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News - September 2006
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.
• Reminder - October 2 is deadline for scholarship applications
• Work Descriptions and Letters of Offer at Service Canada -
to sign or not to sign?
• PM-01 Work Description has little to do
with actual SDA work performed
• National Office sends info to Locals on
Regional Bargaining Conferences
• NHWU welcomes new head of Service Canada,
seeks early meeting
Reminder – October 2 is deadline for scholarship applications
Posted September 27, 2006
The National Health and Welfare Union has for many years offered Scholarship Awards to our members and their children.
The October 2 deadline for receipt of applications is fast approaching. Information and application forms were sent to all NHWU Locals last June. The application form, as well as scholarship guidelines, can be downloaded by clicking on your choice of RTF or PDF icons below.
Application Form
 
Guidelines
 
There are four NHWU scholarships:
• A $2,500 scholarship for members’ children based on academic standing;
• A $2,500 scholarship for members’ children based on financial need;
• A $2,500 scholarship for members’ children entering an apprenticeship program; and
• A $1,500 scholarship for a NHWU members returning to school full-time.
We encourage those interested to complete all parts of the application and submit it to the NHWU National Office by October 2.
Work Descriptions and Letters of Offer at Service Canada – to sign or not to sign?
Posted September 20, 2006
As members know from previous updates, Service Canada on September 14 reclassified all CR-05 positions (former SDA-IIs and SDRs) to the PM-01 group and level.
Last week many of our SDA-II members were given copies of new Work Descriptions with the request they be signed. Later in the week, many members were given Letters of Offer for their new PM-01 classification, which have the same position numbers as the previous CR-05 jobs they are replacing.
Some justifiable confusion arose at this point. Many people were told that a signature was compulsory on the WD, while others were told that only a signature on the letter of offer was compulsory.
Service Canada Human Resources did in fact clear up the first part of this confused status by indicating that a signature on the Work Description only indicated that the WD had been seen and that signing in no way limited employees from grieving the content.
The Letter of Offer now becomes the point of contention. All staffing actions resulting in a Letter of Offer situation should provide the recipient with at least a week to sign. Those newly-reclassified SDA-IIs and SDRs who were asked to sign the Letter of Offer upon receipt, and did so, have not eliminated their option to file a grievance on either the content or its classification.
Not signing the Letter of Offer in a reasonable time frame could create consequences that we are still investigating (ie. Work Force Adjustment and/or overpayment, if management has already processed the reclassification). This would not be beneficial to members in this situation, as they will be overpaid until such time as the problem is amended.. They will, in fact, have performed PM-01 work but for CR-05 pay.
As is always the case in these situations, the NHWU recommends that you sign the Letter of Offer now and, if necessary, grieve later.
However, until this situation is resolved, keep the PM-01 money in your pocket and consider it a down-payment.
PM-01 Work Description has little to do with actual SDA work performed
Posted September 13, 2006
When it comes to actual work performed by SDA’s, Service Canada’s proposed work description to convert CR-05’s to PM-01’s is a classic case of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
September 14 is still the supposed conversion date for all CR-05 jobs. However, it is obvious from the new PM-01 Work Description that the employer’s attempt to create blended positions has failed.
Of no surprise to the NHWU, there are clear, indisputable differences between the responsibilities of SDA’s and SDR’s working in Service Canada. This goes a long way in explaining why management has opted to delay the release of the results of the classification panel held on the SDA II Work Description.
The National Office is seeking clarification of the situation from senior management of Service Canada in order to avert a nationwide grievance campaign.
National Office sends info to Locals on Regional Bargaining Conferences
Posted September 8, 2006
The NHWU National Office has sent information on the PSAC's Regional Bargaining Conferences to all Locals representing Treasury Board employees.
Click on your choice of RTF or PDF icons below to read this memo:
 
NHWU welcomes new head of Service Canada, seeks early meeting
Posted September 7, 2006
The National Health and Welfare Union has written Hélène Gosselin to congratulate the new Deputy Head of Service Canada on her appointment and to seek an early meeting to discuss our members’ concerns with the structure and operations of the mega-agency.
Our union is counting on a more constructive and productive relationship with Gosselin than was the case with her predecessor. Gosselin is well familiar with the NHWU from her most recent position as an Associate Deputy Minister at Health Canada.
The text of NHWU National President Ray Strike’s letter to Gosselin follows:
September 6, 2006
Ms. Hélène Gosselin
Deputy Head of Service Canada
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, QC K1A 0J9
Dear Ms. Gosselin:
On behalf of the executive and membership of the National Health and Welfare Union, I would like to extend our sincere congratulations on your appointment as Deputy Head of Service Canada and Associate Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. I have no doubt that your character and experience well qualify you for this challenging new post.
As you know, the NHWU represents the Income Security Program workers now folded into Service Canada. You will also, of course, be very familiar with our union from your most recent position as Associate Deputy Minister at Health Canada. I genuinely hope that our cordial and constructive relationship at that Department will carry over to your new appointment.
Our union shares your objective of providing Canadians with the highest possible level of service. However, we earnestly believe that a number of operational and structural problems are in fact preventing Service Canada from reaching its desired goals. Your predecessor was disinclined either to consider our concerns or to provide an opportunity for their airing. This forced us to launch an external campaign with client groups and politicians to find other avenues for input.
The NHWU prides itself on our tenacity in representing the interests of our members. Nonetheless, we have always sought a non-confrontational approach to labour-management issues. In that vein, I wish to assure you that the NHWU is more than willing to do our part to see our current concerns with Service Canada resolved in everyone’s interest.
Accordingly, I would ask that we have the opportunity to meet at the earliest possible opportunity to explain our position. My staff will be contacting your office in the days ahead to arrange such a meeting.
In closing, I again want to offer our best wishes and sincere hope that we can build on our shared past to create a new, mutually-beneficial relationship within Service Canada. In that vein, I look forward to our meeting with much optimism.
Yours sincerely,
Ray Strike
National President
National Health & Welfare Union
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