The PSAC North Region held a Northern Federal Workers Roundtable in Yellowknife, NWT, from November 13 to 14. This was an opportunity for Northern federal workers (from 7 Components of the PSAC) to meet face-to-face and to have in-depth discussions on working conditions, bargaining objectives, legislative issues and other topics relative to living and working in Canada’s north. The event was hosted by the PSAC REVP for the North, Josee Anne Spirito.
USJE had six front line union members in attendance for this important roundtable. These members came from the RCMP “G” and “M” Divisions, as well as the department of Justice (Whitehorse) and PPSC (Yellowknife). Our National President, David Neufeld, was also in attendance to help facilitate and support this event. There was a total of 13 front line PSAC members present from the 7 components who represent members in the North.
The agenda was a full one and covered the following topics: challenges in the workplace, cost of living, the National Joint Council Directives, collective bargaining, the climate crisis, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, mobilization and moving from “challenges to action”.
The participant group was highly engaged and shared many common perspectives on the identified agenda topics. It was very apparent that, across the federal departments represented, there were common challenges which included: widespread chronic departmental understaffing, upward mobility issues, recruitment/retention issues, training issues, burdening workloads, relocation issues, cost of living issues (ie. housing, fuel/heating, food), medical travel expenses, implementation and payment of Isolated Post and Governmental Housing allowances and regular pay issues.
The roundtable was a key opportunity for PSAC members to learn together, connect, network and strategize on how to be stronger advocates in their workplaces and within the Region. Many participants expressed a keen interest to learn more about the role that they could play in their union and advocating/representing on workplace issues in their respective departments.
National President Neufeld assisted in facilitating the session on the Isolated Post Governmental Housing Directives (IPGHD) along with PSAC staff members Darren Pacione and Andrea Dean. The purpose of this session was to: discuss the NJC cyclical review process; review the various IPGHD allowances; to educate the roundtable participants in the importance of northern members providing critical survey information and insight during the NJC cyclical review and the anticipated challenges around future cyclical reviews.
The feedback from the roundtable participants was invaluable as it relates to the IPGHD cyclical review process. The participants shared significant insight into the challenges members face to complete the NJC surveys which will be taken back to the NJC IPGHD Committee via both President Neufeld and Mr. Pacione in the future.
President Neufeld would like to thank the following USJE members for their participation in this Northern Federal Workers Roundtable: Samuel Bourget, Andy Mueller, Melissa Martin Chouinard, Stephanie Crocker, Olivia Williams and Sandrine Jallet.
During the two-day roundtable, President Neufeld also took the opportunity to visit the PPSC office located in downtown Yellowknife. This PPSC office belongs to USJE Local X1049. President Neufeld attended to the site alongside Local President Samuel Bourget and Shop Stewards Melissa Martin Chouinard and Olivia Williams.
During the site visit, the union representatives had the opportunity to speak personally with many PPSC members and to hear about the challenges the members are currently facing in their workplace. President Neufeld learned that these challenges have been “ongoing” and that, like most federal departments in the north, this office has unfortunately faced major staffing and workload issues for quite some time. President Neufeld was impressed with the level of comradery in the office and how members seek to help each other in their very important work.
President Neufeld and Local President Bourget did take the opportunity to meet with Chief Federal Prosecutor, Alex Godfrey, while on site and to speak to him about some of the challenges USJE members were facing in the workplace (ie. staffing, high workloads). President Neufeld also shared concerns regarding the impact the Comprehensive Expenditure Review could have on the PPSC nationally and on public safety outcomes in the North. It was emphasized that the government’s new budget (if passed), could have an even greater negative impact on our members in the north and that this will be something that will be taken back to the national union/management table.
At the end of this meeting, both Mr. Godfrey and the USJE representatives shared a renewed commitment to having more regular Local Labour Management Meetings in the future with the goal of resolving issues at the lowest possible level. President Neufeld wishes to thank Mr. Godfrey for taking the time to meet with USJE representatives during the visit and for his interest in maintaining a good relationship with the local and regional USJE representatives.