Dear Members,
Like most of you, I have been mesmerized by the terrible events that have been unfolding in Ukraine over the past week. Our thoughts are with everyone caught up in the horrors of war, including the Canada-based and locally-engaged staff from the Embassy of Canada in Kyiv. They, and many other PAFSO members at headquarters and abroad, have been working around the clock to help the people of Ukraine and hold Russia to account for its aggression. We are extremely proud of their work.
Many public servants in Ukraine have remained in place to provide essential services throughout the country during these dangerous times. Others have been forced to flee their homes and are now without food or shelter. In an act of solidarity, PAFSO has made a $2,000 donation to help Ukrainian unions and their members through the devastation they are enduring. This donation was made through Public Service International (PSI), an umbrella organization representing public sector unions worldwide. We have previously made donations through PSI, most recently to help union victims of the 2020 Beirut explosion, and we are confident that the funds are well managed and always reach the intended recipients. You can learn more about PSI and its donation programme here. If you would like to make an individual donation to help the people of Ukraine, please consider contributing to the Canadian Red Cross’s Humanitarian Crisis Appeal.
I am pleased to announce that Roman Waschuk, former Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, has agreed to be my guest at our next virtual PAFSO Breakfast on Tuesday, 8 March, at 0900 EST, to discuss the current situation. Given his deep expertise and extensive contacts in Ukraine and the region, I’m sure it will be a very interesting session. You can register for it here.
With everything we are seeing in the news cycles these days, it can be easy to forget that we are still in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. Though Omicron, and it’s subvariant BA.2, are still making their way across the world, many countries and regions are taking some significant steps towards a post-pandemic new normal. Here in Canada, most provinces are relaxing health measures and some are rolling back proof of vaccination requirements for restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses. It seems that we are about to enter the phase of living with the virus.
Now that Omicron seems to be receding in the NCR, the Employer’s plans for a return to the workplace are back on the table. And we at PAFSO, in conjunction with the other bargaining agents of the core public administration, are getting back to making sure that those plans are as safe as possible for all our members. As we slowly transition from working remotely as a default to being back into our office spaces, we need to ensure that the basic health measures of distancing, masking and sanitizing are maintained. And from what we now know of the virus, these measures must consider the reality of airborne transmission and put proper ventilation of our workspaces in Canada and at post at the forefront.
In other union news, yesterday I served notice to bargain to the Employer. This effectively freezes the provisions of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires in June, in place until we sign a new one. We expect negotiations to begin sometime in the fall. Between now and then, our collective bargaining team will put together the proposals they will bring to the negotiating table. And for this, they will be seeking your input. Next month, we will be distributing a brief survey to narrow down the issues are most important to you in this round of bargaining. Please start giving this some thought as your input is crucial to getting the best deal we can for all of us.
Next week is International Women’s Week, and in that context, I would like to bring to your attention an interesting event taking place at 1430 on Wednesday, 9 March, courtesy of Shared Services Canada’s Women’s Network and Indigenous Circle. Mohawk Olympic water polo athlete and activist, Waneek Horn-Miller. Waneek will be sharing her lifelong journey of overcoming discrimination and violence – from behind the lines during 1990’s Oka Crisis to becoming one of North America’s most inspiring female indigenous speakers. To reserve your spot, send an email to indigenouscircle-cercleautochtone@ssc-spc.gc.ca by Wednesday, March 9 at 9:00 AM (EST).
For those of you who would like to connect with the PAFSO community for an informal chat, don’t forget our regular monthly virtual events. Next Wednesday, 9 March, please join me then for a Virtual Coffee Break at 1030, EST. And the following week, on Wednesday, 16 March, I’ll be hosting a Virtual Happy Hour at 1700, Ottawa time.
And, finally, for any concerns you may have about your circumstance at work, please contact Executive Director Kim Coles. Just send her an email with your name, department and a short message describing your situation and she will put you in touch with our labour relations team. For all other inquiries, just send an email to info@pafso.com and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
This is a tumultuous time. I can only hope that cooler heads prevail and that the current conflict comes to a swift end. After everything we have been through in the last two years, the world does not need any more turmoil, and neither do we.
We’ll talk again soon. Until then, stay safe. Stay hopeful. Take care of yourselves, and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President