April 30, 2009

Gordon re-elected PSAC National President

John Gordon has been re-elected as the PSAC National President in a two-way race. Gordon was first elected President in 2006 and had previously served as the union's National Executive Vice-President since 2000.

“The challenges we faced during the last three years are nothing compared to the challenges we're going to face in the next three years,” said Gordon in his acceptance speech. “The Harper government is determined to destroy public services. We cannot stand idly by and allow them to get away with it. With the strength of the PSAC and the labour movement, we're going to win these challenges.”

Prior to his election as National Executive Vice-President, Gordon was the National President of the Union of Public Works Employees from 1982 to 1999. A PSAC activist since 1974, when he joined the federal public sector as a tradesperson with Public Works Canada, Gordon has held a variety of union positions in his Component.

Ducharme re-elected PSAC NEVP

In a three-way race, delegates re-elected Patty Ducharme as the union's National Executive Vice-President for a second term. Prior to her election as National Executive Vice-President in 2006, Ducharme was PSAC's Regional Executive Vice-President (REVP) for British Columbia.

“I am truly humbled by your support and the trust that you're putting in me to advocate and fight for our members,” said Ducharme in her acceptance speech. “I won't let you down.”

Prior to her election as REVP in 2000, Ducharme had worked as a customs inspector in British Columbia and served as First Vice-President of Branch 20040 of the Customs Immigration Union (formerly CEUDA). She has been a PSAC activist for almost 25 years, holding a number of union positions.

Jérôme Turcq Alternate NEVP

By acclamation, Jérôme Turcq, the Regional Executive Vice-President for Quebec, became the Alternate NEVP.

Liberals:
we're watching you!

The federal Liberal Party is also meeting at the Vancouver Convention Centre this week and our members took advantage of the opportunity to give them a “To Do” list of actions. We want the Liberals – and any party that aspires to form a government – to make a commitment to invest in quality public services, improve EI, invest public funds in public programs, protect Canadians' health and safety, advance women's equality and respect workers' rights. Several PSAC delegates spoke with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, telling him that we have long memories and we're watching them.

Convention debates

Constitution resolutions

CS-71: adopted. Strike pay will be increased from $50 to $75 per day. As adopted at the 2006 convention, a special dues rate will kick in whenever the Strike Fund balance falls below $10 million and continue until it exceeds $25 million.

CS-73: adopted. Members in the PSAC's North region who are on strike or locked-out will receive $100 per day strike pay in recognition of the region's high cost of living and limited alternative employment opportunities.

CS-04: adopted. Dues-paying members who are recognized by the terms of their collective agreement will be considered members for the purpose of determining delegates to the PSAC Convention from Directly Chartered Locals. This resolution will increase PSAC dues by 0.0002%.

CS-92: adopted. The eight equity group delegates to the PSAC convention will now be elected at their respective PSAC national triennial conferences.

CS-81A and CS-03A: adopted. Members who are on leave without pay for reasons including disability, maternity/parental leave, leave for care of family members, family responsibilities, injury at work or lay-off who are not paying dues and do not have alternative employment, will now be considered members for a thirty-month period. Members who are employed by the Canadian Labour Congress or a Federation of Labour, who continue to pay dues, will maintain their membership.

CS-82: adopted. A new regulation is created to define the rights and responsibilities of non dues-paying members under the PSAC Constitution. The regulation clarifies the process by which members on leave or who are laid off can retain their membership status.

CS-74: tabled. The resolution deals with strike pay for members in the North, an issue already dealt with under resolution CS-73.

CS-95: adopted. Appeals Tribunals established under Section 25-Discipline of the PSAC Constitution may now be composed of less than three persons, provided that the Chair of the Tribunal is an independent person either agreed upon by the parties or appointed by an appropriate labour organization where there is no mutual agreement.

CS-87: adopted. The position of Regional Vice-President for Countries Outside Canada on the PSAC National Board of Directors is eliminated.

Liberal Party of Canada convention delegates:

Tell your party to undo the damage caused by the
Conservative budget Act

The Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act makes it impossible for women in the federal public sector to be paid equal pay for work of equal value. It uses pay equity as a bargaining chip during negotiations when it should be guaranteed as a human right. It forces individual women to make pay equity claims without any support from their union.

The wage roll-backs contained in the Expenditure Restraint Act overturn collective agreements that were fairly negotiated between workers and the federal government. The new law undermines workers’ constitutional right to free collective bargaining.

Tell your party and Members of Parliament to:

Make a commitment to workers and women’s rights today.

A message from the 166,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada

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