Updates

As a citizen who is a public service worker, you have the right, protected by the Canadian Charter, to engage in political activity outside of work.

USGE Regional Vice Presidents Jackie Oswald and Frank Janz from the Prairie Region travelled over 1,800 kilometers to visit USGE members in Manitoba. During their trip they visited eight RCMP detachments, many of which are located in more rural parts of the province.

In the wake of the release of over one hundred recommendations from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Union of Solicitor General Employees commends the Commission for its extraordinary and groundbreaking work.

The Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE) National office has been receiving a substantial number of emails and calls from Regional Vice Presidents (RVPs) and members concerned about the Correctional Services of Canada’s (CSC) recent strategy of designating employees working in sentence management and other employee groups as impacted and vulnerable but not deemed affected as per the Collective Agreement.

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) employees who work in Canada’s penitentiaries every day with offenders were not surprised by many of the findings in this week’s report from the Auditor general. Major changes to federal legislation over the last decade, combined with significant budget cuts to CSC, have led to more offenders being incarcerated longer.

Tuesday’s federal budget was a mixed bag for USGE members. The federal government signaled its intention to follow through with its plan to make significant changes to the federal public service’s sick leave program, regardless of the outcome of the collective bargaining process.

While there have been some delays in meeting the previously established timelines, significant progress has been made over the last several months. Consultation with divisional management and USGE representatives has been very positive with helpful feedback.

Public safety is clearly on the minds of Canadians. And for good reason, given recent domestic and international events. So, it perhaps comes as no surprise that the federal government would introduce the possibility of keeping some of Canada’s most egregious offenders in jail – for good.

On January 26, 2015, the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (PSLREB) ruled in favour of the union on our policy grievance against Correctional Service Canada (CSC) for its handling of food services employees whose jobs were being eliminated. 

The Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE) is asserting that CSC’s Attendance Management Program is arbitrary, discriminatory and violates the collective agreement. This is particularly the case for those Correctional employees who required family and bereavement leave, as well as those employees with a disability.