We are proud to have participated in the CLC’s first Indgenous Lobby Day in April 2019. While this event isn’t possible this year, you can listen to our own Greg Scriver speak on its impact and importance.
Greg co-led this event and was interviewed recently on CBC Unreserved’s From the House to the Red Chamber: How Indigenous people make their voices heard on Parliament Hill.
This event was an important part of moving forward with truth and reconciliation – a key opportunity for Indigenous people and allies from coast to coast to coast to speak directly with elected officials.
Advocates called for the federal government:
to take action on Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and girls
to ensure clean drinking water
to create a national registry for survivors of residential schools
and to make September 30 a national holiday for education on residential schools and Truth and Reconciliation
Advocates brought attention and awareness to these issues, shared their own lived experiences and directly impacted our elected officials.
The Court of Queen’s Bench has ruled that Manitoba’s Public Services Sustainability Act violates the right to collective bargaining and is unconstitutional. This is a major victory for the province’s public servants.
Each day public servants go to work to protect and serve people in Canada in so many different ways. When COVID-19 struck, you were ready and you delivered.
President Debi Daviau is hosting a telephone town hall for federal public servants on Thursday, June 18.
It will be an opportunity to discuss how COVID-19 has affected the work of federal public servants, what PIPSC has been advocating for and where we go from here.
We’ll be answering your questions about plans to return to the workplace, health and safety, and other pandemic-related issues live on the call.
Our friend and colleague James Allan has passed away. We want to offer our deepest condolences to James’ family, friends, colleagues and fellow union members.
President Debi Daviau will be hosting a telephone town hall for federal public servants on Thursday, June 18. She’ll discuss how COVID-19 has affected the work of federal public servants, what PIPSC has been advocating for, and where we go from here.
We’ll be answering your questions about plans to return to the workplace, health and safety, and other pandemic-related issues live on the call.
Please join us for one of the following telephone town halls:
On June 21 we will mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, an occasion for us all to celebrate the cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
Summer Solstice is the time of year when many Indigenous groups celebrate their culture and heritage. It’s an opportunity to deepen our understanding and awareness of the unique adversities that Indigenous Peoples face and have overcome.
We encourage you to take action at home now to support Indigenous Peoples:
Research whose land you are on: the Whose Land tool will show you which colonized land you are occupying.
Support Indigenous businesses and services: find a local business where you can shop online or in person, following social distancing rules.
Attend virtual National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations: with family, friends and colleagues, check out summersolsticefestivals.ca for some great ideas.
Research Indigenous Peoples history and cultures: learn about their unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.
Canada has committed to a process of Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, this requires that we all do our part.
If you’d like to learn more please contact Greg Scriver, Canadian Labour Congress Indigenous Representative atgscriver@pipsc.ca.
LGBTQ2+ communities and allies have begun digital events to mark Pride 2020 - we want to amplify your voices.
Pride events across the country have been moved from our streets to the internet, but we are just as proud as ever. And when the time is right, we’ll all be back together, shoulder to shoulder, fighting for inclusive and safe communities.
Share your pictures with us using #PIPSCpride on Facebook and Twitter or email us at bettertogether@pipsc.ca by June 25.
We’ll reshare to amplify your voice, your message, your Pride event!
When you share your photos, we’ll put your name in a draw to win artwork from a Canadian LGBTQ2+ artist.
We are in no rush to have members return to the worksite until every precaution necessary has been taken and health authorities believe it is safe to do so.
PIPSC has been in discussions with the Treasury Board Secretariat on guidelines for returning to the workplace for several weeks. There is still no date for that return.
We don't see the reason to throw caution to the wind and return members to the workplace when they've been so productive working from home. It's a virtual world and federal public servants have proven their ability to be productive while working remotely.
Under no circumstance will we stand for compromised safety and that may mean it will take some time for you to return to the workplace. It also requires departments to be transparent and to work with our representatives on their plans to open up worksites.
If we don't feel confident that adequate health and safety measures have been put in place, such as distancing requirements and sanitation of common spaces like bathrooms and kitchens, or even the safety of ventilation systems and workspace airflow we will be pushing back.
For those of you who have been in the workplace this entire time, on the frontlines, we’re going to continue to push for adequate PPE and ensure you can refuse work if it is unsafe.
For parents, balancing work and childcare has been especially stressful. To mitigate the strain on families, the leave code 699 must be available while daycares and schools remain closed, voluntary or limited.
In areas where schools and daycares have reopened, families that do not feel comfortable sending their children should continue to have access to the leave code. We are calling for the short term flexible use of Code 699 to remain in place until the start of the new school year, to allow time for any negotiations required.
We will fight to ensure you have the leave you need made available. You shouldn’t have to choose between a pay cheque and taking care of your kids!
It goes without saying, that the employer must respect the collective agreements and all applicable legislation. And we will be identifying potential temporary measures, beyond existing collective agreement provisions, to adapt to the new reality of COVID-19.
This may mean finding opportunities to test innovative flexible work solutions. There might not be a one-size fits all solution in the future. A solution at one worksite may not be a solution in another, as regional, occupational and site specific facility requirements vary greatly. Whatever your situation, we will be here to help!
Philippe always wanted to be a chemist when he was a kid. Changing particles and experimenting with solutions always sparked his interest.
Little did he know, he would become an engineer for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), which would lead to exciting space innovations. Although he doesn’t work with chemistry every day, he loves his job.
“My main role is to look at special projects at the CSA to ensure all of the project parameters are being respected,” he says. “This allows me to assure Canadians that all the projects are responding to their needs.”
Philippe often works on space projects launching and monitoring satellites that provide us with important navigation data. These satellites enable increasingly accurate GPS and other radar systems whether you’re hiking, biking or commuting.
He enjoys working with his team to ensure public science is improving the quality of space technology.
Philippe is also a PIPSC steward. He helps his colleagues understand their collective agreements, and is there to support his coworkers when they are having issues at work.
He says one of the great privileges of being a union member is having access to the technology and resources he needs to do his best.
“At the space agency, we are privileged to have access to special programs and resources that we need,” he says.
When it comes to work-life balance, Philippe also appreciates the security that being a union member provides.
“Being part of an institution like PIPSC allows us to have proper representation for good working conditions,” he says. “In the last round of bargaining, the union was able to secure a wellness package that addresses workplace violence, which is security we wouldn’t have without PIPSC.”
Working in a healthy and safe environment ensures Philippe and his team can confidently do the work that’s important to Canadians.
He recognizes that research is important for our leadership in space technology. Specifically, the RADARSAT Constellation project at the CSA works to improve ship navigation and detection for the national defence of Canada.
“What I’m most proud of in my career is being placed at the centre of satellite operations at the space agency,” he says. “It’s a project that’s taken many years. We have undertaken many operations and launched satellites that have collectively improved our work on RADARSAT Constellation.”
Every day, Philippe and his team work in the public interest to ensure the progress of space innovation — leading the way to a brighter future and greater access to reliable technology for all Canadians.
