As a part of our response to The Government of Canada’s move to open workplace design, we conducted a random survey of members to learn more about their experiences.

We’ve found that the members who have moved to the new workplace configuration, are finding it harder to give their best service to Canadians.

• 62% say their productivity and efficiency is worse;
• 79% say they have a harder time focusing and concentrating;
• 62% say access to sufficient workspace for their professional work has been made worse.

“The government is making it harder for us to provide services to Canadians. Our members need to be able to concentrate and work productively but the government’s workplace reconfiguration is undermining their ability to work.” said Debi Daviau, PIPSC President.

When the government first announced their plans for new workplace configurations, the promises sounded good. Workplaces were supposed to become healthier and better for professionals. But the implementation seems to have become about cutting costs and jamming people into smaller and smaller spaces.

We know that in about ¾ of instances, workplace reconfiguration is taking place without any consultation with employees and with no pilot projects. Subsequently, the needs of staff with identified ergonomic requirements have not been met.

The spaces are undermining professionalism. From mental health to productivity, from collaboration to privacy, on every account, our members report that the new configuration has made things worse. 

If your office has already undergone workplace re-configuration, how has it impacted your ability to provide your professional service to Canadians?

Let us know!

As bargaining season is upon us we are Better Together. Building on our success with Work Force Adjustment and our excellent progress with the Employee Wellness Support Program, representatives from the eighteen (18) groups* under the Treasury Board have joined forces to negotiate common issues at a central bargaining table.

Common issues that PIPSC would like to discuss include: pay rules, family leave, workplace harassment, family day, duration of agreement and economic increase.

The Central Bargaining Team met in August and September to establish proposals. The Team is planning to initiate bargaining this fall.

Central Bargaining Team members: Robert Trudeau, AFS; Rob Scott, CS; Adam Fenwick, SH; Kim McGuire, AV; Elizabeth Ptasznik, SP; Mehran Alaee, RE; Dale Hudson, NR; Stéphanie Fréchette, CFIA-S&A and Louis Poirier, NRC-RO/RCO.

*Eighteen (18) groups represented by the Central Bargaining Team

AFS: Audit, Financial and Scientific - CRA Group

AV: Audit, Commerce & Purchasing Group

CFIA-IN: Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Informatics Group

CFIA-S&A: Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Scientific and Analytical Group

CFIA-VM: Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Veterinary Medicine Group

CS: Computer Systems Group

NEB: National Energy Board Group

NFB: National Film Board Group

NR: Engineering, Architecture and Land Survey Group

NRC-IS: National Research Council - Information Services

NRC-LS: National Research Council - Library Science

NRC-RO/RCO: National Research Council - Research Officer / Research Council Officers

NRC-TR: National Research Council - Translation

NUREG: Nuclear Regulatory Group

OSFI: Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Group

RE: Research Group

SH: Health Services Group

SP: Applied Science and Patent Examination Group

PIPSC and it’s 4,000 members across the B.C./Yukon region endorse the call last week by B.C.’s Professional Employees Association (PEA) to restore scientific integrity in the province by adopting new provisions in its next collective agreement.

As our own recent success has shown, the adoption of provisions that protect public science is in the interests of everyone – the public, unions and governments. On the other hand, the loss of 25% of B.C.’s science officers since 2001 is bound to have had detrimental impacts on public science in the province.

Restoring scientific integrity to B.C.’s public service is clearly in the public interest and deserves everyone’s support.

Better Together!

Debi Daviau
President

The news last week that the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has won major improvements to its members’ dental plan has prompted many PIPSC members to ask if they can soon expect similar improvements.

PIPSC and PSAC negotiate with the federal government separately. While no PIPSC agreement has yet been reached, we hope the conclusion of the PSAC agreement will now allow us and other unions to successfully negotiate an agreement of our own.

With PIPSC in the lead, we are negotiating the dental plan in conjunction with other federal public service unions through the National Joint Council's Dental Board.

We will be certain to inform all affected members as soon as an agreement is reached.