Dear Members,
Short weeks always make things feel so rushed, but I want to give you a quick update before the Easter long weekend. There are several things we’re watching closely this April. Here’s a look at some of the most pressing ones.
Possible PSAC labour action
As I mentioned in my last message, our colleagues at PSAC are scheduled to complete their nationwide strike votes in the next two weeks. Depending on the outcome, this spring could see over 120,000 members of the federal public service go out on strike. While PAFSO is in a completely different situation – having opted for binding arbitration in the case of a breakdown in negotiations – a labour action by our colleagues in other occupational groups is sure to have an impact on our us.
What are our rights? What are our responsibilities to the Employer? What if there’s a picket line in front of our workplaces? How might this affect our workloads? How can we show support for our striking colleagues? It’s been a while since the public service has seen a strike, and many of us may need a refresher when it comes to questions like these. In case you missed it in my last message, please check out our FAQ on what to do in case of a PSAC strike action. We are keeping a close eye on the situation, as I’m sure you are. And, of course, as events unfold, we will be sure to provide you with up to with up-to-date guidance and information.
Collective bargaining update
At our last meeting with the Employer in February, we exchanged economic proposals, but no agreement was reached. At the moment, our negotiation team is busy preparing for the next round, which is scheduled for next week. I will update you on the latest developments in my next message on 21 April.
Advocacy and information on the Public Service Health Care Plan
Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of questions from members about the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP). No doubt this is because of the big changes coming up on 1 July when the plan’s administrator will be changing from Sun Life to Canada Life. For out-of-country coverage, MSH International will be taking over from Allianz Global Assistance.
One area of particular concern to a number of our members is the issue of mandatory generic substitution of medications, in particular biologics. As we approach the July 1st transition to the new PSHCP administrator, the Employer has indicated that, for the foreseeable future, Canada Life and their international partner, MSH International, will not be introducing mandatory generic substitution for members and their families posted abroad. Rest assured that PAFSO will be monitoring this situation closely and working with the Employer to ensure that your concerns are addressed.
While PAFSO is not a member of the committee which oversees the administration of the plan and is not positioned to advise members on how to navigate individual claims, we have decided to put together a helpful FAQ that consolidates answers to some of the most common questions. For more in-depth issues, we have tried to provide links to all the most authoritative relevant information and the most commonly used forms on the PSHCP website.
If you want to learn more about the upcoming improvements to the plan, Treasury Board has recently put out this comprehensive update and the PSHCP site itself has some very good information here.
Cyclical review of the Foreign Service Directives (FSDs)
Last week, you should have received in your inboxes an invitation to take part in a survey on the FSDs. In preparation for the cyclical review of the directives set to take place this fall, we are looking for your input to help identify issues and concerns that you may have with their current implementation.
The survey is split into two parts. The first consists of some of the more common issues that have been brought to our attention and asks members to rate them based on personal relevance. The second part is designed to collect demographic information so we can better understand how the FSDs might impact various groups differently.
The survey is a bit on the long side, taking between 10 to 20 minutes to complete. However, this information is key to our efforts to improve the FSDs, and we greatly appreciate you taking the time to participate. At the end of the survey, you will be invited to take part in a live focus group to discus in greater depth specific aspects of the directives.
As your privacy is important to us, rest assured that the survey is strictly anonymous. Your answers are confidential and will only be analyzed in aggregate form.
The FSD survey is open until Wednesday, April 19 at midnight, Ottawa time. You can find it using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PAFSO_FSD_Survey. Thanks in advance for your participation.
Those are some of the main issues we are tracking at the moment. As always, if you have any concerns with your situation at work, please contact us. Be sure to include your name, department, and a detailed description of the issues you are facing. We will connect you to a member of our Labour Relations team who will be glad to assist you. If you have any other questions, send us an email at info@pafso.com and someone will get back to you very shortly.
I hope you all will get a chance to enjoy a bit of downtime over the holiday long weekend. Try not to eat too much chocolate :). I’ll be talking to you again in two weeks. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President