Dear members,
The past few weeks have been quite busy for us here at PAFSO, and we have some important updates on a couple of the major issues we’ve been working on.
Good news for the FS group – for now – on work force adjustment at IRCC
Just yesterday, I was informed by our General Manager, Bertrand Myre, that he has received confirmation from the Employer – in writing – that the current WFA at IRCC will not impact any members of the FS group. None of you will be affected in rounds one, two, or three.
While that is good news for our members at IRCC, there are still about 1,200 of our colleagues who have now been notified of their affected status. Job cuts like these take a toll on everyone, not only those directly affected. We can expect to see increased workloads and deteriorating morale across the community.
While we can breathe a sigh of relief at this moment, we must remain aware that all departments in the Federal Government are currently looking for ways to reduce spending. We have to be ready should something similar take place at GAC. So, if there’s one good thing to take away from the experience of the past two months, it’s that our team has had the chance to prepare itself should another WFA arise elsewhere
If and when that might happen, you can be sure that our Labour Relations Team will be ready to help you identify your best course of action and navigate through the process. We will also continue to participate in the WFA discussions at IRCC and will work to support our colleagues from other bargaining agents wherever possible.
The new FSDs
In my last message, I had mentioned that the new FSDs were scheduled for publication on the first of March. Since then, we have been informed of some issues with the translation process. But now that these have been resolved, we expect the directives to be published in the first week of March.
On our end, we will be hosting two information sessions with PAFSO’s FSD negotiator, Paul Raven, to walk you through the new Directives. The first session will take place on Wednesday, March 12 at 1800, Ottawa time. For those who can’t make it at that time, our second session is set for Tuesday, March 18 at 1200, Ottawa time. Click the links above to register for the session that works best for you. In case neither of those times is convenient, we will be posting a recording of the session on the PAFSO YouTube channel. I’ll let you know once that’s available.
PAFSO 60 and Nominations for the Diamond Jubilee Award
The events committee wanted me to remind everyone that nominations for the prestigious PAFSO 60 Diamond Jubilee Award are open until April 4, 2025. There’s still plenty of time to nominate a colleague for their outstanding work in a particular circumstance or throughout their career. You learn more about the award and the nominations process here on our site.
We are also continuing the work on “Dip Notes” – our PAFSO 60 book project – which will feature some of the best material from bout de papier magazine interspersed with contemporary essays and interviews. Please keep an eye on your in boxes for a separate message about how you can contribute to the project.
POSTPONED: Webinar on the Future of the FS Group at IRCC
Our session planned for next week on the future of the FS group at IRCC has been postponed to an undetermined future date. Once I have a new date for this conversation with IRCC’s Director of Workforce Management, Sylvain de Coteret, I will be sure to let you know.
That’s it for this week. As always, if anything you have concerns at work, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here for you. Are you having issues with your pay? Do you feel harassed or discriminated against? Do you have a grievance or a staffing complaint? Or do you just want some clarifications on our collective agreement or the FSDs? Just send us an email with your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns. For anything and everything else, please send us an email at info@pafso.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
My next message is scheduled for Friday, 7 March. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President
@PafsoPresApase