The public service is an important driver in the Canadian economy.

Governments, worldwide, tout cuts to the public service as a key tool for cutting deficits or balancing budgets. But it turns out that’s far from the case. In reality, investments in the public service benefit the economy.

A recent report from IRIS (Institut de recherche et d’information socioéconomiques), a research institute in Quebec, shows that each dollar invested in the Canadian public service raises the GDP by $1.22 and benefits provincial economies.

Every dollar invested in the federal public service translates to economic gains. Federally, for every million dollars invested in the federal public service there are benefits of $1.77 M.

Most significantly, in Alberta and Nova Scotia, for every million dollars spent on the federal public service there are economic benefits of $2.26 Million and $2.07 Million, respectively.”

READ THE REPORT

The report assessed public sector employment trends going back as far as the post-war era. And makes clear that the Canadian economy would benefit from increased hiring in the federal public service, stating that the 25,000 jobs cut by Harper in 2011 have not been replaced.

The Harper-era cuts were wrong-headed, dollar for dollar. Spending on public services generates more residual jobs and growth than spending on other industries.

A large number of secure jobs stabilize the volatility of the private sector and mitigate the pain of negative shocks that are inevitable in industries such as manufacturing and resource extraction.

“The public sector is a tool that governments can use to achieve full employment, by providing high-quality jobs that have a beneficial effect on economic growth in general and on the resilience of regions that are less diversified.”

In the recent budget, the Alberta government has announced a 7.7% cut to their provincial public service over the next four years. This will mean the loss of 1588 jobs.

A strategy proven ineffective under Harper will be no more successful today in Alberta. In an already volatile, resource-dependent economy, cuts to the public service will exacerbate challenges and do little to balance the budget.

We stand in solidarity with public servants in Alberta. We oppose austerity measures at all levels of government. And, we are working for a thriving economy that benefits all people in Canada.

Weathering this Phoenix storm has not been easy, we know. We’re all in this together and we are working hard to make sure a range of resources are available for you.

We’ve updated our information on the actions you can take to have Phoenix errors addressed.

Help with Phoenix

We are making advances. The new compensation deal has allowed members to receive up to five days in additional paid vacation time. The agreement also provides a claims process that will be available soon. We will support you to get back every dollar you are owed.

If you are struggling now to make ends meet, emergency pay is still available from your employer and we are ready to help you access it. We also offer loans to members especially impacted by Phoenix.

We know the stress of dealing with Phoenix is real and impacts your lives. Your union is with you.

We want you to have the resources you need.

If you are in crisis, please call Crisis Services Canada:

1-833-456-4566

Services are available in both French and English.

It is ok to not be ok. There is support to help you deal with Phoenix errors, make a claim to get the money you are owed, get emergency pay and talk to someone about the toll this is all taking. You deserve all the support you need. It’s for you.

We will continue to pull together to put this Phoenix disaster behind us. And we will continue to celebrate the incredible contributions you make to our country despite these challenges! We are better together.

President’s Opening Address 

President Debi Daviau gave a vibrant bilingual address. 

This 100^th AGM is an amazing milestone to celebrate.  

In the past year, PIPSC members have many achievements to celebrate including:

• new collective agreements for most members, 
• historic paid leave for survivors and victims of domestic violence, 
• increases in parental leave, 
• new language in our contracts, recognizing the right to work in a place free from harassment, 
• pay increases
• $400 compensation for late implementation of these agreements
• creation of the Nursing Service Response Centre for nursing professionals working in remote regions
• a settlement on Phoenix, giving every member paid by that broken system an extra week of paid vacation
• a commitment to a new claims process that will repay our members for every cent of financial impact from Phoenix
• $117 million towards a new pay system that works
• PIPSC co-chairs the steering committee overseeing the building of a new pay system
• Increased approval from members in recent member survey

President Daviau outlined some priorities for the coming year:

• supporting bargaining groups still at the bargaining table
• tackling outsourcing by targeting a root cause that is staffing in the public service
• continued work on pay equity 
• fighting hard to protect pensions with the launch of a new campaign 
• securing a good plan for sick leave in the new Employee Wellness Support Program
• working hard to get back every cent owed from Phoenix
• analyzing how Artificial Intelligence will impact jobs 

PIPSC members have 100 years of progress to stand on, and we’re going into the next century stronger than ever. 

Let’s get to work!

Ottawa, November 7, 2019 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) will hold its 100^th Annual General Meeting on November 8 and 9 in Gatineau.

This year’s theme is Leading Progress. PIPSC will be marking its centennial by celebrating its members’ leadership in creating progress in Canada. 

“What an amazing milestone to celebrate. We have been leading progress for 100 years and we will continue to build on that strong foundation,” said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “Our members expect to see us out front, working hard to deliver for them. And that’s exactly what we continue to do.”

The Institute is proud to welcome as this year’s keynote speaker Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, and receive a presentation from David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, on PIPSC’s membership survey.  

Event: 100^th Annual General Meeting

Where: Hilton Lac Leamy Conference Centre, Gatineau (QC)

When: November 8^th and 9^th, 2019

Media events: Friday November 8^th

• Address by PIPSC President Debi Daviau at 8:40 a.m.
• Address by Abacus CEO David Coletto at 9:15 a.m.
• Address by CLC President Hassan Yussuff at 9:50 a.m. 

Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.

-30-

For further information:

Johanne Fillion, (613) 228-6310 ext 4953 (office) or (613) 883-4900 (cell), jfillion@pipsc.ca

NOTES:

1. The speeches at the AGM will be available for live viewing on the PIPSC Facebook Page. 
2. Learn more about the PIPSC 100^th Annual General Meeting (2019) 
3. Hashtag: ‪#‎PIPSCAGM

The first ever PIPSC Women in Science Learning Lab brought together women and non-binary people in federal Public Sector science. Participants from across regions and groups met to take on the challenges they face in the workplace.

This three-day collaboration of 30 scientists created a new toolkit and some strategic micro projects.

The event opened with leadership stories from:

• Ms. Rumina Velshi, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission 
• Nancy Hamzawi, Assistant Deputy Minister for Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Norma Domey, National Vice President, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada 

Participants focused on systemic solutions to remove barriers experienced by women in science to create micro-projects in their own workplaces. These projects focus on:

• modernizing parenthood policies in the public service

• reviewing gender bias in internal research funding

• creating a tool to set up a women in science network in your own workplace
• developing regional learning labs
• changing culture in scientific integrity using an equity, diversity and inclusion lens
• advocating for gende-inclusive bathrooms in public workplaces
• Implementing a Women in Science mentorship program

Learning Lab participants also developed the Women in Science toolkit which will provide resources, tools to develop workplace allies and links to existing mentorship programs. This toolkit responds to the barriers identified in the 2018 PIPSC Report, Women in Public Sector Science: From Analysis to Action.

Stay tuned for updates as the Women in Science micro-projects roll out over the next few months!

PIPSC and Treasury Board have come to an agreement on the implementation of your new Parental Leave allowance gains that were achieved during this round of negotiations.

The new parental allowance provisions are currently applicable to the AV, NR, RE, SH, SP, CNRC (LS, IR, RO-RCO, TR), CRA (AFS), OSFI, CNSC (NUREG), NEB and NFB collective agreements. Information on your group’s negotiation process is available on your group page.

On November 18, 2019, the new extended parental leave allowance and the additional shared weeks available under Employment Insurance and QPIP will be implemented.

This implementation date determines whether the 2014-18 collective agreement language or new 2018-2020 collective agreement language will apply to the employee’s parental allowance. If an employee starts parental leave on or after November 18, 2019 the new language will apply, if the leave starts before November 18, 2019 the old language will apply to the entire allowance. 

We have sought to address many common questions and parental allowance scenarios.

For more information, review the Frequently Asked Questions.

Watch our Parental Leave Webinar outlining key changes to the parental leave policy, eligibility requirements, and strategies for accessing it.

If you still require clarifications contact your steward. 

On October 8 and 9, 2019, the Mobilization team hosted two English and two French information session for PIPSC activists, in order to promote the new tools and resources available on the Action site.

The Mobilization team created a Better Together toolkit. This digital tool is designed to help members, from all levels of engagement, organize a successful outreach activity in their workplace. 

During the webinars, members had the chance to review the site, talk to the Mobilization team and review some of the mechanisms created for them. 

If you missed this great opportunity, you can watch the webinars here:
 

If you have questions about the toolkit or ideas on how to make this kit a success, please contact Andria Desjardins, adesjardins@pipsc.ca

Last week, PIPSC President Debi Daviau had her first face-to-face discussion with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. It was a positive meeting that bodes well for our future work together on workplace improvements for our RCMP members.

While the focus of the meeting was the proposed transition to the Phoenix pay system, they covered many issues. Commissioner Lucki seems to be genuinely in touch with and concerned about the wellbeing of the RCMP workforce. President Daviau took the time to clearly lay out the profound apprehensions and opposition to the transition to Phoenix. Commissioner Lucki expressed concern over the transition and outlined the many questions she had brought forward to the Treasury Board and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Commissioner Lucki reported that she is committed to monitoring Phoenix testing and ensuring that it is rigorous. She does not want to transfer members until she is convinced the system is sound.

“We must remain very vigilant and continue to monitor the situation closely,” said President Daviau. “There is no reason to add anyone to the failing Phoenix pay system.”

President Daviau and your PIPSC representatives will be keeping a close eye on this issue over the coming months and will communicate any additional information received.

This year marks our 100th anniversary as a union committed to leading progress. 

To celebrate the role that members like you play in protecting and supporting communities, we invited Ottawa artist Ryan Smeeton to create a mural that represents the diverse work you do. 

Over the course of a month, Ryan worked to paint 100 years of progress. In this piece, he captured the importance of our members’ work and the spirit of PIPSC. 

“My goal is to create a mural that captures the spirit of PIPSC’s purpose: building community to act collectively to improve its members’ lives,” he said. “I represent this in my design with a linear composition featuring three figures; the first figure is seen pouring seeds from her palm, the second is seen holding a sapling, and the third is seen gazing out into the future.”

Ottawa photographer Cory Conty worked by Ryan’s side to develop a video time-lapse of the mural from concept to creation — truly bringing the project to life. 

At PIPSC, we’re excited to be kicking off a new century of accomplishment with a mural that honours the impacts of our members over the last 100 years. 

We will continue to celebrate our century of success at our AGM this November. 

We thank Ryan for helping us bring this mural to life, Cory for the stunning footage, and our neighbours at Dustbane for supporting this project. 

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada's President Debi Daviau committed to collaborating with the new government and all parties holding the balance of power to retain a strong public service.

“Canadians have voted for a Parliament that believes in maintaining a strong public service,” says Daviau. “We look forward to working with all parties to ensure our members can deliver the services Canadians rely on.” 

As co-chair of the committee overseeing the replacement of Phoenix, President Daviau will continue to push this project to the finish line.

“Phoenix is a top priority for our members — we must remain laser-focused on building a system that pays public servants correctly and on time. We’re eager to get back to work and ensure this project stays at the top of the agenda.” 

Daviau is confident that PIPSC can collaborate effectively to ensure that the federal public service meets the growing needs and aspirations of all Canadians in the years ahead. She outlined PIPSC’s top priorities that she looks forward to discussing with the new Cabinet: 

• Reducing costly and wasteful outsourcing of government consultants
• Ensuring that Canada’s public scientists have the resources they need to help our country face difficult health and environmental challenges ahead
• Giving the Canada Revenue Agency and our members the resources they need to collect the billions of dollars lost every year because of tax loopholes

“We have much work to do,” says Daviau. “We will hold this minority government to account demanding tax fairness, ensuring investment in public science and ending the reliance on outsourcing in the public service.” 

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents 60,000 public service professionals across Canada. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.

-30-

For further information: 

Johanne Fillion, 613-228-6310, ext 4953 or 613-883-4900 (cell), jfillion@pipsc.ca