November 28, 2006

Eastern Regional Bargaining Conference

Faced with new challenges, about 200 PSAC members working for Treasury Board and Parks Canada geared up for the upcoming round of negotiations at the Eastern Regional Bargaining Conference in Montreal this past weekend.

The PSAC will be negotiating on behalf of about 130,000 members under new legislation, the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA), which replaces the Public Service Staff Relations Act (PSSRA).  The new legislation promises to pose some new challenges for the union, including the negotiations of an Essential Services Agreement and the conducting of strike votes.  Timing and membership mobilization will be crucial in this coming round.

The conference delegates discussed union building and mobilization strategies as well as receiving an overview of the changes under the new PSLRA.  On the last day of the conference, they elected their delegates for the National Bargaining Conference to be held in Ottawa in February 2007.

The conference delegates are from the Atlantic, Quebec, National Capital and Ontario Regions.  Delegates to the Western Regional Bargaining Conference will be discussing the same issues and topics this coming weekend in Vancouver.

PA: Program and Administrative Services
Ontario: Sharon Desousa, Ken Boone, Joyce Hendy, alternate,
Québec: Sylvie Pinard, Louiselle Laforest, Sanzeigne Conception Almeida, alternate,
Atlantic: Debbie Graham, Barry Wilton, Ghassan Kassouf, alternate.
NCR: Maria Fitzpatrick, Douglas Marshall, Jayne Powers, alternate

EB: Education and Library Sciences
Ontario: Mike Freeman, Byron Duguay, Val Taylor, alternate,
Québec: Julie Chevalier
NCR : Chris Rogers, Donald Dery, Jacob Pabbathi, alternate

SV: Operational Services
Ontario: Serge Desbiens, Robert Spencer, Derek Dunitz, alternate,
Quebec: Glen Norman, Nicolas Auclair, Pierre Laberge, alternate,
Atlantic: Donna Gourley, Bob Cameron, David Walsh, alternate 
NCR: John Irving, Robert Amstrong, Michel Tondreau, alternate

TC: Technical Services
Ontario: Garry Larouche, Martin MiKa, Dave McConnell, alternate
Québec:  Jean-Pierre Naud, Daniel Dubé, Jean Cloutier, alternate
Atlantic, Peter Holland, Terry Kiley, Lloyd Kerry, alternate
NCR: Glen Whalley, Pamela Burns, Shawn Fields, alternate

FB: Frontière-Border
Ontario: Fred Milligan, Dave Van Helvert, Andrew Tikkanen, Jason McMichael, Mark Kuderian, alternate, Janina Lebon, alternate
Québec: Sylvie Labrèche, Danielle Dubuc, Josée Groulx, alternate
Atlantic, Doug Tremblett, Jerry Marchand, Jami Moore, alternate

Parks Canada
UTCE: Jack Norris, Rick Foster, John Watt, alternate
National Component: Hugh McCormack, Abdelkader Elkak, Mike Leblanc, Sheila Birtch, Kimberlee Trainor, Barbara Buchanan, Herbert Ralph and Yvon Beaudoin, alternates

Delegates from the Atlantic

Delegates from Quebec

Delegates from the National Capital Region

Delegates from Ontario