On September 14, 2015, Canada’s 17 federal public service unions filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) against the Government of Canada for failing to comply with the international Convention that protects the right of workers to free collective bargaining.
Sisters and Brothers,
As you are aware, Bill C-377 has been going through the parliamentary process and was at third reading in the Senate today. A vote was held on amendments put forth by Senator Hugh Segal to change several key parts of the bill. Notably, Senator Segal’s amendments were to have the Bill apply only to Unions with over 50,000 members, to report on salaries over $444,661 (instead of $100,000), and to report on payments over $150,000 (instead of $5,000).
The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the Ontario Superior Court decision that Bill C-10, the Expenditure Restraint Act, did not violate the Charter rights of federal public service workers.
Bill C-10, passed by the former Conservative government in 2009, rolled back negotiated wage increases for federal public sector workers.
In 2009, PSAC challenged the constitutionality of the Expenditure Restraint Act which rolled-back existing collective agreements in the federal public service and imposed restraints on the rates of pay that could be negotiated in collective agreements during the restraint period.
This case was argued in October and November 2013 and we received the decision dismissing our case in February.
The government tabled its Budget Implement Act (Bill C-59) today that attacks the collective bargaining rights of federal public service workers.
The Bill authorizes Treasury Board to modify collective agreements to remove sick leave and impose a short and long term disability plan outside of collective agreements. The Bill will circumvent the Public Service Labour Relations Act as well as ongoing negotiations.
Dear Bob,
Stephen Harper's Conservatives are determined to ram through Bill C-377, a private members' bill that will force every union, every union local, every local labour council, every federation of labour and the Canadian Labour Congress to file intrusive financial reports that will be posted on a public website for every employer to see. We need your help now to stop this bill in its tracks!
Get involved. Check out the CLC's website.
Sisters and Brothers,
For over two years we have endured problems with our pay, through the Phoenix Pay System. Over the next few weeks, and months, we will be putting pressure on the Federal Government to make changes to remedy this problem.
The CAS Can Do It Campaign is underway across the country. The goal is to have CRA pay its employees directly from the CAS system, rather than the failed Phoenix pay system. With less than a month to go, we are impressed with the number of cards and hard work put in by our local representatives and support of our members.
