OTTAWA, March 19, 2019 -- Budget 2019 makes a significant investment in fixing the problems of the current Phoenix pay system, but falls short in announcing new funding for the government’s replacement, says the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC).
“Despite a commitment in the Budget to replace Phoenix, the absence of any major funding to ensure it happens without delay is a disappointment to our members,” says PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “Funds to help employees with their pay problems are welcome but provide only a short-term plan to deal with what remains a three-year-old crisis. Our members need to know there is light at the end of this nightmarish tunnel. The government is still paying for the mistakes of the past rather than investing in a fix for the future.”
In its final Budget before the next election, the federal government has also left undone much of the job of restoring the public service to levels that would ensure tax fairness and adequate investment in public science.
While the Budget invests an additional $77 million a year in the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) to, among other things, combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, the Agency’s budget remains almost $500 million less than in 2012. “The Budget’s investment at the CRA will not go far to address much-needed training and technological improvements to catch offshore tax cheats and enforce tax fairness,” says Daviau.
The government deserves praise for replenishing the ranks of federal scientists, engineers and researchers over the past three years – 1,500 of which positions had been lost due to cuts under the former government. But actual spending – in particular, on government R&D – is lower today than it was under the Harper government. “Canada needs more, not less, federal government science and we are very disappointed that this budget makes little investment in government research and development,” said Daviau.
With collective bargaining underway and many public servants still stung by Phoenix and the impacts of Harper-era budget cuts, the government needs to do better to ensure the public service is restored and that our members’ demands for better pay protections, improved family leave and stronger safeguards against workplace harassment are among its own priorities. The current budget leaves a lot to be desired.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents approximately 60,000 public service professionals across Canada, most of them employed by the federal government.
Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter (@pipsc_ipfpc).
For further information: Johanne Fillion, 613-228-6310, ext 4953 or 613-883-4900 (cell), jfillion@pipsc.ca
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PIPSC marked the third anniversary of Phoenix, in February 2019, with a National Week of Action. Members organized events in their workplaces, hosted meet and greets, and President Debi Daviau made our voices heard loud and clear in her call for sufficient funds in the next budget to ensure Phoenix’s replacement proceeds without delay.
“President Debi Daviau held a press conference Monday on Parliament Hill to provide an update on the third anniversary of the failed Phoenix pay system. Daviau called for the proper funding allocation in the federal budget 2019 to ensure a smooth implementation of the overhauled pay system.” reported Global News.
CTV News reports, “civil servants this month are marking three years since the initial roll-out of Phoenix, which resulted in more than half of federal employees being overpaid, underpaid or not paid at all.”
“The Phoenix system was launched three years ago across a limited number of government departments with the goal of streamlining what had become a cumbersome, out-of-date structure. It was also supposed to save taxpayers $70 million annually by eliminating the jobs of thousands of pay advisers,” reports Canada’s National Observer.
The article continued, “the combined cost of implementing the system and subsequently trying to stabilize it is now estimated to exceed $1 billion.”
The Star reported, “unless cash is earmarked this spring for a new system to pay federal employees, the tens of thousands of workers affected by the current system’s problems could be left in limbo for months, or even years, the head of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada warned.”
“Daviau said the government appears to be on a “fast track” toward finding a new system to replace Phoenix, having trimmed the list of prospective vendors down to three,” reported The Globe and Mail.
You can see President Daviau’s complete press announcement on CPAC.
From hospitals and highways, to courthouses and bridges, Mike Pauley has helped build some of New Brunswick’s most important public infrastructure. As a professional engineer for New Brunswick’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Mike manages large projects that are usually highly political and controversial.
Being an engineer was a logical choice for Mike when it came time to pick a career. “I like to fix things, and I like to solve problems. I also like to play with big toys,” he says, laughing. As it turns out, Mike is very good at solving problems – the bigger the better. And his current work is as much about diplomacy – listening to and managing stakeholders – as the science of engineering.
“My work begins when people come to me with a concept. For example, we need to build a psychiatric hospital in Campbellton. I would look at that and then go through all of the processes right from concept to completion and make sure everybody gets what they need,” says Mike.
It’s often a tricky balance that involves keeping stakeholders involved and engaged, while making sure environmental and other codes and standards are carefully adhered to. Ultimately, the goal is always to deliver a project that serves the public’s interests.
“When you’re managing these major infrastructure projects, I think the public has to take comfort in the fact that they have a person who works for the province who is going to do the right thing in their eyes,” he says.
Mike’s pride is apparent when he talks about the Petticodiac River Project in Moncton. The $61 million project will see a bridge replace a 50-year-old causeway – undoing decades of environmental damage. The causeway had blocked the river flow – causing massive silt buildup, restricting fish migration, and diminishing one of the area’s biggest tourist attractions – the ‘tidal bore’. It’s taken years to get the project funded, get stakeholders on board and do all of the environmental assessments, but ground finally broke last year. The new bridge and a healthy river will be part of Mike’s career legacy.
“I feel a great sense of pride in the work. There’s a great sense of accomplishment at the end of a project when you get to see people that utilize the work that you do to actually improve their lives,” he says.
It’s not just the engineering work Mike loves – being active in his union is also a big part of his job satisfaction. He’s been actively involved with PIPSC since 1996, and a steward since 1998. “The reason I became as active as I am is because I really enjoy helping people,” he says. “I like making sure that the employer knows what it takes to keep people happy in their jobs. It’s not always about money. It’s about self-esteem, development and the profession itself.”
For Mike, the union is as strong as its members. “I keep telling people that we are the union, and as long as we keep supporting each other, we’ll have a better time at work.”
08 March 2019
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY traces back to the 1900s, rising from the labour movements in North America and Europe, signaling a growing movement for women to participate equally in society. The United Nations recognized 1975 as International Women's Year and began celebrating International Women's Day on March 8, later adopting a resolution designating March 8 as International Women's Day.
It is an opportunity to celebrate the progress made to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment and to reflect on the improvements made and strive for momentum towards gender equality worldwide. It is a day to recognize the extraordinary acts of women and to stand together, as a united force, to advance gender equality around the world.
This year's theme for calls for action, to harness the power of technology to create a more equal world. Innovation and technology represent opportunities, but trends show a growing gender digital divide and women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and design (STEM). It is a barrier to developing and influencing gender-responsive innovations and achieve transformative gains. It is imperative to remove the barriers facing women in STEM, so new ideas and solutions will be unleashed that will transform our society and strengthen our economy.
PIPSC invites members to celebrate, recognize and acknowledge the achievements of women in their life!
#IWD2019 #WomensDay #InnovateForChange #BalanceforBetter #WIKI4WOMEN
Status of Women Canada
https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/iwd-jif/theme-en.html
United Nations - International Women’s Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/index.shtml
UNESCO - Priority Gender Equality
https://en.unesco.org/genderequality
PIPSC 2019 Human Rights and Diversity Committee
Email chrd-cdpd@pipsc.ca
This year to mark International Women’s Day, we’re asking members like you to share your family leave story.
How did family leave help or hinder you?
Did it even exist when you needed it?
Sharing your experience helps your bargaining team and shows the employer just how much you value and depend on family leave.
In 2001, President Debi Daviau had to fight hard for her right to parental leave.
Her third baby, Jesse, was on the way when her employer refused to implement new legislation that extended parental leave top-up pay from six to twelve months as provided for in the collective agreement.
Despite continued efforts, the compensation advisor was refusing to implement the change. Finally, President Daviau convinced her colleagues in the Employment Insurance Branch of then HRDC to write a briefing note that her ADM used to ensure 12 months of top-up parental leave pay for herself and every other expecting parent in the department!
This fight kick-started President Daviau’s involvement in our union.
No one should have to fight to take care of their family.
We all expect the federal government to be a model employer and ensure employees are able to give their best in the workplace and to their families
It’s time for your employer to do better. You deserve improved family leave. Tell us about your experience.
Learn more about our current round of negotiations and the Do Better Campaign here:
https://pipsc.ca/dobetter
The results of the 2018 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) are in and, as with last year’s results, offer food for thought on the government’s progress (or lack of it) in some key areas of concern to PIPSC members.
While in previous years (2017 and 2014) 18% and 19% of respondents respectively reported being a victim of harassment, in 2018 only 15% reported the same. However, since the reporting period covered in the most recent survey was changed from two years to one, these results are not comparable.
More tellingly, perhaps, satisfaction with how harassment is dealt with in departments is viewed positively by only 48% of respondents to the PSES.
The survey also reveals significant differences based on gender. Women reported experiencing harassment on the job in the last year at a rate 3% higher than men. Respondents who were gender diverse reported experiencing harassment at a rate of 30% compared to 13% for men and 16% for women.
Employees in the Scientific and Professional Category (which includes most PIPSC members) reported levels of harassment slightly less (2% in 2018) than the public service generally as well as slightly less satisfaction (1%) with how management is addressing it.
As a result, the latest survey data give greater urgency to our bargaining demands that members deserve stronger anti-harassment protections. In short, the government can Do Better.
Data on psychological wellness, on the other hand, show some signs of improvement. Compared to 2017 when only 56% of respondents described public service workplaces as healthy, 59% now do.
Moreover, when it comes to raising awareness of mental health in the workplace, 71% of respondents believe their department is doing a good job compared to 67% a year ago.
It is still too soon to say whether or not this is due to the Mental Health Strategy launched two years ago.
To no one’s surprise, the Phoenix pay system remains a grave concern. Seventy percent of respondents to the PSES said they were negatively impacted by it in the past year, an increase of 3% from 2017. Among Professional and Scientific Employees the increase is even greater – 5% – from 62% in 2017 to 67% in 2018.
Moreover, satisfaction with how departments and the pay centre handle issues has remained unchanged and is very low. Only 36% of respondents overall indicate they are satisfied with the assistance they received from their department or agency in resolving their pay issues.
Missing regular pay remained unchanged, with 10% of Professional and Scientific Employees reporting missed pay in both 2017 and 2018.
While there have been some improvements, it seems absurd to consider them a cause to celebrate in a year when 29% of Professional and Scientific Employees were underpaid and 30% received incorrect acting or overtime pay.
The sooner we get a new working pay system the better.
Every March, Provincial and Territorial engineering regulatory bodies throughout Canada celebrate the contributions of engineers in our day to day lives and spread awareness of the engineering profession to youth.
The Engineering Sector Council, which represents members from the Federal Public Service, Federal agencies and separate employers, invites you to celebrate National Engineering month (March 2019) with them and thousands of PIPSC members across Canada.
Visit https://engineerscanada.ca to find out more about National Engineering Month and to find activities in your local area.
Engage in the conversation!
The Engineering Sector Council promotes engineering within and outside of PIPSC and is always planning activities to support PIPSC members who are in the engineering profession. Contact Jonathan Fitzpatrick (jfitzpat@pipsc.ca), Chair, Engineering Sector Council if you have any questions.