Updates

According to Chief Commissioner Marion Buller, there must be a “paradigm shift” to decolonize Canadian society and all Indigenous communities must be resourced and funded sufficiently to bring social and economic security to all. The report makes a distinction between the unique experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Metis, as well as Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual) people.

The report concludes that "these abuses and violations have resulted in the denial of safety, security, and human dignity."

In addition to the new law, the federal government recently released its Federal Public Service Accessibility Strategy, which aims to improve access and remove barriers for workers with disabilities in the public service.

PSAC supported the Bill and provided its input at committee hearings in both the House of Commons and Senate, making recommendations to make the law stronger. PSAC also provided input into the government’s new Strategy for the federal public service.

The team continued to push for demands that would establish parity with the core public administration and discussed important issues such as mental health in the workplace and improvements to maternity / parental leave. Additional topics discussed this week included improvements to Park Wardens’ terms and conditions of employment, child care and joining the National Joint Council.

“We are prepared to go back to the bargaining table at any time, but Treasury Board must show it is prepared to address the important concerns of our members including fair compensation for the Phoenix-related pay problems we have endured for almost four years now,” said Aylward. 

The government’s last proposal to increase wages by only 1.5% each year over four years represents a pay cut in real terms. Further, the government’s negotiators continue to pursue contract concessions including the removal of the previously negotiated agreement on mental health.

After almost a year of negotiations, the Agency continues to insist on concessions and refused to table wages when the parties met in mediation.

“Our bargaining team is interested in collective agreement improvements, not rollbacks,” said UTE 2ndNational Vice-President Adam Jackson.

“There are serious problems at CRA that need resolving, including issues related to scheduling and the fact that a great many of our members spend years at the Agency as terms and are never provided the opportunity for permanent employment. This needs to change,” concluded Brière.

End the Blood Ban

PSAC continues to be a strong voice in urging the federal government to commit to their election promise and put an end to the ban on blood, organ and bone marrow donations from many LGBTQ2+ people, especially queer men and trans women.