Union Update

December 2007

Acrobat format

In this issue:

• Women get political at national conference
• Pension Surplus litigation decision a big disappointment
• Bargaining Update
• Tax Cuts A Sell Out.
• Making a difference

Women get political at national conference

Over 250 PSAC women delegates, observers and guests attended the National Women’s Conference in Toronto November 23 – 25.

Under the theme “Public Services – Pave the Way to Equality!” participants discussed the critical importance of public services for the quality of life in Canada and for the full equality of all in our society. Through plenaries, workshops and concrete political action PSAC members expressed their determination to work to defend public services and challenge the right-wing approach of the Conservative federal government.

The Conference was excited to hear the analysis and strategies presented by the panel of experts from the women’s movement. They set the stage for three days of active discussions. Michèle Asselin, President of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, provided an overview of the struggles of women around the world and reminded us that a better world is possible. She stressed the crucial role women have in building this world.

Paulette Senior, CEO of the YWCA Canada talked about the importance of quality childcare in the transformation of her own life and clearly drew the links between the personal and the political. She brought valuable information about the privatization of child care through the introduction of big box child care companies into Canada to the attention of the delegates.

Andrée Côté, former Director of Legislation for the National Association of Women and the Law, drew from the wealth of her legal and political background to present a clear analysis on the challenges facing women with pay equity and the loss of the Court Challenges Program.

National President John Gordon provided an overview of the work the union is engaged in to defend quality public services. His presentation presented a framework for the campaign to defend equality rights at every level.

In workshops on Quality Public Services, Pay Equity, Child Care and Put Equality Back on Track, participants were able to discuss issues in more detail and share their work experiences across the country. They engaged in direct political action, faxing their Members of Parliament directly from the Conference following a rousing presentation by MP Olivia Chow on child care.

During two days of thoughtful, lively debate the delegates to the National Women’s Conference passed twenty-eight resolutions calling for action at all levels to support the work of women activists and to strengthen the union’s work in advancing equality for all members of Canadian society.

Pension Surplus litigation decision a big disappointment

The Ontario Superior Court submitted its decision on the PSAC and other unions’ pension surplus litigation on November 20, rejecting all of their claims.

Justice Panet dismissed the claims on the Employer's breach of trust, fiduciary duty and the obligations to plan members. In his judgment, he found that Bill C-78 (the amending legislation), authorizes the Employer (the government) to essentially steal the more than $30 billion pension surplus and found that the union members cannot claim discrimination under the Canadian Charter.

The judge's findings seem to rest solely on the basis that the pension plans are legislated plans. The PSAC leadership is deeply disturbed that because these pensions are established by legislation, the workers who have contributed to the surplus are barred from having access to that surplus.

The PSAC will be studying the Court's decision in detail, and, in consultation with its lawyers, will determine the best way to proceed. Updates and more details will soon be available on the PSAC website regarding the Court decision.

Bargaining Update

Ekati Diamond Mine Workers, BHP Billiton Inc. reach new agreement

More than 300 members of the Ekati Diamond Workers, UNW Local X3050 and BHP Billiton Mines Inc. reached a four-year tentative agreement on November 7. The union bargaining team is promoting the new agreement with the membership and encouraging members to vote in favour of the offer.

Disability coverage

Additional new elements in the proposed contract include the provision for Alternate Dispute Resolution as an alternative to the formal grievance and arbitration process.
Ekati is Canada’s first diamond mine. Located 300 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife, it produces six per cent of the world’s diamond supply.
Negotiations with the Nunavut Government
The negotiating team for the PSAC/ Nunavut Employees Union met with the Government of Nunavut (GN) from October 2 – 5 for the fourth round of negotiations to renew the Collective Agreement which expired in September 2006.
Progress was made on several issues including clarification of proposed language on Group 3 Nunavut Arctic College employees. In an effort to stimulate discussion with the GN on the issue of Nunavut Northern Allowance, the union team tabled a proposal for the employer to recognize the federal government’s Isolated Post Allowance (IPA), which is  their equivalent to the Northern Allowance. The union’s position is that the IPA more suitably reflects the high cost of living and raising a family in Nunavut.
Representatives from Local 3 met with the union negotiating team in caucus. The union team was able to seek clarification from these representatives about nurses’ issues as they pertain to the parts of the Collective Agreement which deal with working conditions for Healthcare workers.
The next round of discussions is scheduled to start on Monday, December 3, 2007.

The Commissionaires

Commissionaires in Ottawa voted in favour of strike action on November 2. Members of PSAC local 70113, the Commissionaires provide security services to Health Canada buildings in Ottawa. Many of the Commissionaires are veterans. They entered negotiations in June 2006 and so far the Corps of Commissionaires has refused to negotiate a fair collective agreement. The employer keeps asking for a wage reduction and a two-tier wage structure. On average, Commissionaires earn $12.25 per hour.

Notice to Bargain was served to:

Halifax International Airport Authority; St. John’s Port Corporation; Hamlet of Artic Bay in Nunavut; Municipality of Cape Dorset in Nunavut; the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires in Sudbury; the Staff of the Non-Public Funds at the National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa.

The PSAC has requested arbitration in the negotiations with the Staff of the Non-Public Funds at Suffield.

Tax Cuts A Sell Out

The widely anticipated tax cuts announced in the recent Economic and Fiscal Update confirm once again the Harper government's preference for politics over meaningful public policy. Betting that a $60 billion giveaway will give them a boost in the polls, the Harper government is playing shabby pre-election politics while furthering its agenda to shrink the capacity of government to act in the interests of all Canadians.

Massive tax cuts for the corporate sector – cuts that will take Canada's rate to the bottom of industrialized countries by 2012 – are no substitute for investments in the nation's social and physical infrastructure.

While the Harper government seeks to portray its single-minded focus on tax cuts and debt reduction as evidence of sound financial management, in fact the government's approach is both unbalanced and risky – ignoring the needs of the majority of Canadians right now and endangering the country's finances in the event of an economic downturn in the future.

Faced with the urgent need for federal government action and investment on a range of issues from threats to the environment to the need to improve conditions on First Nations' reserves to the need for affordable childcare and quality early childhood education and a national pharmacare plan, the Harper government has sat on its hands and squandered a golden opportunity to invest in the nation's future.

Given that polls still show that Canadians support increased federal spending on quality public services – even if it prompts tax increases – this is clearly a government that is out of date and out of touch with the people it purports to serve.

Making a difference for children around the world

The PSAC Halifax Human Rights Committee and the Regional Women’s Committee are making a difference to disadvantaged children around the world by supporting the campaign “Operation Christmas Child.”

Since 1993 this campaign has shared gift filled shoe boxes to children in more than 100 counties around the world. When the call for donations of small items was made PSAC staff and members answered in a very big way. This year 279 shoe boxes were filled with a small toy, school supplies, hygiene items, clothing, candy and personal notes that will be sent to sections in Africa to help children who have been orphaned because their parents have died from AIDS. In addition, a total of $800.00 was donated to cover the shipping costs. Many of the children are being raised by grandparents or other young children.

The Committees would like to thank everyone who donated to the campaign and the on-going work of PSAC international solidarity