Union Update

August 1 to 19, 2005

Acrobat format 

In this issue:

• Federal government centralization exercise strictly improv
  
• PSAC, UPCE protest job cuts in Québec City by Canada Post
  
• National Component convention gears up for progress
  
• UNDE convention delegates on-guard against threats to job security
  
• Convention adopts new name
  
• Bargaining Update
  
• Make September 10 Quality Public Services Day
  

Federal government centralization exercise strictly improv

While all the details of the federal government’s latest centralization exercise are not yet known, the PSAC says it’s clear that the government is making it up as it goes along.

“Once again, the government is relentlessly and incomprehensibly looking at restructuring the public sector,” says PSAC National Executive Vice-President John Gordon. “They are doing it without consulting the people who provide the services to Canadians, and they are not acknowledging the impact this will have on smaller communities where jobs might be lost. They are only looking at the bottom line and possible savings. And even on this point, government documents warn that services will not improve and costs will not be lower.

“This is an old story with a new wrapping that is riddled with contradictions. On one hand, the modernization of the public sector which started in 2003 gave local managers more responsibility for staff management. On the other hand, the new plan to centralize services such as computer support, finances, human resources and office supplies will reduce departmental accountability. This clearly shows the government has no consistent vision or direction for the public service.”

According to Jerome Turcq, PSAC’s Regional Executive Vice-President in Quebec, Canadians have already gone through the experience of a major restructuring of the federal public sector in the 90s. “More than 45,000 jobs were lost. The negative impact on service to the public was tremendous, and the remaining workers had to deal with serious increases in workloads. A few years later, almost two-thirds of these jobs are back. With a growing population with expanding needs, cutting jobs at this time will reduce the level of services for all Canadians.”

Gordon adds that if a single agency is responsible for these tasks, it will open the door to more privatization of
public services.

“The profit that private firms will want to make from these contracts will offset any potential savings that could result from this exercise. There will be no financial gain for Canadian taxpayers, and service to the public will inevitably suffer,” says Gordon.

“We want to make sure that the smaller Canadian communities will not pay the price for this, with fewer jobs and resulting economic hardship. We are asking for meetings with government officials to make sure they understand the full implications of their plan and the impact this will have on services to Canadians.”

PSAC, UPCE protest job cuts in Québec City by Canada Post

The PSAC and its Component, the Union of Postal Communications Employees, are outraged by Canada Post’s decision to cut 300 jobs in its sortation plant in Québec City. The job reduction is a blow to postal workers, including some PSAC-UPCE members, and will mean a further deterioration in postal services to the public and businesses.

As members of the FTQ (the Québec Federation of Labour), the PSAC and UPCE will join the three pronged union campaign that includes:

• launching a petition protesting the closure;
• asking the Québec City area federal MPs to lobby the Minister responsible for Canada Post, John McCallum, to cancel the planned closure; and
• inviting members of the Québec National Assembly, local elected officials, Québec City’s Chamber of Commerce and other groups with a stake in preserving a public universal postal service to support the union campaign and to demand that Canada Post keep these jobs in Québec City.

National Component convention gears up for progress

In 2002, the National Component convention theme was “Building Ties.”  With this year’s convention theme of “Strengthening Our Ties,” delegates to the convention recognized that the component has a come a long way in the last three years, but has some work that still needs to be done. 

The component believes that work begins with strengthening the ties that bind, and this fundamental cornerstone builds the foundation from which the component can move forward.

The strengthening of the component begins with the leadership as convention delegates approved a new by-law, permitting regions to determine whether they will have one or two Assistant Regional Vice-Presidents.  The previous by-law permitted only one. Services to members has also been strengthened as the convention approved a new Service Officer position for the component.

Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) President Henri Massé, as guest speaker at the convention, gave a nod to PSAC’s commitment to labour solidarity as he acknowledged that whenever FTQ called for it, the PSAC was there.  Massé also pointed out that Quebec has the highest rate of unionization in North America, with 40% of workers in the region belonging to a union.  He added that one of the Federation’s current principal objectives is to organize workers at Wal-Mart stores across the province.

As if to further illustrate Massé’s point about union solidarity, the component held a successful rally, which was covered by national media, against the lock-out of CBC employees.  The delegates marched to the Radio Canada offices in downtown Quebec, where a number of speakers, including National Component President Heather Brooker and PSAC National Capital Regional Executive Vice-President Ed Cashman spoke.

Component President Heather Brooker was re-elected as was National Executive Vice-President Daniel Kinsella. Delegates also elected Raj Dhir as the  Human Rights National Vice-President; Christiane Carrier as the Human Rights Assistant National Vice-President; and Vice-Presidents Eddie Kennedy (Atlantic), Bernard Labonté (Québec), Maryanne Walker (Ontario), Richard Ransom (NCR - Separate Employers), André Albert (NCR - Treasury Board), Todd Panas (Manitoba), Melissa Brandt (Saskatchewan), Lorna Themelis (Alberta, Nunavut and Northwest Territories), Steve Houston (B.C., Yukon), and Patricia Lawrie (Outside Canada).

The convention was held from August 15 to 19, 2005 In Quebec City.

National Component Convention delegates rally in front of the Radio Canada office in Quebec City to protest the lock-out of CBC employees.

UNDE convention delegates on-guard against threats to job security

Delegates to the Union of National Defence Employees convention celebrated their victories over the last three years but kept a sharp eye on the future and the challenges of privatization, base closures and the downsizing and reorganization of the Canadian Forces.  UNDE National President John McLellan opened the convention by noting that the union must reverse some of these trends that are threatening the principles and the rights for which we have fought long and hard.

PSAC National President Nycole Turmel praised the component’s work in making the union a strong voice for members and urged delegates to prepare for the future by involving younger members in the union.

The convention strongly endorsed a priority resolution, the elimination of regional pay zones and held a lively debate on the choice of dispute settlement route.  Discussion also took place on improving the effectiveness of future strikes.

Delegates adopted a budget that includes a computer system for every local.

Guest speaker Joan Jessome, President of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union and a Vice-president of the Federation of Labour welcomed the delegates to Nova Scotia and pledged her Federation’s  help in any future struggles.

Peter Stoffer, NDP Member of Parliament for Sackville-Eastern Shore, was a key supporter in the union’s campaign against the privatization of the supply chain.  Addressing the convention, he talked about the key roles UNDE and all PSAC members play in providing service to Canadians. 

Life memberships were presented to Doug Brown and to outgoing Executive Vice-President Peter Cormier.

John McLellan was re-elected as National President.  He will be joined in UNDE’s National Office by Executive Vice-President Mary Chamberlain. Vice-Presidents elected at the convention were: Debbie Graham (Nova Scotia/New Brunswick), Doug Pike (Nova Scotia), Philippe Turcq (Quebec), Bob Champoux (National Capital Region), Debra Nadeau (Ontario), Brian Molsberry (Manitoba/Saskatchewan), Marie Kennedy (Alberta/North), Garry Robinson (British Columbia), Drew Smeaton (CSE), Daniel Verrault (PSP/Canex) and Employment Equity Advisor Brenda Moore on the UNDE executive.

The Convention was held in Halifax from August 8 to 12.

Convention adopts new name

The members of the former Environment Component can now call themselves members of the Union of Environment Workers (UEW).  The new name and logo were  adopted by the delegates at their convention in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from August 14 to 16, 2005.

With the theme, “Remember the Past, Plan the Future,” delegates unanimously endorsed a resolution to fight any attempt to replace the legitimate work of members with volunteers or with the inappropriate use of student or intern programs.  Dues increases were approved to allow the component the flexibility to deal with unforeseen impacts to members from government reorganization and from changes due to new legislation.  An example are the Shared Services initiatives, currently being addressed by the component.  Delegates also passed a resolution to request a vote to determine the method of dispute settlement in the next round of bargaining and the method of conducting the vote within the PSAC.

Manitoba Federation of Labour President Darlene Dziewit, as guest speaker, discussed issues that will challenge all unions in the coming years, including the Public Service Modernization Act, and stressed the importance of continuing vigilance. PSAC President Nycole Turmel highlighted the PSAC’s past social and political activities and also spoke of the union’s current challenges.  She stressed the importance of good leadership at the local, regional, component and national levels.

Petitions were circulated and signed during the convention as part of the component’s on-going campaign to support the B.C. Salmon Enhancement Program, which is currently in jeopardy. The convention also expressed support for the anti-poverty campaign through the PSAC Social Justice Fund.

Delegates re-elected Component National President William Pynn and National Vice-President Guy Borne.  The Regional Vice-Presidents elected are Mark Power (Newfoundland and Labrador), Jack Lowe (Scotia Fundy), Lloyd Jardine (New Brunswick and P.E.I.), Sylvain Guimont (Quebec), David Comba (Ontario),  Terry Fanning (National Capital Region), Iréné Bérubé (Prairie and Northern) and Nick Humphreys (British Columbia and Yukon). Nicole Raymond was re-elected as the National Equal Opportunity Representative.

The Union of Environment Workers, formerly known as the Environment Component, has a new logo to go with the new name.

Bargaining Update

PSAC members at the Government of the Northwest Territories voted 83% in favour of their tentative agreement with the employer on August 3, 2005.  Tentative agreements were also ratified recently by members at Saskatoon Airport Authority, Hamlet of Cambridge Bay and Bosco Homes Trailcross Treatment Centre.

Make September 10 Quality Public Services Day

Many of PSAC’s allies and civil society partners in the fight to Make Poverty History share the view that quality public services are fundamental to eliminating poverty and exclusion. In this vein, the Public Services International (PSI) has identified September 10 as a Quality Public Services Day and is urging unions to be part of the lobbying and public actions. 

PSI sees a vital link between our call for quality public services and the Make Poverty History
campaign’s focus on eradicating poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease.

This link has been strengthened by the recent decision of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), which the PSI is a part of, to identify “the right to quality public services” as a key demand in the campaign’s lobbying and actions around the UN Summit.

Here are some suggestions for actions that you can organize:

•           running seminars, sending postcards to politicians, letter writing campaigns;

•           holding a “Communities Day”; community events/ picnic; rallies and demonstrations;

•  Whiteband activities such as wrapping buildings, wearing bands to work, posting bands to political leaders, collecting signatures on a giant white band;

•           lobbying, media stories, public information, handing out materials etc.

For more information on GCAP and national coalitions, visit: www.makepovertyhistory.ca  and  www.whiteband.org

For information on PSI’s campaign:

www.world-psi.org/gcap and www.world-psi.org/gcapcampaign   Also visit: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/