Situation ‘changing hourly’ as feds, unions, public service contend with COVID-19 work-from-home confusion
With calls from the prime minister for Canadians to stay at home in the face of COVID-19, union leaders say they are aware of some concerns being raised by federal public servants regarding confusing messaging from some government departments around telework conditions, and that they’re raising issues with the Treasury Board as they come up. […]
BOIE settles on reno feedback forum, initial list of sacred Centre Block spaces to preserve
Before it adjourned amid COVID-19 precautions, the House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy struck a new subcommittee to oversee Centre Block renovations and ruled out the possibility of expanding the existing House Chamber, among other things. Only representatives from recognized parties in the House—those with at least 12 sitting MPs—were involved in those decisions. […]
MPs considering joint House-Senate group to oversee Centre Block renovations
Members of Parliament are considering creating a joint group with Senators to oversee plans for Centre Block’s renovation, but not all MPs are convinced. The House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) is holding a special meeting on March 12 to finalize plans for a new governance body to supervise the massive project to […]
Taxation employee union files ‘bad faith bargaining’ charge against CRA as PSAC gears up for strike votes
The fourth anniversary of the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system has come and gone, and as Canada’s largest federal public sector union remains without a new contract, union leaders are busy gearing up for strike votes across the country. And in the midst of rallies and sit-ins across Canada, the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s second […]
When it comes to public service renewal, the future is green
The climate crisis facing our communities, our country, and our planet, cries out for collective action on a scale never before attempted. This crisis has inspired calls for a Green New Deal here in Canada, and in the United States. It has made a Green Deal the top commitment of the incoming European Commission presidency. […]
MPs still figuring out feedback, as key decisions await Centre Block renovation project
Some “key decisions” have to be made soon in the massive project to renovate the Centre Block, but exactly how the House of Commons will ensure Members of Parliament get a chance to weigh in on plans—something Parliamentarians and officials alike have said was lacking in the West Block’s renovation—is still being ironed out. “We […]
‘Job action only way to get this government to move,’ says union president, as CRA members head to strike votes
Job action is the “only way to get this government to move” on contract talks, say union leaders who are gearing up to hold strike votes for 27,500 of its members at the Canada Revenue Agency later this month so that the Liberals “feel the heat” from public servants. “It’s become clear to us that […]
Revamping Centre Block: virtual tools, new levels of collaboration put to use
Four times larger than the West Block renovation project, the mission to revamp the Centre Block building—and build a new underground facility alongside it—is no small feat, and to tackle it, officials have introduced new technologies and levels of collaboration. It’s a “complex project on multiple levels,” said Jennifer Garrett, director general of the Centre […]
Lingering Phoenix issues ‘no surprise’ to union leaders, as annual survey shows increase in pay problems
With the percentage of federal bureaucrats who say they’ve had pay problems thanks to Phoenix on the rise, the leaders of the largest federal public service unions say they’re not surprised, but also “not hopeful” there’s any end in sight. The problem-plagued Phoenix pay system continues to be an issue among respondents to the annual […]
In a world of increasing disparity, it is time for new leaders to come forward
OTTAWA—The passing of former cabinet minister John Crosbie has been the opportunity for much nostalgia, especially among those who knew him best. My sympathies to his family and friends, who were legion: he was both a great Newfoundlander and a great Canadian. I had the opportunity to interview Crosbie on a few occasions; what I […]
