(Translated from French)
Hello all,
Here are some news from the Québec S&A Sub-Group Executive!
A round of labour/management consultations has just concluded. At the end of each round, we will share with you the highlights, as well as general information.
COVID-19: Return to the Workplace
Many are concerned about how the CFIA will manage the return to the workplace as the pandemic draws to a close. The idea that telework is here to stay has been around for a long time and the April 13 Update on the Future of Work at CFIA confirms this. This was reiterated at the Virtual General Assembly on April 27. It appears that those whose work lends itself well to telework will be able to continue to do so if they wish, and that those who wish to return to the office will be able to do so as well. Hybrid modes are also on the table. To be followed.
Supervision and Task Allocation, QOC
A recent decision presented to us as coming from Treasury Board says that our VM colleagues cannot be supervised by SRs. The contrary is possible, however. This decision led the QOC to make a significant change in the “Operations Center Specialists” unit under Senior Director Louis-Philippe Vaillancourt. This unit is currently composed of a “Food” team (under Marie-France Cordeau, SR-05) and an “Animal and Plant Protection” team (under Éric-Rémi Girard, SR-05). Since Eric-Rémi’s team is made up of VMs and SRs, and since Eric-Rémi is a veterinarian himself, management has decided that he will soon be designated VM-05. However, management also decided to add an SR-05 “Food and Plant Protection” position to the unit to adequately cover SRs. There will be some lateral moves that will result in VMs being supervised by a VM and SRs by SRs in the end.
This move is good news locally, but we are following up on the Treasury Board decision to understand its basis and scope. This weakens some of our members who are currently supervising VMs. We also would not want SRs to be “stuck” under VM-05s with no opportunity for advancement.
In the same unit, the recent retirement of a VM employee led QOC management to reflect on the division of her tasks. Food export duties will be transferred to a new SR-03 position and the VM position will be responsible only for veterinary aspects related to meat exports. The creation of this new SR-03 position is good news.
We encourage SR members interested in these positions to express their interest to the Senior Director. Rest assured that the EC has already stressed the importance of implementing the principles of equity and accessibility in all opportunities that will precede these staffing processes.
SR Role Descriptors
PIPSC issued an update on the new SR job description file on April 22. Click here to watch.
New Collective Agreement
The current collective agreement expires this year, at the end of September. A new round of collective agreement negotiations will begin shortly. Difficult negotiations can be expected in the current inflationary context where purchasing power is being eroded day by day. You will be formally consulted prior to the start of negotiations via an online survey, as usual. However, Hugo is a member of the National Bargaining Committee and you can contact him now to share your ideas and suggestions.
Feel free to reach out to us should you have questions or concerns.
Happy Spring to all!
Your Québec RH Sub-Group Executive—PIPSC
Judith, Julie, Nathalie and Hugo