

The Institute shall establish a per-night city maximum for hotel stays and provide members with preferred rates where available. 

Members attending a meeting will be entitled to accommodations the night before the meeting if that member cannot arrive at the meeting location on time without leaving their home before 7 am. This applies whether the member is driving, or flying or using another type of transportation to the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner without a meal stop. including a one-hour meal stop.

Members attending a meeting occurring on two (2) or more consecutive days are entitled to accommodations, upon request, on the nights between the meeting days.

Members attending a meeting will be entitled to accommodations the night of the meeting if that member cannot arrive home by 8pm (meeting location time zone). This applies whether the member is driving or flying from the meeting and is predicated on the member traveling in the most direct manner including a one-hour meal stop.

Delegates attending the PIPSC AGM or a Group AGM are entitled to accommodations on the night prior to the start of the AGM, upon request.

RSC: No Comment

Financial Comment: 

Unable to quantify financial Impact, number of occurrences undeterminable. However, if an overnight stay is required, the cost would be up to $300 hotel stay, $17.50 incidentals, $61.85 dinner per diem and potentially, additional salary replacement.

P-14 - PSPP Phase Out from Fossil Fuel Investments (#1) (E)

Whereas the oil and gas sector are among the worst-performing sectors on the global stock market (See Graph in Appendix below:  Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis [August 2023]; and

Whereas emerging green technologies are progressively rendering certain carbon-intensive industries more and more obsolete and/or unprofitable; and 

Whereas had the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) excluded oil and gas from its public equity portfolio ten years ago, the pension plan would have seen significantly higher returns (See Table in Appendix below); and 

Whereas the Public Service Pension Plan has a deficient climate strategy that is inconsistent with the Paris agreement goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5˚C and is working to undermine Canada’s domestic and international climate

commitments; and

Whereas many large, benchmarked Canadian and international defined benefit pension funds have already integrated financially prudent fossil fuel exclusion policies with no statistically significant impact on the plan’s performance; and

Whereas independent consultants have identified alternative investment opportunities which would minimize the financial impact of excluding fossil fuel companies; and

Whereas PIPSC is taking measures to reduce our environmental footprint (e.g. no longer using plastic water bottles). 

Be it resolved  that PIPSC will send an open letter to the Public Service Pension Investment Board calling on them to investigate environmentally sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel investments and to make the findings public within two years.

RSC: No Comment

P-15 - PSPP Phase Out from Fossil Fuel Investments (#2) (E)

Whereas the oil and gas sector are among the worst-performing sectors on the global stock market (See Graph in Appendix below:  Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis [August 2023]; and

Whereas emerging green technologies are progressively rendering certain carbon-intensive industries more and more obsolete and/or unprofitable; and

Whereas had the Public Service Pension Plan excluded oil and gas from its public equity portfolio ten years ago, the pension plan would have seen significantly higher returns (See Table in Appendix below); and 

Whereas the Public Service Pension Plan has a deficient climate strategy that is inconsistent with the Paris agreement goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5˚C and is working to undermine Canada’s domestic and international climate

commitments; and

Whereas many large, benchmarked Canadian and international defined benefit pension funds have already integrated financially prudent fossil fuel exclusion policies with no statistically significant impact on the plan’s performance; and

Whereas independent consultants have identified alternative investment opportunities which would minimize the financial impact of excluding fossil fuel companies; and 

Whereas PIPSC is taking measures to reduce our environmental footprint (e.g. no longer using plastic water bottles). 

Be it resolved that a media release requesting the Public Service Pension Investment Board develop credible science-based transition plans for all carbon-intensive assets, adopt a carbon emissions reduction target of 50 percent by 2030, and commit the pension portfolio to carbon neutrality by 2040, including an accompanying plan to ensure the financially prudent decarbonization of the portfolio that will be posted on the PIPSC website.

RSC: No Comment

P-16 - No Members of the Board of Directors on Committees of the Board (E)

WHEREAS The purpose of the Board of Directors between elections is to govern the Institute, while recognizing that the AGM is the supreme governing body, and

WHEREAS there exist Committees of the Board, whose purpose is to advise the Board, and

WHEREAS the participation of more members of the Institute in Committee activity is seen as being beneficial for member engagement,

Be it resolved that, to prevent the conflict of interest or perception of conflict of interest, no member of the Board of Directors shall be a member of any Committee of the Board. No member of the Board of Directors shall be a Chair of any Committee of the Board.

RSC: out of order per Institute bylaw 13.1.4.1. Institute bylaw 17.2.1 states in the composition of the bylaws and policies committee that one member shall be from the Board. Because the author failed to provide a bylaw amendment to 17.2.1 it is out of order.

P-17 - Special General Meeting (SGM) Chair Selection (E)

Whereas the purpose of a Special General Meeting is to address an issue of significant concern to the Institute and membership, and

Whereas the mechanism of holding a Special General Meeting may be used to remove an Elected Executive from office, and

Whereas principles of good governance, neutrality, and probity are necessary to maintain the reputation for fairness of the Institute,

Be it resolved that: 

1. A Special General Meeting cannot be delayed or denied by the Institute when the threshold for calling a Special General Meeting has been met, in compliance with the Canada Not For Profit Act Regulations.

2. Similar to quasi-judicial tribunals, the Chair of the Special General Meeting shall be appointed from a roster of persons that are in concurrence by the opposing parties. The goal is to achieve neutrality of the Chair, whose presence will bring credit to the fairness of the proceedings and allow for the designated membership delegates to make their decisions based on the merits of the case as presented by each party.

3. To achieve this:

a. each party may recommend up to five persons to serve as Chair. This may include members internal to PIPSC and persons external to PIPSC, including professional Chairs, including retired judicial and legal personnel. Where there is agreement from both sides, one of those shall be selected. Costs for payment of the Chair shall be borne by the Institute, as are all other costs of the Special General Meeting.

b. Where there is no agreement on the selection of a person to serve as Chair, each party shall submit the names of another five persons to serve as Chair, and where there is agreement, one of those shall be selected.

c. To prevent a procedural stand-off if there is no agreement, after ten names from each side have been submitted and rejected, then the names of the ten persons provided by the defending party shall be submitted into a random draw, and one of those shall be drawn by the Executive Director. This provides for procedural fairness in that there is no potential for continual delay, which is in the favor of the Institute, and is balanced by any potential bias of the selected Chair being in favour of the defending party.

RSC: Recommends ruled Out of Order - Restricts the Board’s ability to call an SGM without having a one-on-one conflict. The complaining “party” could also drag out the process.

P-18 - Covid Info Campaign (E)

Whereas medical privacy was a long standing right for employees seeking accommodations prior to the COVID-19 injection mandate.

Whereas the threat of employer-imposed leave without pay has led to death by suicide, loss of homes, separation of loved ones, and loss of careers.

Whereas employer-imposed leave without pay due to medical mandates have been recognized as contrary to conditions of employment (as per the results of the Power Workers Union policy grievance in autumn 2021, where the Electrical Safety Authority's COVID-19 Vaccination Policy was found to be unreasonable),

Whereas legitimate reasons for declining approved drugs can include medical and religious, and religious reasons do not need to be objectively recognized as valid by other members of the same religion.

Be it resolved that PIPSC start an information campaign within 3 months of the 2024 AGM ending, to remind members of the right to medical privacy, and right to decline medical treatment for reasons of conscience.

Be it also resolved that this campaign includes but is not limited to: information resources on the PIPSC website from 6 months of the 2024 AGM ending that remain on the PIPSC website permanently, as well as social media presence.

RSC: Questions the legitimacy of some of these claims but finds no reason to not allow this resolution.

Legal: Out of Order 

By-Laws specifies that under the authority of the pertinent labour legislation, the primary functions of the Institute are collective negotiations, individual representational services and consultation with the employers of the members. 

Organizations have the discretion to determine the most appropriate and feasible accommodation measures within the bounds of what is considered "reasonable." The specific accommodation measures will depend on the unique circumstances and can be discussed with the affected individuals to find the most suitable solutions.

Members have no authority to decide on Institute staff working conditions.

P-19 - Covid Compensation (E)

Whereas PIPSC implemented a mandate throughout the PIPSC organization in 2021 to take 2 COVID-19 vaccination shots, or be on leave without pay (for PIPSC staff) or not be allowed to enter the PIPSC building or participate in PIPSC activities;

Whereas The PIPSC building and PIPSC activities are funded through all members' dues;

Whereas PIPSC has an ethical and moral obligation for administrative fairness to all PIPSC members;

Whereas PIPSC as a large labour focused organization is well placed to show positive leadership by example; and

Whereas The PIPSC organization includes PIPSC staff and PIPSC members;

Be it resolved that PIPSC make whole those in the PIPSC organization who were negatively affected by the PIPSC COVID-19 vaccination shot mandate, rescind the PIPSC mandate (not just suspend), and share this update publicly on the PIPSC website.

a) For those in the PIPSC organization who were prevented from participation in PIPSC activities, issue a formal apology on the PIPSC website.

b) For those in the PIPSC organization who disclose to PIPSC that they took the COVID-19 vaccination shot due to the PIPSC COVID-19 mandate and were injured from the COVID-19 vaccination shot, any sick time off used for diagnosis and treatment of those injuries are to be reimbursed by PIPSC based on that individual's salary at the time.

c) For PIPSC employees who were put on leave without pay (LWOP) due to this mandate, PIPSC to send them their back pay & replace their pension contributions for the time they were on LWOP, with interest (calculated for each weekday, using the prime rate of that day).

RSC: PIPSC has no mandate around Covid - we followed provincial & federal health authorities.

Legal: out of order

Against  BY-LAW 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 The fundamental aim of the Institute is to serve its members by acting as their collective bargaining agent and by representing them in relation to their individual and collective employment situation.  

Members have no authority to decide on Institute staff working conditions.  

PIPSC, as a non-profit organization under the CNCA, is legally mandated to provide reasonable accommodations as required by human rights laws and to adhere to federal and provincial human rights legislation.

P-20 - Covid Survey (E)

Whereas the employer implemented a mandate from in autumn 2021 to take 2 COVID-19 vaccination shots, or be on leave without pay;

Whereas PIPSC as a large labour focused organization is well placed to show positive leadership by example;

Whereas PIPSC has an ethical and moral obligation for administrative fairness to all PIPSC members;

Whereas PIPSC should operate in a fair & transparent & accountable manner in all of the decisions PIPSC makes, and PIPSC should ascertain the impacts to members from these decisions; and

Whereas there are still PIPSC members who have yet to be made whole;

Be it resolved that PIPSC surveys everyone who was a member at any time between September 2021 and the time of the survey related to the employer's COVID-19 vaccination mandate (and shares the results with everyone who was surveyed), to find statistics (including Group, Region, Department, age range, as of the start of implementation of the vaccination mandate) on:

a) who felt coerced,

b) who got placed on LWOP,

c) who took early retirement,

d) who resigned, and

e) who had what type of injury.

RSC: No Comment 

Legal Comment: Not in order with PIPSC Policy on Privacy as cannot collect and disclose this type of personal information (paragraph 5 of Policy on Privacy)

P-21 - Election Activities (E)

Whereas problems have arisen in the past which have caused embarrassment to candidates and the Institute; and

Whereas there is no recognition that an individual can be remorseful, live out their penance, and no longer have to wear their mistake for all to see; and

Whereas this lack of natural justice goes against the values of our organization,

Be it resolved that the following changes be made to the Policy on Election of Officers and Directors of the Institute, specifically:

6. Ballots and Electronic Records

Distribution of Ballots

Not later than twenty-one (21) days before the day fixed for the return of ballots, distribution of ballots, together with the appropriate biographical sketches, all founded complaint offenses, the discipline taken and the offender’s name, shall begin to be sent to each member entitled to vote.  There will be no requirement to include information of a founded offense when a candidate has exited their disciplinary period.

RSC: No Comment 

P-22 - Inclusion of Additional Grounds of Discrimination in the PIPSC Equity Statement (E)

Whereas the current PIPSC Equity Statement, while addressing significant areas of discrimination, does not encompass all the diverse aspects that can affect our members. By expanding the statement to include more grounds of discrimination, we can better reflect the inclusive values of PIPSC and ensure all members feel represented and supported, in particular those who  experience discrimination on the grounds that are presently not listed in the Equity Statement.

Whereas current Union's messaging related to the religious backgrounds allows exclusion of non-scriptural ways of spirituality such as First Nations ways of living, karmic laws followers, and other spiritual and conscience practices not connected to churches or religious leaders.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT PIPSC updates the Equity Statement to make it more inclusive and representative of the diverse membership we serve by modifying the following clause as shown below:

Clause in its present form:

Discriminatory speech or conduct which is racist, sexist, transphobic, or homophobic hurts and divides us. So too, does discrimination on the basis of disability, age, class, religion, language and ethnic origin.
 

Proposed extended clause (new and modified terms are underlined)

Discriminatory speech or conduct that targets individuals based on race, sex, gender,  ethnic origin,  , language, age, cultural  and  educational backgrounds, religious and other enlightenment conscious practices,  medical treatment and prophylactic preferences harms and divides us.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED PIPSC Revise Union's messaging related to the religious backgrounds to include non-scriptural ways of spirituality such as First Nations ways of living, karmic laws followers, and other spiritual and conscience practices not connected to churches or religious leaders.

RSC: No Comment 

Legal: Recommend to be ruled out of order

PIPSC equity statement in adherence with legal requirement.  As a non-profit organization incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, PIPSC is required to comply with existing legislation regarding discrimination. The Institute does not have the discretionary power to alter the legal definition of discrimination or add grounds of discrimination that are not recognized by law. Any attempt to do so would contravene the organization's legal obligations and would therefore be invalid. PIPSC must adhere to the grounds of discrimination defined by applicable legislation and cannot unilaterally adopt new ones through an internal resolution.

P-23 - Use of Non-Divisive Imagery on PIPSC Public-Facing Websites (E)

Whereas Through Spring and Summer 2024, PIPSC used the image of a person in mask on its website frontpage which  can be perceived by certain PIPSC member demographics as promoting  mask mandates and particular political messages, which are not welcomed by all members,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT PIPSC avoids using the images in its public communications that bring division among its members. This can be achieved by consulting members representing different (political, cultural, education) demographics.

RSC: No Comment

P-24 - Address High Fear of Reprisal Among Professionals Working on Policies Affecting All Canadians (E)

Whereas PIPSC mandate is to provide the highest quality representation to members by “vigorously safeguarding and promoting professional standards”

Whereas PIPSC supports the largest number of professionals in Public Sector (over 70,000 members) 

Whereas among all professionals that PIPSC supports there is a very small but very important group of professionals (estimated as less than 1000) who provide professional expert advice and recommendations for the medical products and policies that affect all Canadians (over 40 million people.

Whereas Canadians must be ensured that professionals who provide professional expert advice and recommendations for the medical products and policies that affect all Canadians work in environment that is free of political and industry interference, which according to PSES results and PHAC reports may not be the case.

Whereas Public Service Employment Survey (PSES) 2018, 2020, 2022 results show that the fear of reprisal in the units in the PHAC Center for Emergency Preparedness and Health Canada Marketed Health Products that develop policies related to health and life security of all Canadians is one of the highest in Public Service. 

Let it be resolved that PIPSC examines the problem of very high fear of reprisal not correlated with discrimination in areas of the public service that regulate health-related products and develop health-related policies, as urgently as logistically possible, and publish its findings. This can be achieved using available resources and committees (Professional Recognition and Qualifications Committee, Science Advisory Committee, Information Technology Services and Projects Committee) using the PSES results data and PIPSC membership data.

RSC: No Comment

Finance Comment: Pending

P-25 - Transparency and update related to PIPSC Statement supporting mandatory vaccinations (E)

Be it resolved that PIPSC provides minutes and all other available documents that show who and how decided to make a Statement, which was published on October 15, 2021, supporting Mandatory Vaccination Policy, including all sources and references that were used in making the decision.

Be it further resolved that PIPSC issues a new position statement with respect to the COVID-19 vaccines that is factual,  based on all available evidence related to safety, efficacy and necessity of COVID-19 vaccines as a COVID-19 infection prophylactic measure, taking into account that “evidence” obtained from the government sources may not be fully reliable as it could have been deliberately “fit” to predefined desired narrative.

RSC: No Comment

Legal: Comment Pending