Between the 1950s and 1990s, under the shadow of Cold War anxieties, the Canadian government undertook a systematic campaign against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals within the federal public service and the Canadian Armed Forces. 

These individuals were unjustly targeted and stigmatized as security risks, not for any genuine threat they posed, but purely because of their sexual orientation. The rationale was dangerously flawed—rooted in the prejudiced belief that 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, by virtue of their identity, had 'character weaknesses' making them susceptible to blackmail.

The effects were devastating: careers ruined, lives shattered, and dignity stripped away. Many were fired, demoted, or forced to resign in secrecy and silence, often without any access to sensitive information. 

This purge was not only a betrayal of trust but a clear violation of basic human rights, reflecting a dark period of intolerance and discrimination that was legally and socially sanctioned.

Today, we stand at a similar crossroads, witnessing a resurgence of hate and vitriol directed at the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities not just in Canada, but globally. Our members in these communities are subjected to violence, threats, and discrimination simply for being who they are.

The narrative that being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community makes one a lesser part of society is not just hurtful; it's dangerously regressive. It’s a narrative we've heard before, and it's one we cannot allow to take root again. The policies emerging across provinces that discriminate against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, coupled with the alarming rise in organized transphobia, echo the injustices of the past. 

As public service professionals, we have a duty to combat these regressive attitudes and policies. We must drown out the voices of hate with messages of strength and solidarity, standing firm in our commitment to a workplace and a society that values diversity and champions equity. We cannot stand idly by.

The past has shown us the cost of silence and complicity. Let us ensure that our actions today reflect our commitment to justice and equity for all. Our history, as shameful as parts of it are, provides us with the knowledge needed to prevent a repetition of those injustices. Let us learn from it, not relive it.

Previously, we reached out regarding the Board’s decision to place President Carr on leave. We recognize the significance of this decision and are writing to update you on recent developments with the action Ms. Carr brought challenging this decision.

On August 8, 2024, the Ontario Superior Court ruled on the process used to place Ms. Carr on administrative leave with pay. The Court determined that the Institute did not follow the appropriate process. The Court did not consider the validity of the complaints and investigations concerning Ms. Carr, as that issue was not before the court.

We respect the court’s decision and continue to take the integrity of the complaints processes very seriously. To protect the confidentiality of these complaints, the Board has refrained from responding to public comments made by others about the complaints.

The Board has received the first third-party Investigation Report into Ms. Carr’s conduct and is evaluating what recommendations, if any, should be made to the membership. Three other third-party investigations into other complaints are also underway, which we hope will be finalized imminently to bring all of these issues to a conclusion.

The Board is also evaluating a recently completed PIPSC Finance Committee review of Ms. Carr’s 2022 and 2023 expenses to ensure they are appropriate. The Finance Committee review has been completed in accordance with our bylaws and policies.

We will share additional information regarding these investigations while respecting the integrity and confidentiality of those that remain ongoing. Our priority as a Board is to ensure we continue to serve the best interests of the Institute and you, our members.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue for the Institute.

PIPSC is pleased to announce that the Ontario Superior Court has approved the settlement agreement reached in the class action involving employees who were required to pay higher pension transfer amounts because of a change in actuarial assumptions when they transferred from the Ontario Public Service to the Canada Revenue Agency as part of the Ontario Sales Tax Administration Reform Process.

More information and links to download the settlement agreement and the Court’s order are available here: https://ravenlaw.com/ostar-class-action/.

The Court-ordered notice materials can be downloaded here https://ravenlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Phase-II-Notice-Materials.pdf.

Public service professionals are integral to a prosperous economy and a safe, healthy, and compassionate society. We are assets to the Canadian public – skilled experts who choose to devote our working lives to helping, protecting and innovating in the interest of the public good. Professionals speak truth to power and ensure the government is responsive, informed and evidence-based.

The Professional Recognition and Qualifications Committee (PRQC) is a body of fellow PIPSC members mandated to guide our union’s decisions on issues within the intersection of professional standards and public services.

In recent years, we have felt that professionalism is in crisis. We want to chart a path forward where employers cultivate an environment of continual career development and training for their employees. We want to ensure a trustworthy government that makes evidence-based decisions in the public interest and meets professional and academic standards.

On behalf of the PRQC, I invite you to take a confidential survey to help us identify the key issues our members face in preserving professionalism within the public service.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY 

or

Copy and paste the following link into your browser search bar:

https://survey.alchemer-ca.com/s3/50260968/PRQC-Survey

Your responses are strictly confidential.

Please complete the survey by June 21, 2024.

In solidarity,

Waheed Khan
NCR Regional Director

It’s National Public Service Week 2024. 

While the employer tries to win us over with trivial gestures this week, we all know the truth. 

We're grappling with nonsensical Return to Office mandates, bad bargaining practices, rampant outsourcing, and more. Some of us still aren’t getting paid properly after almost a decade of disaster with the Phoenix Pay System. 

These aren’t trivial or side issues. These are core issues that affect our pay, our benefits, our professional status, and our mental well-being.

This year, we won’t be placated by superficial acknowledgments. We demand genuine respect, fair working conditions, and a trustworthy employer, not a hot dog lunch or a pat on the back.

This is why PIPSC is boycotting National Public Service Week employer events.

A Troubling Pattern of Disrespect

We want to be clear: this isn’t about one single issue. This is about a troubling pattern of disrespect and bad employer decision-making that profoundly impacts our working conditions and directly undermines our capacity to serve Canadians.

It’s about nurses in northern communities providing life-saving services while earning a fraction of what contract staff make doing the same work in the same workplace. 

It’s about workers losing their homes because their employer cannot pay them properly and on time. 

It’s about a government that claims to value diversity and inclusion while implementing policies they know negatively impact equity-seeking groups the most. 

Despite all this, our members still show up every day because we’re proud public service professionals, and that’s what we do. 

We know that Canadians rely on us to deliver – from life-saving vaccines to crucial programs like CERB to Canadian cultural institutions like the National Film Board. 

Your Union Has Your Back 

Just as you show up every day for Canadians, unions show up for you, championing fair treatment, good work conditions, and a just society. Unions have historically been the force behind many of the benefits many now take for granted, such as weekends off, parental leave, and sick days. 

These gains were not simply handed down. They were demanded, fought for, and won. 

Unions like PIPSC play a crucial role in negotiating better wages and demanding better work-life balance, setting higher standards, and resulting in better conditions for all workers. 

We can make change when we stand united because remember: your union has your back, not your boss. 

Any union, including PIPSC, is only as strong as its members, who are engaged and operate from a place of principle and solidarity.

Help show that #SolidarityMatters on National Public Service Week

Join us in making a clear statement during National Public Service Week. You can:

• Boycott employer-organized NPSW events. Send them a message that we don’t want hotdogs or pats on the back unless they come with improved public service working conditions.
• Join our flyering events to take our message to the doorstep of thousands of voters in key ridings in the NCR.
• Show your support visually: Download the #SolidarityMatters Teams/Zoom background to display during meetings.
• Spread the word: Print and distribute #SolidarityMatters flyers about how our working conditions are crucial to the strength of public services Canadians count on.
• Attend a local PIPSC event if one is being organized by your branch for National Public Service Week, and let’s celebrate each other as PIPSC union members.
• Join events hosted by our friends at other unions, including this rally outside the Treasury Board on June 11 at lunch hour.

We need a future of work that works for all. Let's keep standing united and staying engaged. Let’s build this future together. 

This National Public Service Week, skip the superficial employer events and join a movement that makes a real impact. 

Join a flyering action in key NCR ridings to increase our visibility and tell our story about how the issues that threaten our working conditions – like RTO mandates and rampant outsourcing – also threaten public services. 

Why Join?

Solidarity from the public is key. Our flyering events in strategic ridings will amplify our call for improved public service conditions, build public solidarity with public servants like you, and let MPs know that their constituents care about these issues too. 

We're making it clear: our working conditions are crucial to the strength of public services. #SolidarityMatters

Choose Your Event:

Select the day and location that work best for you and make a real difference. We will flyer for about 1–2 hours. 

Monday, June 10: Ottawa-Centre
Meet at 4:00 PM at the northeast entrance of Dundonald Park in Centretown

Tuesday, June 11: Carleton Riding
Meet at 5:00 PM at Alexander Grove Park in Stittsville – the parking lot near the corner of Forest Heights Ave and Stitts St. 

Thursday, June 13: Hull–Aylmer
Meet at 5:00 PM at Parc des Cèdres in Aylmer, in the parking lot on the corner of rue Arthur Croteau and rue Xavier.

What to expect

1. Fill out the form below to sign up for one or more flyering events. Sign up for the flyering action closest to you, or maximize our impact this National Public Service Week by signing up for them all. 

2. Show up at the meeting location provided above.

3. PIPSC staff will meet you at the location to brief you on the plan, hand you a neighbourhood map, and distribute flyers for you to drop in peoples’ mailboxes. Each team will have a volunteer support person to help you with whatever you need. You DO NOT have to knock on doors or speak to anyone directly if you don’t want to. Like a postal worker, you’re just delivering a message into peoples’ mailboxes.

Sign Up Form

Paul Pilon passed away peacefully on January 14, 2024, at Perley Health Center, Ottawa, at the age of 74. He was the son of the late Edouard Pilon and the late Bibianne Pilon.

He was a member of the Computer Systems (CS) and AFS groups. For many years, Paul served as a Steward and CS (IT) executive member at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). He was also an active member of the Ottawa South branch. His favourite leisure pastimes were ocean cruises and practicing at the RA Gun Club.

Paul leaves behind his wife Bonnie Pilon, his two children: Dan (Karen) and Chantal (Brandon), his grandchildren: Asher (Kenzy), Dylan, Jacob, and Declan, his niece Sarah (Andrew), his cousins and many friends.

He was predeceased by his brother Joseph Pilon. The family would like to thank Perley Health Center for the excellent care provided. A Celebration of life is to be held at a later date.

In memory of Paul, donations to the Perley Health Foundation would be appreciated.