NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING
Sheraton Centre Hotel, TORONTO
Linden Meeting Room
Dec. 9 – 12, 2024
Chair June Winger National President
Members Paul Jones EVP
Steve Warren VP (NL/NB)
Johanne Rouillard DVP (QC)
Marcelo Lazaro VP (BC)
Danielle Poissant VP (ABN)
Craig Smith VP (NS)
Cathy O’Kane VP (NPF)
Mona Simcoe VP (MS)
Shawn King VP (NCR)
Tin Tang VP (CSE)
Sandra Griffith-Bonaparte Human Rights Advisor
Recording Secretary Sandra Mombourquette
Absent Gérald Grenon VP (QC)
OPENING REMARKS
The National President welcomed the National Officers to the Fall National Executive Meeting. Harassment statement read by National Human Rights Advisor Sandra Griffith-Bonaparte.
Hours of session:
Monday Dec 9, 2024 9am to 12pm – 1:30pm to 5pm
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024 9am to 12pm – 1:30pm to 5pm
Wednesday Dec 11, 2024 9am to 12pm – 1:30pm to 5pm
Thursday Dec 12, 2024 9am to 12pm – termination of business.
Adoption of agenda m-s Lazaro/ Potts CARRIED
Previous Minutes m-s O’Kane/Jones CARRIED
Honour Roll – Moment of silence
Benoit Bédard, Local 70654
Mark Lessard, Local 00641
Garry Smith, Local 70602
Hank Coates, Local 90125
Robert Saunders, Local 90103
Dave Ross, Local 21008
Donna Brillinger, Local 21008
Tom Murphy, Local 00619
STATE OF THE UNION UPDATE FROM NATIONAL PRESIDENT
AGM Season – Many regions had successful annual general meetings (AGM) this Fall with National President Winger in attendance, it’s good to meet members in person and hear their concerns. National President Winger will visit other regions in the Spring.
NBoD Retreat Strategy Session – The Board reviewed fiduciary responsibilities. A day-long presentation will be given to National Executive Officers in Spring 2025 and then will be presented to new Executive after each mandate starts going forward. This includes changes to our National Executive Meeting minutes which will be changing from now on to be less prescriptive, not to include what people say, not to include questions asked, moving forward the minutes process will be different.
Superannuation Surplus – Treasury Board wants to take an employers contribution holiday due to the surplus from the pension investments, PSAC is campaigning that the surplus fund be used for pension related initiatives such as the elimination of the two-tier pension.
Return to Office – The majority of UNDE members impacted by the latest Return to Office direction are in the NCR region. Will discuss the issue concerning members required to report to the office when there is a statutory holiday Deputy Minster at upcoming meeting. Officers are asked to send examples of when members are impacted by the stat holiday caveat to the National President.
Staffing Processes – Security clearance delays and non-advertised postings issues were raised. National President Winger advised when positions are not being staffed is due to insufficient amount of staffing officers, this needs to be raised up to her attention as ADM HR CIV advises the staffing officer positions are now fully employed and should no longer be concerning.
Phoenix Pay Damages Update – Pay file terminations, transfers from other departments, and general pay issues such as retro pay adjustments, top ups, promotions, actings, acting extensions, LWOP, overtime are awaiting to be managed. PSAC is pressuring the employer to correct these, compensate members for delays and implement a program to ensure members are paid correctly and on time.
Canada Life Damages: PSAC is working to ensure members receive damages for the harm caused by the transfer from SunLife to Canada Life health benefits.
SV Dispute Resolution Vote – January 8 to February 7, 2025, there will be online voting for every SV member for those who choose to, for those who want to vote in-person they are asked to contact their PSAC Regional Office to arrange it. National Officers are asked to let the National President know if they are having issues organizing this with their PSAC Regional Office. Only members in good standing can vote, members need to make sure their contact information is correct.
UNDE TBS Bargaining Conference – National President Winger reviewed the agenda and voting processes. VP Poissant, DVP Rouillard, VP Warren, VP King and VP Lazaro committed to developing a proposal to improve the intake of bargaining proposals for future rounds.
SPAM e-mails – With spam emails increasing recently, everyone needs to be vigilant and look at what address the email is coming from and just delete it if it is not from a UNDE account.
PRESENTATION: Communications Assessment re: Strategic Plan
Presenters: Michèle Girash and Michael Aubry, PSAC
Two options were presented for UNDE in terms of Communications position(s).
Strategic Plan – Progress Report Updates m-s Jones/Warren
The National Officers each presented their after-action events in their region. UNDE Special Projects Officer Elanor Sherlock also presented her update on the Strategic Plan. National Officers are asked to contact Elanor should they want to have her come to their region to meet members. National Officers will start to receive regular prompts about setting and meeting their strategic goals. RV 1 – CARRIED
MOTION m-s Simcoe/Poissant
UNDE to hire a Political Action Communications Officer and a Communications Officer for UNDE funded by the surplus.
RV 2 – CARRIED
STANDING ITEMS / COMMITTEE REPORTS
Air Division RCAF L2 m-s Simcoe/Potts
Report outlined items that were discussed at the meeting. Next meeting is in January.
RV 3 – CARRIED
Air Division RCAF L1 m-s Simcoe/Potts
Report highlighted issues discussed at meeting. National President Winger needs to know if members are not being allowed to attend DND sanctioned events.
RV 4 – CARRIED
Maritimes Forces Atlantic m-s Smith/O’Kane RV 5 – CARRIED
Maritime Forces Pacific m-s Lazaro/O’Kane RV 6 – CARRIED
Royal Canadian Navy – No Report
CDSG 2nd Air Division m-s Rouillard/Potts RV 7 – CARRIED
CDSG 3rd Air Division m-s Simcoe/Poissant RV 8 – CARRIED
CDSG 4th Air Division m-s Potts/Poissant RV 9 – CARRIED
CDSG 5th Air Division m-s Warren/Smith
Report outlined issues with EAP, these issues should be sent to VP King as he holds the EAP portfolio.
RV 10 – CARRIED
Canadian Army m-s Rouillard/Lazaro RV 11 – CARRIED
RPOS Atlantic m-s Warren/Smith RV 12 – CARRIED
RPOPS Québec m-s Rouillard/Poissant RV 13 – CARRIED
RPOPS Ontario m-s Potts/Lazaro RV 14 – CARRIED
RPOPS West m-s Simcoe/Poissant RV 15 – CARRIED
RPOPS Pacific m-s Lazaro/Potts RV 16 – CARRIED
ADM-IE m-s Simcoe/Lazaro RV 17 – CARRIED
Military Personnel Command – No Report
NOTE: VP Potts to join VP King on this portfolio.
National President Winger reminded Officers that portfolios are not only about meetings, but the report should also include an update on happenings within that portfolio regardless of whether a meeting occurred during the reporting period or not.
Materiel – ADM Mat/CMSG LMCC m-s Potts/Lazaro
Need to keep 202 workshop classification on the meeting agenda, in order to keep it tracked, as well, station wear was asked to remain on the agenda.
RV 18 – CARRIED
Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) – No Report
Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA) m-s Warren/Poissant RV 19 – CARRIED
DRDC m-s Poissant/Potts RV 20 – CARRIED
Information Management – No Report
Health & Safety m-s Potts/Warren RV 21 – CARRIED
Firefighters m-s Jones/Lazaro RV 22 – CARRIED
Employee Assistance Program – No Report
Apprenticeship – No Report
COMTRA m-s Jones/O’Kane RV 23 – CARRIED
NOTICE OF MOTION served by VP Potts, Chair of Bylaws Committee
Honours & Awards m-s O’Kane/Smith
Discussion on difference between honourary member and lifetime member.
RV 24 – CARRIED
Finance m-s Warren/Tang RV 25 – CARRIED
Bylaws m-s Potts/Poissant
National Officers are asked to bring up any changes to the Committee to any UNDE policies that they think should be modified. Send any territorial acknowledgement changes to the Human Rights Committee. Suggestion for the territorial acknowledgement to be posted on website for Locals to be able to know how to read it. RV 26 – CARRIED
Young Workers m-s Warren/Jones
Committee is planning a conference in 2025 but struggling to get reps to attend meetings/calls. VPs will be invited to attend next virtual meeting.
RV 27 – CARRIED
Human Rights Advisor m-s Jones/Poissant RV 28 – CARRIED
REGIONAL REPORTS
Newfoundland-Labrador/New Brunswick m-s Warren/Poissant RV 29 – CARRIED
Nova Scotia m-s Smith/O’Kane RV 30 – CARRIED
Quebec m-s Rouillard/King RV 31 – CARRIED
Ontario m-s Potts/Poissant RV 32 – CARRIED
National Capital Region m-s King/Jones RV 33 – CARRIED
Communications Security Establishment m-s Tang/Potts RV 34 – CARRIED
Non Public Funds m-s O’Kane/Smith RV 35 – CARRIED
Manitoba / Saskatchewan m-s Simcoe/Rouillard RV 36 – CARRIED
Alberta and the North m-s Poissant/Rouillard
Update on UNDE-DND Joint Panel Review on Telework. RV 37 – CARRIED
British Columbia m-s Lazaro/Poissant RV 38 – CARRIED
NATIONAL OFFICE
Executive Vice-President m-s Jones/Lazaro RV 39 – CARRIED
MOTION m-s Potts/Lazaro
To update the UNDE Family Care Policy and form so that it is in line with the PSAC Family Care Policy. RV 40 – CARRIED
NEW BUSINESS
Union Leave for VPs
Discussion to adopt a strategy for VPs who require time off to do union business. VP Tang, DVP Rouillard, VP Warren and VP Smith volunteered to form a sub-committee to consider potential solutions. EVP to gather information from other Components then share with subcommittee who will make assessment and report back at next NE Meeting.
Regional Strike Reports/Discipline
National Officers voted on each region’s Local(s) report, for furtherance to the PSAC. Strike reports will continue to be updated and brought back for review at each NE Meeting until complete.
RV 41-49 – CARRIED
Next NE Meeting – April 29 to May 1 inclusive in Ottawa – travel days April 28 and May 2.
Motion to adjourn motioned by-VP Poissant
Adjournment.