Dear members,
After a very busy start to the year, it was nice to have a few weeks where the pace of work got back to normal. It gave us the chance to focus our efforts on some longer-horizon projects, which I’m going to touch upon in this week’s message. Let’s dive in.
PAFSO’s efforts to compel the Government to provide members with proper health coverage
As most of you know, at the end of October last year, PAFSO applied for a writ of mandamus to compel the Government of Canada to meet its obligation to provide functional health care coverage to members serving abroad. Though I haven’t touched on this in a while, things are continuing to move forward.
In December, PAFSO General Manager Bertrand Myre submitted and affirmed our sworn affidavit to the courts. Two weeks ago, he underwent the arduous process of being cross-examined. Our next task is to file our written argument. This should be completed before the end of the month.
I know this all sounds like things are moving slowly, but this is just the normal pace of the courts. From the outset, we knew this would be a long and drawn-out affair. And the coming federal election at the end of the month will no doubt introduce some additional delays. But this fight is important, and it’s a not one we are willing to give up. We’re committed to seeing it through to the end and getting you the reliable and accessible health care coverage the Employer is obligated to provide. This is a top priority for PAFSO, and I will keep you up to date as best I can throughout the process.
A reminder from the Insurance Committee
Given all the snow and freezing rain the NCR has seen lately, it may not feel like it, but posting season is approaching. With that in mind, the Insurance Committee wanted me to remind all of you of some of the great programs available to PAFSO members.
There’s ServicePlus, our free group discount program, through which you have access to great deals on travel, electronics, clothing, furniture and more. Members also have access to home and auto insurance, overseas personal effects insurance, and our highly specialized group life insurance program designed with Foreign Service Officers in mind.
You can learn more about what’s available to you as a PFASO member here on our website.
Deadline extended for nominations to the PAFSO 60 Diamond Jubilee Award
As you may have seen in a separate email from the PAFSO Events Committee, the deadline for nominations to the PAFSO 60 Diamond Jubilee Award has been extended to Monday, April 14. Nominations are. Open to all PAFSO members from any of the five streams. You can learn more about the award and the nomination process here on our site.
The award presentation ceremony will be part of our PAFSO 60 celebration event which takes place at the National Gallery on June 4. Tickets to the event are available through our Eventbrite page: http://pafso-apase60.eventbrite.ca/
PAFSO Breakfast on Tariffs with Rambod Behboodi on 29 April at 0900 Ottawa Time
For our next virtual PAFSO Breakfast I will be joined by former PAFSO member Rambod Behboodi, Senior Counsel at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, to discuss the implications of the current tariff situation facing Canada. Rambod, who served in GENEV and BREU, has extensive experience in multilateral economic and environmental negotiations, and on issues including agricultural trade, subsidies and antidumping, export controls, and technical barriers to trade. In addition to his legal practice, Rambod also teaches International Economic Regulation at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. Please use this link to register for what promises to be a very interesting discussion.
Supports for workplace mental health and well-being
These are very challenging and uncertain times we are facing – both on the world stage and in the workplace. And, for many, these disruptions – be they from world events or the current budgetary cuts – can lead to increased stress and anxiety. If you find yourself in this boat, I just wanted to let you know that the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace has put together some interesting resources in support of employees’ well-being.
Firstly, there’s the Mental Health Continuum Tool. This simple chart can help you track changes in your general mental health and wellness as well as suggest appropriate supports. Next, for support with difficult workplace transitions, there’s Coping with workplace changes, a good set of tips to help employees through difficult changes in the workplace. And, there’s also some good resources from your department’s Employee Assistance Program which can help you navigate any number of challenges in the workplace.
I find it reassuring that while there isn’t very much we can do to change the external factors causing us stress and anxiety, there are a number of things we can do to help us get through these times. For a complete list of mental health resources available to federal employees, you can visit Mental health support: get help – Canada.ca.
That wraps things up for this week. In the meantime, please know that you can always reach out to us if you are having issues with your pay; if you feel harassed or discriminated against; if you have a grievance or a staffing complaint; or if you simply need some clarifications on our collective agreement of the FSDs. We’re here for you. Just send us an email with your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns and we’ll put you in touch with our Labour Relations team. For anything and everything else, just email info@pafso.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
We’ll chat again on April 17, when it will hopefully look much more like spring around here. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President
@PafsoPresApase