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News - March 2007
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.
• NHWU posts competitions for four bilingual Service Officer positions
• Service Canada confirms the NHWU’s SDA-II reclassification grievance settlement
not impacted by federal budget
• Three new sections add even more information to our NHWU Web site
• Visit these regional PSAC Web sites to check
Service Canada Component Representation voting procedures
• NHWU’s Service Canada call centre initiative draws questions
on the status of casual employees
• Our Toronto members front-and-centre in International Women’s Day
occupation of Minister’s office
• NHWU push sees Service Canada suspend
peer monitoring at call centres
NHWU posts competitions for four bilingual Service Officer positions
Posted March 27, 2007
The NHWU has launched the search for four new bilingual Service Officers positions in our National Office.
Copies of the NHWU competition poster may be downloaded by clicking on your choice of either the RTF or the PDF icons immediately below:
 
Service Canada confirms the NHWU’s SDA-II reclassification grievance settlement not impacted by federal budget
Posted March 22, 2007
Whatever you thought of this week’s federal budget, there’s at least some good news for our SDA-II’s at Service Canada.
In a post-budget conference call with senior management, the NHWU has been assured that there will be no negative impact on our reclassification grievance, due to budgetary concerns. Subsequently, our ensuing multi-million dollar retroactivity settlement, will also be unaffected by the recent announcement.
Phil Jensen, ADM of the Peoples and Culture Branch at Service Canada, confirmed that the budget announcement affecting Service Canada programs, staff and deliverables will in no way affect the resolution of this ongoing issue.
Both the NHWU and the Department have completed a great deal of work around the reclassification and retroactivity issues. The employer is very much aware that a prompt and expedient conclusion to the SDA-II grievance file is critical to an ongoing harmonious relationship with management.
While the hoped-for March 31 deadline for an announcement may not be obtainable, we are assured that Service Canada is working towards an announcement as quickly as they can.
Three new sections add even more information to our NHWU Web site
Posted March 20, 2007
The NHWU has now added content for three new, informative sections to our Web site.
Information about our annual scholarship awards, as well as the many benefits flowing from NHWU membership, can both be found under the main ‘Services’ menu tab at the top of our site.
Similarly, an explanation of our union’s long involvement in sponsoring foster children in lesser-developed countries can be found under the ‘Our Union’ menu tab.
These three Web pages were planned for and built into our site at the time it was redesigned and re-launched a year ago. With this content now updated and published, our ever-evolving NHWU Web site is more informative than ever.
Rest assured that these Web improvements won’t be the last!
Visit these regional PSAC Web sites to check Service Canada Component Representation voting procedures
Posted March 19, 2007
Due to the importance of the imminent Component Representation vote, the NHWU is providing our Service Canada members with direct links to the regional Web sites of the Public Service Alliance.
The PSAC will be overseeing the vote. Therefore, it is extremely important that all our members be aware of the unfolding of the balloting procedure in each PSAC region across the country.
So, please make frequent visits to the PSAC site in your region to stay up-to-date on the administration of this crucial vote.
Here are the regional links:
ATLANTIC
QUEBEC
(In French only)
ONTARIO
NATIONAL CAPITAL
PRAIRIES
BRITISH COLUMBIA
NORTH
NHWU’s Service Canada call centre initiative draws questions on the status of casual employees
Posted March 18, 2007
Our March 1 Web article on the wide range of Service Canada call centre issues recently brought before management has raised a number of questions on the status of casual employees in the workplace.
As ‘casuals’ can be found in almost every federal government workplace, we thought all NHWU members could benefit from a quick primer.
Staffing, as we know, is the exclusive prerogative of the employer under our restrictive public service labour relations system. Casual workers are most often hired as short-term replacements for staff and to help manage heavy workloads. At more senior levels, they are a quick fix to find expertise needed for a special project. In fact, you could even be supervised by a casual employee, as they run the gamut from entry-level positions to senior executive ranks.
Casual employment can be a preferred employment opportunity for a tiny minority. For most, it is better than nothing, but light-years from the security, compensation and protection enjoyed by NHWU members. Casuals are very much an ‘underclass’ in the federal public service.
If you think that’s too strong a comparison, consider the following:
• Casuals are only permitted to work 90 days for a department or agency in any calendar year.
• The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada bluntly states that:
“Casuals are not considered to be employees.”
• Casual hiring is not covered by the Public Service Employment Act. There is no competitive
process. The only ‘measurement’ is that a manager believes the person is qualified to carry out
the work involved in the job.
• Casuals are barred from the internal competition and appointment process.
• There are no standard guidelines on the hiring and working conditions of casuals. Each
department or agency can draw up their own policies. For instance, unless a department has
an explicit policy, the jobs of casuals do not have to be classified.
• Unless ‘market conditions’ dictate, casuals are paid at the bottom rate for the group and level
assigned to the job.
• While casuals pay CPP and EI premiums, they have no right to superannuation or death
benefits, disability insurance or long-term disability. They are barred from contributing to such
benefit plans as the Public Service Management Insurance Plan, the Public Service Health
Care Plan or the dental care plan.
In short, the process is a wide-open invitation to managerial favouritism and cronyism. And, of course, intimidation and coercion by unscrupulous managers.
The NHWU believes that our casual co-workers deserve better. Wherever and whenever possible, the employer should aim to staff permanent, or ‘indeterminate’, positions.
In this way, all employees would be eligible for union membership – the quickest route to fair remuneration, equitable treatment and dignity on the job!
Our Toronto members front-and-centre in International Women's Day occupation of Minister's office
Posted March 10, 2007
Members of NHWU Toronto Local 00009 were front-and-centre in an International Women’s Day occupation of the Bowmanville, Ontario constituency office of Status of Women Minister Bev Oda.
Our members were protesting Conservative government cuts that are seeing Status of Women’s regional offices closed across much of the country.
The photo below shows (at left) Local president Genie McDougall and (at right) Diana Morris, the Local’s Vice-President of Equity.
International Women’s Day is held around the world each March 8 to celebrate and advance the economic, social and political rights of women everywhere.
NHWU push sees Service Canada suspend peer monitoring at call centres
Posted March 1, 2007
Service Canada has moved to suspend peer monitoring at all its call centres after the NHWU forcibly challenged the questionable practice.
Management made the commitment after an intervention by our union’s representatives at the most recent union-management consultation on Service Canada Call Centres.
We made the point that peer monitoring within individual call centres can give rise to personal bias and further depress morale at a time when Service Canada staff are overworked and stressed out.
As well, employee evaluation is a managerial responsibility; if workers are called upon to exercise such functions, they should be classified and compensated accordingly.
The NHWU has agreed to work with management to arrive at a new process that achieves organizational ends while respecting members’ rights.
Peer monitoring was just one of a wide range of Service Canada call centre issues brought before management representatives at consultation.
We encourage our members to download and view the official minutes of the conference call meeting by clicking on the following PDF icon:
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