Ottawa, September 26, 2019 – Ninety-four percent of federal scientists say climate change is a crisis in need of immediate action. Only 20% of them think Canada is doing enough to fight and mitigate the climate crisis.

The results are from a survey conducted by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, the union representing 60,000 professionals including Canada’s public scientists. 

“We’re facing a global climate crisis – with fires, floods and extreme weather threatening us all,” said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “Canada’s public service has some of the world’s best climate scientists and they can give us the solutions to climate change that we need.” 

Daviau argued that Canada’s climate scientists need the necessary resources to do their jobs, but billions of dollars in public funds are being lost every year because of tax loopholes that let corporate cheats duck paying their fair share.

We now have the number of scientists restored, after the previous government’s deep cuts, but we can’t risk leaving them unresourced in the face of climate crisis.

“Nine out of 10 Canada Revenue Agency tax professionals say it is easier for corporations and wealthy individuals to evade or avoid tax responsibilities than it is for average Canadians,” said Daviau. “Do the math. If we close the tax loopholes, we can fund climate action. In this election, we’re calling on voters to elect MPs that are committed to tax fairness and climate action.” 

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

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For further information: 

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

Morgan Cranny, SP, admits he doesn’t usually prioritize wage increases when it comes to bargaining. He considers his wages fair, and is most interested in negotiating for increases in leave to allow for work-life balance.

But this year is different.

Morgan lives in Victoria, BC, where the cost of living continues to rise and the city has become an expensive place to live. Without an annual increase his wages each year are worth less – as though his wages are cut each year.

Like most groups, this round of central bargaining has resulted in a total increase of 8% for Morgan over the next four years. “This is a great increase, and I feel grateful to have this secured with the uncertainty of the federal election, “says Morgan.

“I know that the original proposal from the employer was very low, so I’m appreciative of the hard work of the bargaining team. It was a really good round of bargaining overall,” Morgan continued. The increase in leave and the expansion of the definition of family are both really important wins.

Issues common across all groups negotiating with the Treasury Board were strategically addressed at one central bargaining table. This process allowed us to win on wage increase, family leave, anti-harassment measures and many other areas. Today, 14 groups have signed their new collective agreements which include central and group-specific wins.

PIPSC marks the 50th anniversary of the coming into effect of the Official Languages Act on September 7, 1969, and the 10^th anniversary of the Linguistic Duality Day celebrated annually on the second Thursday of September throughout the public service of Canada.

The act establishes the equality of status of French and English. Accordingly, it sets out broad principles with respect to official languages in the federal public service.

Our overall position is that PIPSC supports bilingualism both as an organization, as demonstrated by our Policy on Official Languages, and in the public service of Canada.

Specifically, we support:

• The protection of both official languages, as well as Indigenous languages.
• The rights of all workers to work in their official language of choice – including full-time or part-time public servants and government contractors.
• The obligation to provide services in designated government offices in both official languages – whether service delivery is effected by full time or part-time public servants or government contractors.
• The work of the National Joint Council (NJC) on the upcoming reopening of the Bilingualism Bonus Directive, with an aim to better support the use of both official languages amongst federal government employees.

On March 2019, the government undertook a consultation exercise to review the Official Languages Act where PIPSC shared its views on improvements needed. Also, PIPSC staff and elected officials have participated in a town hall and forums, as well as joined other stakeholders at the Symposium on the 50^th anniversary of the Official Languages Act.

At the June Board of Directors’ meeting, PIPSC established a Standing Committee on Official Languages responsible for advising and making recommendations to the Board. The committee’s mandate will be presented and adopted at 2019 PIPSC AGM in November.

PIPSC’s Committee on Official Languages welcomes your comments and questions. Email us at gtlo_tfol@pipsc.ca.

We are celebrating big wins!

You give your best in your workplace and to your family, each and every day. We went into these negotiations to get agreements that acknowledge and support this – and we got results.

14 groups across Canada have signed their new collective agreements:

Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP)

Audit, Financial and Scientific (AFS)

Audit, Commerce, Purchasing (AV)

Engineering, Architecture and Land Survey (NR)

Health Services (SH) 

National Energy Board (NEB) 

National Film Board (NFB) 

National Research Council – Research Officer/Research Council Officer (NRC-RO/RCO) 

National Research Council – Information Services (NRC-IS)

National Research Council – Library Science (NRC-LS) 

National Research Council – Translation (NRC-TR) 

Research (RE) 

Nuclear Regulatory (NUREG) 

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) 
 

Each of these collective agreements will include all of the central bargaining wins.

Major Central Bargaining wins:

• A base wage increase of 7% for all groups over the next 4 years — in addition to the wage increase negotiated at your group’s table.
• A historic win of 10 paid days of leave for survivors and victims of domestic violence.
• Each member with a ratified contract will receive a $400 compensation for the extended implementation of this new contract.
• Language on harassment that for the first time in the Canadian public service enshrines the right of a worker to a workplace free of harassment and violence.
• PIPSC collaboration with Treasury Board to replace Phoenix is secured.
• Members returning to work from parental leave will no longer be obligated to repay top-up if they move between departments and agencies for a new role.
• If you are owed retroactive pay and you do not receive it within 180 days compensation of $50 will be award on day 181 and again every 90 days to a maximum of $450.

Some of our fellow union members continue their fight at the bargaining table. We stand together in enthusiastic solidarity insisting on a fair deal for every PIPSC member.

OTTAWA, September 16, 2019 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), in its election ad, is calling on federal parties to commit to closing corporate tax loopholes to pay for action on the climate crisis.

“We are facing a global climate crisis,” said President Debi Daviau, “and we have some of the best climate scientists in the world in our public service. They can give us the solutions to climate change that we need. But they need the resources to do the job.”

80% of Canadians and 90% CRA tax professionals agree: “it is easier for corporations and wealthy individuals to evade and/or avoid tax responsibilities than it is for average Canadians.” 

In a video released today, the union calls for closing the tax loopholes that allow corporate tax cheats to duck paying their fair share. 

PIPSC will be sharing the video directly with members and with the Canadian public through social media, calling on voters to make tax fairness and climate action the deciding issues of this election. 

“Visit our website, share the video, get informed on the issues and get out to ask candidates tough questions about the future of our country,” said Daviau. “We need to come out of this election with a government that protects public services and respects the people who provide them.”

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

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For further information: 

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

1. What’s PIPSC doing for members?

Since Phoenix was launched in 2016 dedicated PIPSC stewards, staff and consultation team members have worked tirelessly to:

• Help hundreds of members resolve their pay issues, file individual grievances, and submit policy grievances on behalf of all affected members

• Lobby the government to hire more pay staff in workplaces to resolve members’ problems faster

• Demand the government adopt a new pay system that works – ASAP

• Rally members to promote one

• Advocate that a new system be led by members of PIPSC’s IT community

• Promote members’ concerns to the media

• Mobilize members to take action online

• Provide loans to members especially hard hit

• Insist the government pay damages to all affected members

• Fight for better access to emergency and priority pay, an end to regressive clawbacks of overpayments, coverage for all out-of-pocket expenses, and prompt payment of retro pay – to name only a few.

2.Can’t we go back to using the old pay system?

The Harper government dismantled the old system and fired the pay professionals who managed it before the Trudeau government flipped the switch on Phoenix. This meant there was no contingency plan in place to address pay problems.

3.Why don’t we just strike?

It is illegal for any union or its membership to strike during the life of their collective agreement. Members who take illegal job action could be fined, disciplined or even terminated.

4. Why can’t we sue the government?

As a union, we have a legal contract with the government that stipulates how disputes are to be processed. By law, union members are not allowed to join class action lawsuits against their employer. Together with other unions, however, we are aggressively pursuing the Treasury Board for payment of damages to all affected members.