Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

Support striking Non-Public Funds workers

Non-Public Funds workers are the backbone of services for Canadian Forces members, veterans, and their families.

But despite generating profits from the programs and services NPF workers provide, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) refuses to offer fair wages to more than 500 workers currently on strike in Bagotville, Kingston, Montreal–St-Jean, Ottawa, Petawawa, and Valcartier.

Send a letter supporting striking workers

CFMWS has pushed PSAC-UNDE members to the brink by forcing us to stay on strike for more than 60 days. That’s why we are calling for a nationwide boycott of CFMWS services and programs.

The boycott of CFMWS is more than a protest. It’s a declaration that all workers matter — not just those in the highest pay bands.

How to participate in the boycott

For military staff on Canadian Forces bases throughout Canada, as well as community members around the bases who utilize the same services, boycotting CFMWS means actively choosing not to use their services and programs and encouraging others to do the same.

By making conscious choices about where to spend our money and which services to use, we can put financial pressure on CFMWS and send a clear message that our troops and communities support us in our fight to be treated with dignity.

Here are some examples of what the boycott looks like in practice: 

  • Instead of using CFMWS-operated gyms and recreational facilities, seek out local community centres or private gyms.
  • Organize or participate in community sports leagues and recreational activities outside of military bases.
  • Avoid purchasing items from CANEX stores and look for alternative retail outlets and local businesses to support off-base instead.
  • Choose local restaurants, cafes, and bars over CFMWS-operated facilities for meals, group outings, and events.
  • Attend events, concerts, and activities hosted by community organizations or local businesses instead of those organized by CFMWS.

If nothing else, talk about the strike with military personnel, community members, and CFMWS staff. Engage in a dialogue about the reasons for the boycott and the importance of fair wages for workers. Encouraging understanding and empathy can broaden support for striking workers and help us reach a fair resolution.

Other ways to support the strike

Even if you don’t live near a Canadian Forces base, you can still demonstrate solidarity with striking PSAC-UNDE members and help apply pressure on the employer.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

“We’re inundated with managers”: National President addresses Standing Committee on Public Accounts

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On February 29 and March 5, 2024, CIU National President Mark Weber addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP) as part of the Committee’s work related to the Auditor General’s report on ArriveCAN.

In his opening statement on February 29, the National President did not mince words, highlighting CBSA management’s lack of accountability — along with its tendency to retaliate against employees and its arbitrary internal investigative and disciplinary processes — and noting that the “glaring disregard for basic management practices” uncovered by the Auditor General was far from a surprise for those acquainted with CBSA management.

“The situation within the Security and Professional Standards Directorate, responsible for internal investigations, is especially egregious, with the directorate showing little understanding of the basic principles of procedural fairness” said Mark Weber. “Reform is badly needed to ensure the integrity of a process that should be fair, transparent, and unbiased, and yet is anything but.”

At the subsequent meeting on March 5, the National President answered questions from Committee members, touching on a wide range of subjects, including CBSA’s focus on facilitation and automated technologies such as ArriveCAN, which undermines the security of Canadians by removing crucial interactions between officers and travellers.

Committee members also heard about the overly broad CBSA code of conduct, the two-tiered approach to discipline between officers and managers, and the perennial issue of understaffing, which CBSA exacerbates by hiring more and more managers instead of frontline officers. “We’re already inundated with managers at CBSA” told Weber to the Committee, highlighting that “you could go the next decade without hiring another manager and you’d likely still have too many”.

The overarching message to the Committee is clear: CBSA and the federal government must learn from the ArriveCAN debacle and seize this opportunity to change course. Canadians are owed an agency built on solid principles where the frontline is properly supported to ensure the security of all.

See selected clips below. A full recording of the Committee proceedings can be viewed here (February 29) and here (March 5) (with interpretation language options).

PSAC files policy grievance for issues with Canada Life

PSAC has filed a policy grievance against Treasury Board for the poor management of the transfer of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) to Canada Life, which has impacted tens of thousands of federal public service workers covered by the plan. We are also in the process of following suit against employers in other affected bargaining units. The policy grievance argues that the employer’s actions violated the collective agreement by implementing the transition without regard for the rights of all members to a functioning health care plan, and did so in a manner that violated the human rights of workers based on the grounds of disability, family status, age, sex, and/or or gender identity and expression.

On July 1, 2023, the federal government transferred the administration of the PSHCP from Sun Life to Canada Life for over 1.5 million current and former public service workers and their families. Almost immediately, members began dealing with significant issues, including the interruption of their benefits, the inability to contact the insurer, long delays and arbitrary and wrongful denial of claims.

Some members had to make the difficult decision to stop their medical treatments because they could not afford to pay out of pocket and wait for the eventual reimbursement by Canada Life. An apology from Canada Life or the federal government is not enough to redress the harm already caused, as well as the harm members continue to experience.

PSAC is seeking remedies for the problems the transition caused, including but not limited to the following:

  • a declaration that the employer has violated the collective agreement;
  • an order that the employer compensate members for all harms experienced since the transition to Canada Life, including:
    • general damages for all employees for the stress, aggravation, and pain and suffering they experienced;
    • damages for impacts to those who experienced financial losses;
    • damages under the Canadian Human Rights Act for adverse effects experienced on the basis of prohibited grounds.

How your union can help 

PSHCP Appeal Process 

If you have experienced issues with coverage or your claim has been denied by Canada Life, follow the PSHCP appeal process. You can find more details about the process through the Plan’s administration authority. Any issues related to the denial of a claim or coverage under the Plan, or if you received a lesser reimbursement than expected should be appealed, not grieved.  If you grieve these issues, it will take substantially longer to resolve. Please see the FAQ link below and/or contact your steward, a member of your union local executive, or your component labour relations officer if you have questions about whether your situation should be appealed or grieved.

In limited situations you may be able to file a grievance 

If you experienced delays or other hardship because of Canada Life’s administration of your claim, you may be able to file a grievance against the employer. A grievance may be appropriate where Canada Life failed to process a claim or provide reimbursement within a reasonable time or where you were unable to contact them in a reasonable time, leading to financial hardship, delayed treatment, or some other adverse impact on you. The grievance process takes substantially longer than the appeals process and a grievance on a denial of benefits will be rejected and you will be directed to appeal.

If you are unsure whether your situation should be grieved or appealed, please consult our Canada Life FAQ for more information.

If you have experienced delays because of Canada Life’s administration of your claim and you would like to file an individual grievance, please contact your steward, a member of your union local executive, or your component labour relations officer to discuss it.  Click here to find out how to contact your union.

If you are a retiree, you can appeal through the PSHCP appeal process, but the grievance process is not available to you unless the problems you experienced occurred while you were an employee.  The National Association of Federal Retirees represents retirees under the PSHCP and any questions about recourse should be addressed to them.

You also can write to your Member of Parliament to pressure Treasury Board President Anita Anand and Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada Yves Duclos to take accountability for improving health benefits for PSAC members. We have prepared a pre-written letter for members and encourage everyone to send one.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Next Young Workers virtual meeting

Banner with the words Young Workers

If you are 35 years old or younger and want to get involved with your union, you are invited to participate in the next CIU Young Workers virtual meeting over Zoom, on March 19, 2024, 7-8 p.m. ET. This is an opportunity to make your voice heard and discuss shared issues with your fellow young workers.

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“Solutions to border problems must involve officers”: National President addresses Standing Committee on Public Safety

Photo of CIU flag

On Monday, February 26,  2024, the National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, Mark Weber, addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security as part of the Committee’s study on the growing problem of car thefts in Canada.

The issue of stolen vehicles being exported from the Port of Montreal has received much attention in the last months, with many solutions being proposed by political leaders. Yet, as the National President stressed in his opening remarks to the Committee,  “no effort was made to find out from the officers working on the frontline what was required to facilitate examinations” to help curb the issue.

“If anyone had asked the question, they would have been told that a lack of space is the primary factor impacting the volume of examinations performed at the Port of Montreal,” explained the National President to the Committee, highlighting that “this is yet another example of what the Customs and Immigration Union has been flagging for a long time: Solutions to border problems must involve the officers who perform the work on a daily basis. Once again, we are seeing solutions either proposed by people who have never done the work or adopted under the advisement of individuals who have never done the work.”

This is situation is truly unique within the realm of law enforcement. “Whereas senior officials in most law enforcement organizations have some level of frontline experience, that is not the case at CBSA” explained the National President. “The result is an unparalleled disconnect between the upper echelons and the frontline.”

The National President also discussed the dire need for more frontline officers, concluding that “investment in personnel — in people — is paramount. Even where personnel issues may not be the primary factor, the ability of the Agency to protect Canadians and adapt to new challenges rests on a properly staffed frontline.”

See selected clips below. A full recording of the Committee proceedings can be viewed here (with interpretation language options).