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The Harper Government’s mantra seems to be more of “do as I say, not as I do” when it comes to transparency, how it informs the Canadian public and how it chooses to work with the federal public service unions. The latest case in point is the omnibus budget bill, Bill C-4. 

The following is a letter sent by John Edmunds to our Locals, explaining the Union’s right to chose its own OHS representatives.

As was indicated in a previous article, the Administrative Support Positions Review (ASPR) was developed to examine positions, mainly within Federal Policing, to determine whether the work descriptions were complete and current and to develop new generic work descriptions that would be applicable throughout the Force.

Your bargaining team went back to the bargaining table on December 19 with the goal of concluding a fair collective agreement for employees at CSIS. We soon discovered that the employer is either unwilling or does not have the mandate to move on the key outstanding issues at the table, including Workforce Adjustment (WFA).

Meetings between the bargaining team and the employer were held on November 7 and 8 in Ottawa. Significant progress was made on a number of issues and the team was able to sign off on a number of items.

The Correctional Service of Canada has announced that it will be moving forward with its plan to cluster food services within its penitentiaries. The rationale for this move is based on apparent cost-savings. The USGE is not convinced that these perceived savings can make up for the negative impact this move will have on the offender population.

As was indicated in a previous web article, included in the current cuts announced as a result of the Conservative Government’s Deficit Reduction Action Plan was an increase in the number of offenders CSC Parole Officers must supervise.

USGE members at the Parole Board of Canada in Edmonton and Kingston recently received affected notices. Due to lack of work or discontinuance of function at their work units, PBC has announced that USGE members working as AS-03 with the Conditional Release Program will be affected: 12 members in Ontario and 8 members in Alberta.

USGE members working for the RCMP have not been spared from the budgetary cuts exercise happening throughout the federal civil service. 149 members have been deemed affected and generic letters to that effect have been sent out.

In an attempt to rein in spiraling HR costs and perceived abuses of sick leave by employees, CSC introduced a National Attendance Management Program (NAMP). USGE has and continues to object to this national program and has cautioned the employer on its implementation.