You are invited to participate in an online survey lasting 15-20 minutes, which focuses on workplace racial discrimination and health. If you meet the following criteria, this survey is for you:
To participate, you must be :
• Aged between 25 and 65 years
• Speak French or English
• Currently employed or unemployed for one year or less
• Canadian or living in Canada.
Please note that self-employed are not eligible.
This study has received approval from the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board.
Yann Boudreau, former UNE Regional Vice-President for the Quebec Region, has been elected as the new National Vice-President for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
Yann Boudreau’s main objectives for this mandate will be as follows:
Work with the National Executive to advance UNE issues.
Work with the UNE OHS Committee to organize an interesting and informative Health & Safety Conference for our members.
Assist members in answering OHS questions.
Create a community of exchange and communication between the OHS representatives of each of the Local sections.
PSAC and UNE members showed up in droves to the rally in downtown Ottawa. Thank you to to all members for your hard work and the important services you provide to all Canadians.
The Federal Court will hold a full hearing to review PSAC’s application to quash the federal government’s decision to force federal public service workers back into ill-equipped offices three days a week beginning September 9.
This is an important victory for workers and unions who have been pushing back against the government’s unilateral decision announced in May that has had sweeping impacts on federal workers and led to mass protests, legal challenges and a wave of individual grievances.
“The Federal Court’s decision to hear our case is an important win for federal workers fighting for a fair and transparent approach to telework,” said PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa. “Remote work is the future of work, and we won’t let the government off the hook for breaking their commitments and ignoring the voices of federal public service workers.”
The government attempted to have the case thrown out or delayed by the Court until existing legal challenges – including several policy grievances and unfair labour practice complaints disputing the mandate – are heard by a federal board.
But the Federal Court judge ruled that Treasury Board failed to deliver the “knock-out punch” to the grounds for PSAC’s application to warrant dismissal.
The hearing will be a major step for unions and workers looking for transparency around its decision to bring workers back into the office three days a week, as the government will now need to make their case and present their reasoning for making the decision to bring workers back to the office.
Although this does not mean that the Federal Court endorses PSAC’s position, it will allow us to fully argue our case in court. This is part of PSAC’s broader effort to demonstrate that telework is the way of the future and hold the government accountable for its misguided mandate.
What members can do
This is just one of several ways PSAC is continuing the fight for fair telework. Members can take action by:
This fall, PSAC will be launching a national joint telework campaign alongside other unions. But to win this fight, we will need the support of members from coast to coast to coast organizing and making noise in their workplaces. Together, we will show the government, decision-makers and the public that #RemoteWorks.
Before I speak or write, you may see me hold the tobacco pouches gifted to me by elders I wear around my neck. I pray, “Great Spirit and Ancestors, help me always seek and speak or write the truth, or may another truth bringer correct my ignorance so we may all live in an honest community.”
As a Black Indigenous woman, whose Ancestors were enslaved by Europeans’ Royal Assent, this means…
That the monarchy’s hands are drenched in the blood of my Ancestors. It means that the Royal Family had to approve of my Ancestors’ freedom. It means that the French and British benefitted from our subjugation.
The centuries of slavery are the reason my African Ancestors are made up of people from Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian, Siera Leonean, Senegambian, Guinean, Congolese, and Angolan descent — stolen people taken to stolen lands. As breeding stock, they forced the strongest to make more.
Then Royal Assent went somewhat as follows; all children under six were freed in 1834 but others were retained for four to six years as apprentices. People in the British Caribbean finally gained their freedom at midnight on July 31, 1838 – a full two years before some in Canada. Canada loves to downplay its hand in slavery.
This means that in Canada those enslaved could have remained so as late as 1840. The spin of history paints those in lights that harm as the heroes even when not exactly factual. I will not uphold their fantastical stories. We cannot deal in truth if we continue to repeat lies.
Twenty million English pounds (£20,000,000) were made available by the British government to pay for damages suffered by owners of registered slaves, but none was sent to slaveholders in British North America.
Not a single cent was ever paid to any generation of the Ancestors for damages or payment for their labour (work) of those enslaved.
So, though I observe Emancipation Day, it is with an understanding that it is a day to mark when European Canadians decided they should no longer own people of Indigenous and African origin.
A day to remind me never to exploit others.
Never convince myself that the ends justify the means.
I will absolutely never use the very ideals that oppressed my Ancestors.
I reaffirm my dedication to dismantle the system of oppressors and their lies.
The PSAC-NCR Ottawa Area Council (OAC) is excited to announce our participation in the 2024 Ottawa Labour Day March! The march, put on by the Ottawa District Labour Council, will be on Monday, September 2 starting at 12 PM,with a picnic from 12:45 – 4 PM.
Join us as we show solidarity to all who are fighting to make life fairer for all workers and their families. Following the march, PSAC NCR will also have a booth at the picnic taking place at McNabb Park.
Members are encouraged to bring friends, family or members of the community who wish to participate.
The day’s schedule will be:
9:30 – 11:30: The PSAC delegation will meet at PSAC Headquarters (233 Gilmour Street). Members will be able to create banners using provided supplies. Refreshments and light snacks will be available and an ice cream truck will be on site.
11:30 – 12:00: The PSAC delegation will walk from 233 Gilmour to Ottawa City Hall (750 m).
12:00: The march will begin at Ottawa City Hall (Lisgar Street side). The march will then take the following route (3 km):
– West on Lisgar Street to Elgin Street
– South on Elgin Street to Gladstone Avenue
– West on Gladstone Avenue ending at McNabb Park (corner of Bronson and Gladstone)
12:45: A family-friendly picnic at McNabb Park will start when the march arrives.
Accessibility
Attendees should stay home if they are feeling unwell for any reason.
There will be seats in a vehicle that will drive along the length of the march route. These seats will be available on a first-come, first served basis. The vehicle will leave from 233 Gilmour to Ottawa City Hall at 11 AM. If you have any questions relating to this or other issues of accessibility, please email oac-cro@psac-afpc.com.
Masks are encouraged but not required.
Attendees should dress for the weather and bring water and sunscreen.
Please avoid fragranced products such as perfume, cologne, or lotion out of consideration for our community members with chemical injuries or sensitivities.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.
Parking is available as follows:
Free parking is available at 233 Gilmour starting at 10:00am on a first-come, first-served basis.
Paid parking is available at Ottawa City Hall and at McNabb Park.
OC Transpo routes are available as follows:
Routes that stop near 233 Gilmour: 6, 7, 11, 14
Routes that stop near McNabb Park: 10, 14
Routes that stop near Ottawa City Hall: 5, 11, 14, 16, 19
August 24th, 2024 marks a significant milestone: the one-year anniversary of Union of National Employees (UNE) siblings making history by electing two groundbreaking leaders within the PSAC. Pictured left, we have a Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQA+ woman with disabilities as President of a component – Alisha Kang (nee Campbell).
On the right, Ms. Hayley Millington, a Black (Trinidadian) woman, as our National Executive Vice President.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) only handed over the reins to us on March 6, 2024, and yet we are already a third of the way through our mandate. We have gigantic feats to accomplish in the next two years, but do not despair. As workers, we are accustomed to having the odds stacked against us and making the impossible, possible. Together, UNE siblings, will build a new structure that upholds members as never before.
We must not fear the difficult discussions ahead of us and the collective work it shall take us to get there. The only constant is change and we are in a time of great evolution. I cannot wait to see what we build together.
Monday’s announcement allowing thousands of residents re-entry into the municipality of Jasper, many of them UNE members working at the Jasper National Park, is the first step in a long road ahead of healing and recovery. It will be the first time for many of them to face the damages and devastation to their community. The park remains closed to the public, as the initial re-entry is for residents only.
Our members working and living within Jasper, know UNE has been in close communication with the employer ever since the wildfire started. The main topics discussed have been the safety of our members and their families, the provisions in place to support them while displaced, communication, and mental health. The employer has allocated resources to support those affected by the wildfires.
A FAQ has been distributed. Please reach out to your Local executive if you have not received it. It contents valuable information about:
General information and financial supports
Government of Alberta supports
Red Cross supports and information
Questions on impacts to PCA Staff and Staff Housing
Questions regarding travel situations
Questions regarding general HR situations
Questions regarding pay
Questions about staffing
Questions on Health support
For health support specifically, the following resources are available:
The Employee Family and Assistance Program (EFAP) crisis line is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-268-7708 (or TTY 1-800-567-5803). The call centre is aware of the context in Jasper National Park and can provide immediate support. If employees are not in a crisis, the call centre will make the arrangement to have a counsellor contact you within five business days to set up a free appointment (up to 12 hours of counselling per issue) in person or virtually. They can also book an appointment by live chat(password: canada), Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (MT).
For those remaining to support fire management efforts in Jasper at this time, please know that there are two mental health professionals (MHP) coordinated with the Health Canada Psychosocial Response and Extended Counselling (PREC) team on site with incident command, to support all Parks Canada employees. Employees who are not part of the fire crews can request to meet or talk to the MHP by contacting them directly. The MHPs will be on rotation in Hinton and neighbouring sites every two weeks until the end of September.
Additional mental health support may be requested at any time and coordinated with the Parks Canada Wellness team at mieuxetre-wellness@pc.gc.ca and the Health Canada PREC team at PRECGeneral.CPRPGeneral@hc-sc.gc.ca.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to your regional and national teams to advise us of any challenges regarding your employment while displaced so that we may raise them with the employer as soon as possible.
National Acadian Day is a celebration that began on the first National Convention of the Acadians in Memramcook on August 15, 1881. The Government of Canada enacted a law in 2003 to proclaim the day celebrated by the Acadians as a national holiday. This day reflects the identity of a people who overcame trials and persecutions with determination and courage. It underscores the cultural vitality and enduring heritage of the Acadian people.
Nowadays, National Acadian Day is expressed in a festive, popular, and artistic way. It is a day to commemorate Acadian history and culture. At 5:55 p.m., thousands of Acadians across Atlantic Canada, Louisiana, the Magdalen Islands and France venture out during a boisterous and colourful parade that is called a Tintamarre, which is heard everywhere. The Tintamarre is a loud, proud, and exciting event that expresses the pride, vitality, and joie de vivre of Acadia.
For those who would like to experience Acadian culture, you can visit the Historical Acadian Village of Nova Scotia in Lower West Pubnico, Nova Scotia. There is also the Village historique acadien in Caraquet, and the Pays de la Sagouine in Bouctouche, New-Brunswick, to name just a few.
UNE’s Francophone Committee wishes you a great National Acadian Day!
Indigenous peoples have unique cultures and ways of relating to people and their environment. Indigenous peoples’ thoughts on health and well-being are generally seen as greater and more holistic. With a strong determined community, the keeping of the land and the natural environment are always in mind.
Article 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes the right of Indigenous peoples to their traditional medicines, to maintain their health practices and to access social and health services without discrimination.
Indigenous women are the backbone of Indigenous communities and play a vital role in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge concerning the environment, traditional medicines, food systems, preservation of language and cultural heritage. Not to mention in some cultures, the clan and nation are past down from the woman.
There are an estimated 476 million Indigenous peoples in the world. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world’s population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest people. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
Indigenous peoples have wanted recognition of our identities, our way of life and our right to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources. Yet, throughout history, our rights have been violated. Indigenous peoples today are among the most disadvantaged groups of people in the world. International communities now recognize that special circumstances are required to protect our rights and maintain our distinct cultures.
In Resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was to be observed on August 9 every year. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations to promote and protect the human rights of Indigenous People.
In 2014, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, a UN Action Plan on the rights of Indigenous peoples was developed by several agencies to support Indigenous issues. The aim was to ensure a coordinated approach to achieving the ends of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and included an improved support to member states and Indigenous peoples.
The International Day of Indigenous Peoples, observed on August 9, is a celebration that honours the rich cultural heritage, traditions, and contributions of Indigenous communities worldwide. This day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples and promote their rights and well-being.
Lenora Maracle National Equity Representative for Indigenous Members Union of National Employees
