Update as of March 15 from the Treasury Board Secretariat: 

Managers are expected to consider telework for all their employees, at all worksites, and should work with them to identify an approach that is as flexible as possible while ensuring continued critical government operations and services to Canadians.  

Consistent with deputy head accountabilities, departments and agencies are asked to identify and determine how best to manage through exceptional situations (critical services requiring on-site presence; security limitations; or other operational imperatives for which no reasonable alternative to working on-site can be considered) that do not lend themselves to telework. 

Update as of March 14: 

PIPSC has been getting daily, sometimes hourly, updates from the employer and through our stewards and consultation teams.

President Daviau will continue to urge the Treasury Board to do everything in its power to ensure worksites are safe and the wellness of members is the top priority for those who are unable to telework at this time.

On March 13, Deputy Heads, Heads of Agencies (including separate employers), and Heads of Human Resources were asked to make arrangements to allow telework wherever possible. We expect this to take a number of days to arrange as this situation continues to evolve. It will likely be applied differently across departments and agencies due to the nature of their work.

Telework

The employer is striving to be as flexible as possible in leveraging all existing telework and alternative work arrangements in line with operational requirements.

President Daviau has raised concerns about access to VPN and the adequacy of IT infrastructure to support this change to work. We’ve been assured that the Treasury Board, Shared Services Canada and the Chief Information Officers are working to support remote work and prioritize network access tied to critical operations.

Leave

If you are in good health but are required by public health to self-isolate, please discuss telework with your manager. If telework is not possible, you will be granted leave with pay – under “other leave with pay (699 code)” as per your collective agreement.

Sick leave should be used in the case that you are ill. 

School closures

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Manitoba have announced school closures, and more provinces might enact similar measures. If you are unable to arrange childcare, please discuss telework with your manager. If telework is not possible, you will be granted leave with pay -– under “other leave with pay (699 code).”

This provision will be available for the duration of any school closures and reassessed by the employer on April 10, 2020. 

Travel

You must declare your intent to travel to your manager and take all precautions advised by public health with regard to restrictions and self-quarantine. An official global travel advisory is in effect: avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice.

Worksites

PIPSC is working closely with our stewards and consultation teams to ensure worksites are safe for members. If a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case occurs, our team is working quickly to ensure all members are safe and informed.

If you are working in a Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) building and may have a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case, please immediately contact PSPC’s National Service Call Centre. A response plan will be put in place immediately.

Mental health

The wellness of our members is always important, but at times like these, stress may become overwhelming. The employer is preparing extra resources to support teams across the government. 

Contact the 24-7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or your departmental coordinator, access care through the Public Service Healthcare Plan (PSHP), or use the nationwide Specialized Organizational Services (SOS).

Union support

This situation is evolving and changing rapidly. PIPSC staff and stewards are able to support you if you have any concerns. 

We encourage you to contact a steward by email or phone if you require support. 

This is an evolving situation

This situation is constantly evolving, PIPSC will cooperate with the Treasury Board, and all our group employers, to make sure that we are consulted and you are informed of any changes.

We expect to learn more over the next few hours, days and weeks. We are committed to informing you as soon as possible.

PIPSC members can find our latest updates on COVID-19: https://pipsc.ca/covid19

Government of Canada updates on COVID-19: https://www.canada.ca/covid-19

President of the Treasury Board, Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, announced on March 13 that federal employees will be allowed to telework as long as their job allows it. We are asking all PIPSC members to consult their respective managers to see how this new order applies to them.

For others whose presence at the workplace is vital to their job, we understand new directives will be sent out. Those still attending the work-site have been asked to self-monitor closely for any symptoms of the virus.

PIPSC and 14 other unions representing federal public servants called on the Treasury Board to take this action today. We are encouraged by today’s announcement. 

In a joint letter, the unions asked the Treasury Board to do its part to help “flatten the curve.” As per the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) guidelines, social distancing and proactive self-isolation are key components to mitigate the risks associated with a widespread viral outbreak.

We’ve asked for leadership from the Federal Government to make it clear to all departments and agencies that employees are encouraged to proactively self-isolate.

Furthermore, it must be clear that:

• Employees who self-isolate as per the PHAC guidelines and who are not able to telework are to be granted discretionary leave with pay in respect of circumstances not directly attributable to the employee. Such employees should not be forced to use personal leave, sick leave or go without pay if they are otherwise able to work.
• To facilitate telework, departments and agencies must provide for teleconference and other virtual meeting options.

PIPSC will be meeting with the President of the Treasury Board in the coming days. 

We have been getting daily updates from across the government. And we are concerned that potential and positive cases of COVID-19 have not been adequately communicated to public servants. We are asking that management be provided with the tools needed to quickly enact plans for these situations. 

With the increase in teleworking, we are raising our concerns regarding access to VPN and the adequacy of the IT infrastructure to support this change to work. 

For PIPSC members outside of the federal public service

PIPSC President Debi Daviau has sent a letter to all employers with PIPSC members on March 13 to clarify leave options and has strongly encouraged them to arrange remote work wherever possible. 

We expect to learn more over the coming days and will inform our members as soon as possible. 

PIPSC members can find our latest updates on COVID-19: https://pipsc.ca/covid19

Government of Canada updates on COVID-19: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Each year on March 20, we join with francophones around the world to celebrate the importance, beauty and diversity of the French language and cultures!

As an organization representing thousands of French-speaking public servants, we strongly support a worker’s right to work in their language of choice. And we continue to advocate for language training in the federal public service.

In our recent submission on the proposed changes to the Official Languages Act, we advocate for:

• the protection of both official languages, as well as indigenous languages
• the rights of all workers to work in their official language of choice
• the obligation to provide services in designated government offices in both official languages
• the reopening of the Bilingualism Bonus Directive to better support the use of both official languages amongst federal government employees

We are, however, concerned that:

• the federal government is failing to uphold bilingualism by not properly funding language training
• tools used for the daily activities are not always available in both official languages
• inequality in the evaluation of the second language abilities and language requirements on positions are leading to problems
• lack of a coordinated, well-funded language strategy for the federal public service is having a negative impact on our members’ career opportunities

We are committed to not only celebrating, but protecting and fighting for the French language in Canada! In its diversity and richness - On célèbre le français!

Our Task Force on Official Languages leads this important work and they welcome any questions or comments at gtlo_tfol@pipsc.ca.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Our staff has been assessing the situation on a daily basis and following recommendations laid out by all levels of government. 

We are closing PIPSC offices across the country, allowing most of our employees to work from home from March 16 until April 4, 2020. For the time being, some staff will attend the office for specific tasks. Staff have been prepared for this closure and have everything they need to continue their work. We will continue to assess the situation daily and take any further precautions as necessary. 

We are doing our part to limit non-essential travel and exposure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. All PIPSC union-related activities are postponed until further notice. This includes meetings, trainings and social events. If possible, we will replace meetings with teleconferences or web-conferences. Any travel for PIPSC-related activities is being cancelled at this time.

During this time, our staff are committed to supporting members and will continue to be available by email and phone. Mailboxes will be monitored. We continue to work hard on behalf of all PIPSC members.

During this stressful time, we want to thank PIPSC members for their cooperation – especially those working in the healthcare sector who are taking care of Canadians across this country.

As you are well aware, Phoenix pay errors will impact many public servants this tax season. It is most important that you get the answers and compensation that you deserve.

You are entitled to $200 in compensation for tax advice if you have experienced a Phoenix pay issue in the last year. We encourage all eligible members to seek the professional support needed to deal with any Phoenix-related tax issues and claim that expense.

If you received a T4 that contains errors, the Canada Revenue Agency FAQs outline the actions to take.

If you have paid tax penalties that you believe are a direct result of Phoenix errors, you can submit a claim for compensation.

For more information on Phoenix, visit www.pipsc.ca/phoenix.

At this year’s Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Convention, delegates will elect a new President to lead the labour movement. The PIPSC Board of Directors is proud to endorse Linda Silas, who has over 17 years of union leadership experience.

The Board is confident that she will be able to continue the high-impact work of Hassan Yussuff — current leader of the CLC — and is the best candidate to represent the interests of PIPSC members. Silas has been the President of the 200,000-strong Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) since 2003, was the President of the New Brunswick Nurses Union (NBNU) and is a graduate of l’Université de Moncton.

According to Silas, all workers need representation - from public servants to those in the gig economy. We couldn't agree more.

“Linda is exceptional in high-pressure environments, is a strong advocate of workers’ rights, and has the best understanding of public sector issues from her background as a nurse” says Debi Daviau, PIPSC President. “She is the leader we need to keep the labour movement pushing forward into a new decade of success.”

As an exceptional bilingual advocate who often comments on health, public service and labour issues, we recognize Linda as the foremost advocate on behalf of nurses and all workers across Canada.

At this time, all of our union meetings and events continue to take place. Any travel or meeting related to our union work is always voluntary. Please use your own discretion as to whether or not to adapt your activities.

We are in ongoing communication with the federal government on Coronavirus (COVID-19). A committee was created through the National Joint Council (NJC) to maintain a direct line of communication between the government and unions to ensure coordination and preparedness. 

This NJC committee had its first weekly meeting on March 6. The Treasury Board confirmed the development of an internal communication plan around the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The Treasury Board had already sent instructions to heads of human resources and labour relations across departments to deal with the situation. You should be receiving clear direction from your employer.

We will continue to advocate for clear communication from the federal government. 

It is important that we share responsibility for workplace wellness. This may include working from home or taking sick time. Wellness of our membership is paramount and we encourage you to contact your steward if you require support to manage an absence from the workplace due to potential illness.

For information on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) visit www.canada.ca/coronavirus or the website for your local health authority.

Many groups are bargaining now and members are working hard to get new collective agreements. You have the full solidarity and support of the 65,000 PIPSC members from coast, to coast, to coast.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Groups

All three of our Canadian Food Inspection Agency CFIA groups are now in the bargaining process.

• Informatics group
• Scientific and Analytical group
• Veterinary Medicine group

Their bargaining teams are currently working hard in collaboration with our professional negotiators to bring a resolution to their bargaining issues.

Computer Systems Group

Our Computer Systems (CS) Group has a Public Interest Commission (PIC) scheduled for June 22 & 23. The role of the PIC is to help both parties come to an agreement. Information sessions and rallies are currently being organized and this group will need everyone’s support, especially if they take on job actions to support their demands.

Manitoba Association of Government Engineers

The Manitoba Association of Government Engineers (MAGE) Group is now negotiating with the government of Manitoba. This provincial government has put forward Bill 28 which seeks to limit workers’ rights. However, wage increase must be negotiated – not legislated by governments. We are fighting Bill 28 in court to ensure our members maintain their right to collective bargaining.

If Bill 28 is not defeated, it would limit annual wage increases to 0% in the first and second years of the collective agreement, 0.75% increase in the third year and a 1% increase in the fourth year. This is well below the basic cost of living increases and is unacceptable.

Nav Canada Group

Nav Canada (NavCan) Group members and their bargaining team have worked hard and members voted March 10 to ratify their tentative agreement.

New Brunswick Groups

Our groups in New Brunswick are now heading into negotiations with the provincial government. Currently, there is a minority conservative government and an election could be called any time. We know these groups will fight hard to get a fair deal no matter the political climate they face.

Ontario Groups

Our members in the Ontario health sector and those working at the University of Ottawa are also beginning negotiations. Much like our members in Manitoba, these groups are up against a regressive provincial government. We are fighting Bill 124 in courts. This bill seeks to undermine workers’ rights by replacing collective bargaining with legislating wages. Bill 124 would cap all wage increase at 1%, below the cost of living. We are fighting back.

Our members working for the Senate, Museum of Nature, Museum of History and Museum of War are also getting ready to engage in negotiations with their respective employer.

We are standing together. Despite the resistance of employers or challenging political climates, we will not back down and we will deliver the best deal possible. We are 60,000 members strong and better together. Solidarity!

On February 11, 2020, the National Research Council (NRC) held a symposium in Ottawa to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The symposium celebrated women working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields across the federal government.

PIPSC Vice-President Norma Domey represented PIPSC at this milestone event as per her portfolios. The highlight of the celebration was a scientific poster session, with an opportunity to view and discuss results from over 100 projects led by women in research-based departments and agencies across the Government of Canada. 
 

Vice-President Domey was pleased to also network with PIPSC women involved in our Science Learning Lab which focuses on systemic solutions to remove barriers experienced by women in science across Canada.

PIPSC is proud to represent the many thousands of women working in STEM across the federal public sector and salutes their invaluable contributions to science and technology in Canada.
 

Government Selects SAP to work on the Next Generation Human Resources and Pay Solution Pilot

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat 
Mar 06, 2020, 11:01 ET     

OTTAWA, March 6, 2020 - Every public servant deserves to be paid accurately and on time. That is why the government is working on creating a long-term, sustainable, and efficient human resources and pay solution that meets the diverse needs of federal employees across Canada.

Today, the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Digital Government, announced that SAP has been selected to work with the government on a pilot to test the real complexities of the government's HR and pay requirements. This follows a rigorous evaluation process involving three qualified vendors undertaken over the past several months.

SAP will work with the Government of Canada on a pilot to test a potential HR and pay solution against the real complexities of the government's HR and pay requirements.

All three vendors – SAP, Ceridian and Workday – remain part of the qualified list of suppliers for future HR and pay work with the government.

Public servants, as well as bargaining agents, have been involved throughout the process and the government is committed to continuing to work with them in the next stages of the project. Long-term work to stabilize the Phoenix Pay System will continue with Public Services and Procurement Canada.
 

"Canada's hard-working employees should be paid accurately and on time. Today's announcement is an important milestone towards building an efficient next generation solution that is better aligned with the complexity of the federal government's HR and pay structure. I am focused on moving this forward while taking the time to get it right."

- The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Digital Government
 

"This marks a significant step towards building an HR and pay solution that works. Our members have been called on to support building a new solution that serves their needs, and I am pleased to see that there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

- Debi Daviau, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
 

"Building on the progress that has already been made, our focus remains on eliminating the backlog and stabilizing the Phoenix pay system, even as the Government takes significant steps towards finding a future solution. Stabilizing the current pay system and ensuring that employees are supported throughout the process are essential requirements for a smooth and successful transition to any new pay system."

- The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement
 

"Team SAP looks forward to continuing to work with public servants, unions and employees on a modern, digital solution — one that will meet the needs of the Federal Public Service and its employees."

- Andy Canham, President of SAP Canada

SOURCE: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat