National Executive Meeting
August 16-18, 2017
Victoria, BC
Chairman | John MacLennan | National President |
Members | June Winger | Executive Vice-President |
Dan Frost | Vice-President (NL/NB) | |
Terry Kiley | Vice-President (NS) | |
Philippe Turcq | Vice-President (QC) | |
Paulette Barker | Vice-President (NCR) | |
Serge Desbiens | Vice-President (ON) | |
Mona Simcoe | Vice-President (MB/SK) | |
Brenda Ebear | Vice-President (AB/North) | |
T. Mark Miller | Vice-President (BC) | |
Tamara Lindsay | Vice-President (NPF) | |
Monty Montgomery | Vice-President (CSE) | |
Gloria Kelly | Human Rights Advisor | |
Recording Secretary | Sandra Montpetit |
OPENING REMARKS
The National President welcomed members to the last NE meeting of this mandate taking place in Victoria.
Flight changes due to labour strikes at Toronto and Winnipeg Airports – National President MacLennan thanked everyone for their patience and understanding of the re-routing of flights for delegates, observers and family members coming into Victoria for the Triennial Convention, this is in support of picket lines set up at each of the airports.
Conversion of AS to PE – The National President spoke of the centralization of these groups saying it might be more of a WFA. These positions are HRBM positions which are HR specific.
Ship maintenance program – There will be an announcement made on Thursday regarding the In-Service Support of the ship maintenance program. With delegates in town next week for the Convention there will possibly be a rally organized at the shipyard, more to follow on this.
The harassment statement was read aloud by Human Rights Advisor Gloria Kelly and EVP June Winger was named intervener.
The hours of sessions were set as follows:
Wednesday, August 16, 10:00 – 12:00 / 1:30 to 5:00
Thursday, August 17, 1:30 to 5:00
Friday, August 18, 9:00 – 12:00 / 1:00 to 5:00
The National Executive stays in session during Convention.
The agenda was adopted.
Honour Roll
A moment of silence was observed for the following members who have passed:
Brother Mike McLaughlin – Local 60303 Sister Emma White – Local 21007
Sister Cheryl McMullen – Local 80407 Brother Melvin Clisby – Local 21007
Brother Bob Christie – Local 30612 Sister Lynn Gardner – Local 21011
Brother Peter Whiteside – Local 00637 Brother Dave Clark – Local 21016
Brother Douglas Richens – Local 00637 Brother Alex Piercy – Local 21016
Brother Pat Smith – Local 30907 Brother Mark Hill – Local 21016
The previous minutes from May 2017 were adopted.
STANDING ITEMS
ADM-IE Report m/s Miller-Ebear
VP Miller presented his written report. Following the recent decision of BC and Quebec to pull out of attending UMCC meetings for a short period due to internal conflict at these meetings, VP Miller has drafted a Terms of Reference document and asked the NE members for their endorsement of it. It is to be signed by all parties within one month and then distributed.
RV 1 – CARRIED
Air_Command_Report m/s Miller-Lindsay
VP Miller presented his written report which included the minutes of the 1 CAD meeting in June 2017.
RV 2 – CARRIED
Apprenticeship Report m/s Miller/Turcq
VP Miller presented his written report. Funding for this program will continue in 2018, UNDE continues to be a Member of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) at the “Supporter” level.
RV 3 – CARRIED
EAP Report m/s Ebear-Simcoe
VP Ebear presented her written report which spoke of the NEAPAC meeting in June identifying significant discussions surrounding the continuing modernization of the program into 2018.
RV 4 – CARRIED
Health & Safety Report m/s Kiley-Barker
VP Kiley presented his written report which provided updates on various issues including general safety for working groups, mental health and return to work.
RV 5 – CARRIED
Bylaws Report m/s Miller-Frost
VP Miller presented his written report. The committee routinely monitors and reviews the governing documents such as the UNDE Bylaws and Harassment Policy, to improve and correct as necessary in keeping with UNDE regulations.
RV 6 – CARRIED
NOTICE OF MOTION – VP Turcq
Health Care Centre Report m/s Barker-Turcq
VP Barker presented her written report which continues to identify problems with reimbursement of professional fees. The National President said that if this continues to be an issue there should be a grievance filed.
VP Barker has forwarded signed minutes of UMCC meetings to National Office.
RV 7 – CARRIED
Land Forces Area – West m/s Simcoe-Desbiens
VP Simcoe presented her written report of the meeting which took place in May 2017, of note is an update on the BATUS food service contracting-out issue which has now been cancelled.
RV – 8 – CARRIED
Land Forces Area – Central m/s Desbiens-Frost
VP Desbiens presented his report of the meeting that took place on June 26, 2017. There was some discussion on civilian staffing process being delayed due to lengthy paperwork involved in the process causing some to be incomplete.
RV 9 – CARRIED
Land Forces Area – Atlantic m/s Frost/Winger
VP Frost has nothing to report for this period, the next meeting will take place in the Fall.
RV 10 – CARRIED
NEW BUSINESS
UNDE Bargaining Conference Update – This conference is set to take place on November 3 and 4, 2017 in Montreal. One member per Local will attend only for those Locals who have submitted demands. The PSAC Bargaining Conference is in March 2018.
STANDING ITEMS
Real Property Operations – Ontario m/s Desbiens-Lindsay
VP Desbiens presented his written report of the meeting on May 25, 2017.
RV 11 – CARRIED
Real Property Operations – West m/s Simcoe-Lindsay
VP Simcoe presented her written report of the meeting on June 19, 2017. The Terms of Reference have been approved, official copy will be sent with finalized minutes.
RV 12 – CARRIED
Real Property Operations – Atlantic m/s Frost-Miller
VP Frost presented his written report of the meeting on July 20, 2017. There are some issues with the new organizational structure. There was also some discussion on the SNIC (Snow and Ice Control) as they are looking at contracting out Halifax where they have a lack of equipment.
Finance Report m/s Turcq-Montgomery
VP Turcq, Chair of the Finance Committee, presented his written report which included the financial statements as at April 30, 2017. He thanked Comptroller Brian Loshuk, Brother Dan Frost and Brother Serge Desbiens for all their work on this Committee during the mandate.
RV 14 – CARRIED
Young Workers Report m/s Simcoe-Desbiens
VP Simcoe presented her written report which included survey questions and an action plan this Committee worked on for the next mandate. The members will meet face to face next week at the end of the day following Convention to finish preparing this action plan.
RV 15 – CARRIED
REGIONAL REPORTS
Newfoundland/Labrador and New Brunswick m/s Frost/Ebear
VP Frost presented his written report which provided highlights from his Locals. The region had a successful regional conference in Twillingate, Newfoundland. The Atlantic PSAC Triennial Convention took place in Saint John, NB in June with UNDE Colleen (Hodder) Coffey being elected to the position of Atlantic PSAC REVP.
RV 16 – CARRIED
Nova Scotia m/s Kiley-Simcoe
VP Kiley presented his written report which outlined the various meetings he attended during this period. He congratulates Sister Colleen (Hodder) Coffey the UNDE President of Local 80403 in Greenwood on being elected the PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President (REVP) and thanks Sister Jeanie Baldwin for her work as the previous PSAC REVP.
RV 17 – CARRIED
Quebec m/s Turcq-Frost
VP Turcq presented his written report. Problems with Phoenix are still a big issue for his region. Following JLP training, his region will be attending UMCC meetings again. He would like to acknowledge Brother Verreault (UNDE Labour Relations Officer) for his excellent work in addressing the various issues that affect the Quebec Region.
RV 18 – CARRIED
Ontario m/s Desbiens-Lindsay
VP Desbiens presented his written report which provided bargaining updates for some of his Locals. The Kingston Local holds regular Phoenix rallies.
RV 19 – CARRIED
National Capital Region m/s Barker/Desbiens
VP Barker presented her written report which highlighted her activities for this period which included a meeting with the Director of CF Intelligence Communications and the National President, Emanuella Tremblay, from CAPE.
RV 20 – CARRIED
Communications and Security Establishment m/s Montgomery-Barker
VP Montgomery presented his written report which provided an update on negotiations at CSE.
RV 21 – CARRIED
Non-Public Funds m/s Lindsay-Miller
VP Lindsay presented her written report which provided an update concerning bargaining in her Locals. In June, there was a national WFA announcement which is affecting most of her Locals.
RV 22 – CARRIED
Manitoba-Saskatchewan m/s Simcoe-Desbiens
VP Simcoe presented her written report with highlights from all her Locals.
RV 23 – CARRIED
Alberta and the North m/s Ebear-Miller
VP Ebear presented her written report outlining her activities in the period. As this is her last meeting she thanked the National Executive and National Office Staff.
RV 24 – CARRIED
British Columbia m/s Miller-Turcq
VP Miller presented his written report which listed his activities for this period. He thanked all of his Locals for their dedication and hard work. RV 25 – CARRIED
Human Rights Advisor Report m/s Montgomery-Lindsay
Human Rights Advisor Kelly presented her written report. The topics of Duty to Accommodate and Return to Work continue to be works in progress. There are currently no Human Rights Coordinators identified for the regions of BC, NL/NB, QC. Attached to this report was the new Human Rights Policy that the Human Rights team developed and recently revised.
RV 26 – CARRIED
MOTION TO DIVIDE m/s Lindsay-Miller CARRIED
The Human Rights Policy Program, as a mandated policy from the UNDE membership at the 2014 Triennial Convention, will be put forth next week at the 2017 Triennial Convention once it has been translated.
This new policy calls for a Human Rights Conference once in each mandate. Attendance at the Human Rights Conference will be limited to one person per local. That delegate must be active in human rights activities at some level within the union family.
We motioned to divide the policy from the human rights advisor report. We voted on the Human Rights Advisor Report then I believe we were voting on the Human Rights Policy as a whole. We had discussion on the policy. We voted to approve the Human Rights Policy as a whole and then agreed that if it could be translated in time it would go to the membership at convention.
RV 27 – CARRIED
Executive Vice-President m/s Winger-Ebear
EVP Winger presented her written report which included an update on COMTRA activities, LRO reports, regional training and regional grievances. EVP Winger said the upcoming UNDE Bargaining Conference will be held in Montreal on Nov. 3-4, 2017 and will allow one member per Local only for Locals who have submitted demands, this is not negotiable. Once all the UNDE Bargaining Conference delegates names are submitted they will be reviewed to ensure there is adequate equity representation. If it is determined a gap exists the Human Rights Advisor Paul along with the National President will be utilising the names submitted by the VPs.
She also gave an update on Phoenix which has had slow progress getting priority payments and emergency advances issued. Members are reminded to lobby their MPs to make change happen, then submit pay action request. Apply pressure at LMRCs. Pay stubs need better descriptions.
Regional Conference are restricted to two members per Local attending due to funding. This is usually the case based on funding not restricted. Regional Conferences are business case approved.
RV 28 – CARRIED
Honours & Awards m/s Kiley-Desbiens
VP Kiley, Chair of this Committee, presented the Committee’s report which consisted of three parts:
LIFE MEMBERSHIPS
Brother Daniel Rodgers from Local 10527 nominated for a lifetime membership.
The Committee recommended concurrence. Secret ballot vote. CARRIED
Motion to destroy ballots. m-s Ebear/Barker
CARRIED
MOTION – Emergency Resolution m-s Turcq/Miller
WHEREAS the Liberal Government through its most recent Defence Review Policy has introduced ways and means that will lead to privatizing future Federal Public Service Jobs;
AND WHEREAS the Liberal Government is clearly continuing with a conservative agenda to contract out Public service Jobs;
AND WHEREAS PSAC members who work in the Federal Government Dockyard CFB Esquimalt and CFB Halifax will be impacted through job loss as aging military ships are replaced.
BE IT RESOLVED that PSAC work with UNDE to fight the loss of federal public service jobs by launching a fightback campaign against P3’s and privatization of federal public service jobs.
RV 29 – CARRIED
Adjournment.