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News - July 2010

The headlines for news items published during this month are listed below.

Click on the headline of your choice to see the entire text of the article.

• NHU deplores Conservatives’ axing of annual Public Service Employee Survey,

urges members to call their MPs

• New NHU Service Officer with responsibilities for Ontario and West

• A warm welcome to our new Vancouver Local executive!

NHU deplores Conservatives’ axing of annual Public Service Employee Survey, urges members to call their MPs

Posted July 31, 2010

The National Health Union has spoken out strongly against the Conservative government’s move to quietly axe the annual Public Service Employee Survey. And we’re urging NHU members to call their Member of Parliament to complain about this politically-partisan move by the Harper government.

The PSES is a survey of managers and workers across the federal government. Although voluntary, the high level of employee participation – some two-thirds of those eligible – has made it a valid and valuable tool for both the employer and our union in gauging the mood and needs in workplaces across the country.

Indeed, in May 2009, when releasing the results of the 2008 survey, Treasury Board trumpeted that: “By providing information on demographics, skills, career expectations and concerns of public service employees, it enables Deputy Heads to identify emerging human resources challenges and needs in their organizations. The ultimate outcome is ensuring that Canadians are served by a dynamic and effective public service now and into the future.”

However, this past June, Statistics Canada was ordered by Treasury Board not to proceed with the 2010 survey. Instead, federal government workers will have to wait until 2011 – the date of the next planned triennial survey (if it survives) – to have an opportunity to air their views and concerns.

Tony Tilley, NHU National President, said he deplored the Harper government’s self-serving move to cancel the annual PSES. He noted without the hard survey data obtained from our members at Health Canada, it would have been nigh on impossible to have successfully pressured the employer to establish the recently-announced joint union-management committee to address workplace harassment.

“This is a damning example of the very worst type of political interference in the objectivity of the public service,” Tilley said. “Just over a year ago, the Public Service Survey was described by Treasury Board as “an important tool for supporting people management”. Now, the annual survey has been relegated to the Tory trash can.”

Tilley urged NHU members to call their Member of Parliament and condemn this latest action by the Harper government to choke off important sources of objective data that can be used to develop policies that Canadians want and need.

Ironically, this highly-partisan decision was made in the midst of a rising furor over the Harper government’s ideologically-motivated decision to gut the effectiveness of the national census program by getting rid of the mandatory long-form census form. Everyone from insurance companies to municipal governments has condemned the Prime Minister’s highly-political effort to placate his Party’s extreme right-wing, anti-government base.

New NHU Service Officer with responsibilities for Ontario and West

Posted July 13, 2010

The National Health Union is pleased to announce that Mark Hockley has joined the National Office as Service Officer for our Locals in Ontario and the West.

Mark brings us many years of experience in the labour relations field. He previously worked both with our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, and with a number of other unions.

On behalf of National President Tony Tilley and the National Council, please join us in welcoming Mark to the NHU!

A warm welcome to our new Vancouver Local executive!

Posted July 1, 2010

NHU members in mainland British Columbia have elected themselves a new Local executive.

A special ballot, open to al Local 20031 members, was conducted in multiple locations on June 8. Upon being duly elected, the following ‘table officers’ were sworn-in to their new positions:

           • Marie Carter – President;
           • Michelle Pierre – Vice-President;
           • Hafiza Ramji – Treasurer; and
           • Jaclyn Sawtell – Secretary.

The incoming executive is balanced between geographic locales and our major employers.

The National Office congratulates and extends a warm welcome on behalf of the NHU membership to the new Local 20031 executive team.