PSAC reaches tentative deal with feds on Phoenix damages, wage increases
After nearly three weeks at the bargaining table, Canada’s largest federal public service union reached a tentative agreement with the government late on July 9, securing both wage increases and compensation for damages in connection to the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system. The deal was struck nearly four months after strike votes were suspended by the […]
Union heads worry too much left up to ‘discretion’ in public service back-to-workplace plan
Following weeks of consultation and the release of departmental guidelines on the easing of workplace restrictions for tens of thousands of public service workers, heads of federal departments and agencies are now planning for eventual increased access to federal worksites. But the president of Canada’s second-largest public service union says her organization was pushing for […]
Now is the time to protect public services
Every year for one week, the federal government celebrates its more than 300,000 public service employees. It usually comes and goes without too much fanfare, but this year should be different. All Canadians should be encouraged to recognize the public sector workers helping our country weather the brutal impacts of COVID-19. PSAC members who live […]
While some MPs urge adoption, Conservatives still skeptical about remote voting
As the House Affairs Committee studies whether and how to introduce remote voting to the Lower Chamber, some MPs are urging it to recommend such voting be temporarily introduced as physical-distancing restrictions prompted by COVID-19 have kept Canada’s top legislature from dealing with almost all regular business since mid-March. “I don’t think people thought that […]
Interpreter injuries spike due to virtual Parliament, prompt calls for quality controls
With subpar equipment and spotty connectivity, Parliament’s virtual meetings have compromised the quality of interpretation and led to a rise in workplace injuries reported by interpreters, according to two groups representing parliamentary interpreters. Inconsistent audio and visual quality and poor practices from Parliamentarians and witnesses have made interpreters’ jobs more difficult since the House of Commons […]
As union members face COVID-19 pandemic ‘head on,’ PSAC calls for feds to return to bargaining table
With union members “facing the pandemic head on” at our borders, in federal penitentiaries, and by processing millions of financial support claims under tight timelines, the head of Canada’s largest federal public service union is calling for the federal government to return to the bargaining table to reach an elusive contract settlement for more than […]
Don’t sacrifice official languages during times of crisis
The first virtual session of the Special Committee on COVID-19, to which all MPs belong, started up this week. Professional interpreters have already worked hard to translate the spoken words of MPs in the few parliamentary committees that have met in recent weeks, so we have some experience in interpreting virtual meetings—albeit on a small […]
Pandemic crisis tests durability of MPs’ parliamentary privileges, say MPs, experts
As parliamentary privileges are tested amid the pandemic, with one MP crying foul over the leaking of draft legislation, experts say it has underscored the extent to which not all MPs have equal standing in the House. The temporary suspension of the House has upended the routine legislative process, leading draft bills to be scrutinized, […]
Feds ‘on the hot seat’ for past and new decisions, as journos, staffers contend with new media environment
Despite the dwindling numbers of journalists standing face-to-face with decision makers as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes more people to work from home, public officials and the media have done an effective job of communicating with the public so far, despite challenging conditions, say observers. In addition to daily updates by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, […]
‘Essential’ Hill workers told to bring ID, permission slip in wake of Quebec border crackdown
Hill workers crossing the bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., are being told to bring ID and a form proving they have a right to cross the provincial border for work after Quebec’s April 1 order banning all non-essential travel to the province as it broadened efforts to stamp the deadly spread of coronavirus. The […]
