Dear Members,
I am back from a couple of weeks away and though it’s always great to have a bit of downtime, it’s good to be back in the swing of things.
There’s been a lot going on since my last message back in February.
Return to the workplace
This past Monday marked three years since President of the Treasury Board, Jean-Yves Duclos asked that all federal public servants shift to teleworking from their homes as part of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that day, many of you, especially those posted abroad, have found yourselves in a variety of different working arrangements, from 100% remote to hybrid combinations, or being in-person and in-office full time.
However, it has only been since the beginning of this year that the Employer has implemented its Common Hybrid Work Model, whereby all employees are required to return to the office for a minimum of 2 to 3 days per week. However, according to Treasury Board’s Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace, you may be eligible to request an exemption from this requirement. You can visit our website for some important information on what is involved in applying for an exemption. As is always the case, the very first step in this process should be for you to have a conversation with your manager in order to discuss the context and feasibility of your request.
For our members at IRCC, we have been informed that the deadline to apply for an exemption is fast approaching. Your requests must be submitted no later than Monday, March 20.
As always, if you have any concerns with how your request is being handled, do not hesitate to contact us. Send us a message with your name and department and a detailed description of your circumstance, and we will connect you to someone from our Labour Relations team.
PAFSO is committed to ensuring that the implementation of the Common Hybrid Work Model follows four core principles: safety, flexibility, fairness, and clarity. You can learn more on our website by referring to our position on the return to the workplace, as well as a helpful FAQ on the subject.
Possible PSAC labour action
As you may know, over 120,000 members of the federal public service represented by PSAC are currently voting on whether on not to call for a strike later this spring. At PAFSO, we are in a different situation after opting for binding arbitration in the case of an impasse in our negotiations.
A strike by our PSAC colleagues may lead to some questions concerning your rights, and responsibilities to the Employer. I also know that many of you, especially those who remember the Alliance’s support to us when we mounted Canada’s longest-running federal public service strike in 2013, are interested in options for showing the same support to our colleagues.
To offer some guidance and help answer some of your questions, we have put together a brief FAQ on the matter from what to do at a picket line, to dealing with requests to cover the workload of striking colleagues. We hope this document will be helpful should our colleagues in the Alliance need to go on strike.
Collective bargaining Update
Things are moving along on this front, albeit slowly. The parties last met in mid-February when economic proposals were exchanged. As a reminder, while neither party was inclined to accept the other’s proposal, the act of tabling them marked an important step forward, as it opened the door to greater discussions on a number of other items the Employer was previously unwilling to address. Negotiations are set to continue in mid-April. I will be sure to update you on what happens then.
Deborah Chatsis Indigenous Scholarship in International Affairs
Last month, in coordination with our friends at AMBCANADA, we had the pleasure of presenting a special scholarship screening of “Ice-Breaker: The 1972 Summit Series” at the Bytowne Cinema. All proceeds from ticket sales and all royalties from the evening’s book sales will go to the PAFSO/AMBCANADA Deborah Chatsis Indigenous Scholarship in International Affairs. While we don’t yet know the exact amount raised that evening, it’s safe to say, judging by how many of you turned up, that it was a success, raising several thousands of dollars for the scholarship. For those of you who couldn’t attend and would still like to make a contribution to the fund, you can find out more at this link.
Recording of PAFSO Breakfast with GAC’s Ombud Office
This past Tuesday, we held a virtual breakfast with GAC’s new Well-Being Ombud, Rob Sinclair, and his team. It was a very interesting and wide-ranging discussion, which touched on a variety of themes, including the development of GAC’s new strategy for psychological well-being in the workplace. If you were not able to attend the session, I encourage you to watch the recording here.
Well, that about does it for this week. If you have any concerns with your situation at work, do not hesitate to contact us. Send us a detailed message, including your name, department, and a description of the issues you are facing. You will be put in touch with a member of our Labour Relations team who will be glad to assist you. For all other questions, just send an email to info@pafso.com and someone will get back to you shortly.
For those of you in the NCR this weekend, brace yourselves as it looks like winter is about to remind us that it’s not quite spring yet. We’ll chat next in a couple of weeks. Until then, please take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President