Building our Union

Members

Every time the union is certified in a workplace, we take on responsibility to represent in good faith every individual who is covered by the bargaining unit.  Everyone wants to be treated fairly at work and if they see co-workers and colleagues working for dignity and justice as union representatives, even the most sceptical can be won over.

Many of our workplaces operate under the Rand Formula.  This means that employees may pay unions dues, but they are not automatically a member of our union, i.e., eligible to vote in elections, attend union courses and events and so on.  In order to become members, they have to join the union by signing a membership card.  As a Local Officer, it is part of your role to ensure that workers are afforded the opportunity to exercise their right to become a member of the PSAC.  

Some workers may have objections to joining the union, religious or political, but member or not, every worker covered by a PSAC collective agreement has the right to representation and to vote on collective agreements and strikes.

Locals

Members are organized into Locals, the day-to-day link between the membership and the larger union structure. 

There are two types of PSAC Locals - Locals that are associated with a Component and Directly Chartered Locals that are associated directly to the PSAC.  Most locals are chartered to, or associated with, a Component.

Each Local of the Union determines its general course of action in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the PSAC.  Its members elect their own officers at annual general meetings, appoint or elect their own stewards and determine their own portion of the dues structure.

Effective Locals:

establish good communications with the members (regular meetings, desk drops, personal contact, etc.);

build and maintain a vibrant network of stewards;

provide opportunities for members to discuss issues and act on union priorities;  

encourage wide membership involvement/pride in their Local and their union.

Whether they’re dealing with union education, equity, collective bargaining, organizing, representation, political action, communications, or any of the other myriad activities in which the Union is involved, Locals play a critical role in connecting members to their union and the union to its members.

Components

Components are made up of Locals.  Originally, Components were organized along departmental/employer lines.  Although that logic generally remains, it is not always the case anymore, given on-going employer reorganization.  There are also now three Components defined by geography:  the Nunavut Employees’ Union, the Union of Northern Workers and the Yukon Employees’ Union.

Component responsibilities are set out in the PSAC Constitution and include

processing appeals and grievances (up to but not including adjudication);

assuming responsibility at the workplace level for collective agreements signed by the PSAC covering members within the jurisdiction of the Component, and

representing its members on matters, such as classification problems and working conditions not already covered in collective agreements.

Under the Constitution each Component elects its own national officers, selects a national staff and holds a convention every three years.  These conventions are held six to twelve months prior to the PSAC Triennial Convention.  Component delegates elect officers, set Component policies and select the delegates for the PSAC Triennial Convention.  Some Components have regional offices as well as a national office.

Local concerns are generally brought to a Component Regional Vice-President (or the equivalent officer in the Component), who is also responsible to the Local for reporting back about Component concerns.  Directly Chartered Locals raise their concerns with their PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President.

Only two Components are certified bargaining agents, namely the Union of Northern Workers, which is the certified bargaining agent for the Government of NWT, and the Nunavut Employees’ Union, which is the certified bargaining agent for the Government of Nunavut.  Otherwise, the PSAC is the certified bargaining agent for all other PSAC bargaining units. 

The following is a current list of Components:

·    Agriculture Union

·    Canada Employment and Immigration Union

·    Customs Excise Union Douanes Accise

·    Environment Component

·    Government Services Union

·    National Component

·    National Health and Welfare Union

·    Natural Resources Union

·    Nunavut Employees Union

·    Union of Canadian Transport Employees

·    Union of National Defence Employees

·    Union of Northern Workers

·    Union of Postal Communications Employees

·    Union of Solicitor General Employees

·    Union of Taxation Employees

·    Union of Veterans Affairs Employees Union

·    Yukon Employees Union

Regional Councils

While some Components are geographically based, most are national in nature.  In 1994, PSAC regionalized its structure to complement the Component structure.

Each of the seven regions (Atlantic, Quebec, National Capital Region, Ontario, Prairies, British Columbia, and the North) elects a Regional Executive Vice-President (REVP) and an alternate.  These officers are now elected at their respective PSAC Regional Convention.

The REVP is a member of the seven-person Alliance Executive Committee (AEC), which runs the PSAC on a day-to-day basis.  The other two positions are filled by the National President and the National Executive Vice-President.

Regional Councils are elected within each region based on rules set out by the region. Regional Councils are structured according to the needs of each Region, and bring together activists who provide Regional leadership and political direction on a wide range of issues. Regional Councils can send resolutions to the PSAC Triennial Convention, develop their own by-law and charge fees for participation.

In the Regions

The more PSAC members work together in their own community, the stronger our union becomes.  Locals can participate in a variety of regional committees and forums, working with members from other Components to discuss and take action on common interests and issues.

Area Councils

An Area Council is the forum for all PSAC Locals in a community to share information and learn from each others' experiences. 

Area Councils often take responsibility for the promotion and coordination of PSAC campaigns, political action, broader union or social justice campaigns and the coordination of collective bargaining proposals.  National Officers of the PSAC and other union activists can also be invited to this forum.

Area Councils may also organize educational seminars on various topics of interest to the members, stewards and Local Officers in the area.  This is invaluable to smaller Locals that may not have significant resources.  Area Councils also work with organizations in the larger community and other labour groups. 

Area Councils can send resolutions to the PSAC Convention and delegates can speak and vote at Convention (this is referred to as having “voice and vote”).

Locals from at least three Components must apply to the Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) to form an Area Council.

For more information on how to set up an Area Council and how it is administered, consult section 14 of the PSAC Constitution.

Regional Women's Committees

Regional Women's Committees (RWC) were established in the mid-1980s to further address women’s issues and concerns such as systemic discrimination and barriers working women face within and outside their workplaces.  These committees allow PSAC women to get together on a regular basis, discuss their experiences as women workers and pursue strategies for positive changes in women’s lives. Among a wide range of activities, they support advancement of women in their union; mobilization of women on equality and social justice issues such as economic equality, universal quality childcare; violence against women, human rights and harassment. 

At least three Components or Directly Chartered Locals must apply to the Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) for a RWC to be formed.  Regional Women’s Committees are eligible for funding from the PSAC. 

Regional Women's Committees are entitled to send delegates to the Triennial National Women's Conference.

All seven PSAC Regional Councils have at least one designated seat for a Regional Women's Committee representative.

The PSAC Constitution (section 15) and the PSAC Women’s Program web page, provides more details on how to establish and run a Regional Women's Committee.

Human Rights Committees

Human Rights Committees provide a forum for members belonging to equity groups to meet together in order to strategize to eradicate the disadvantage experienced by these communities in our workplaces and in our society.  These committees spearhead mobilizing and advocacy strategies.  In some regions a Human Rights Committee may be joined or replaced by committees dedicated to specific issues, namely Unity Committees for members who are racially visible, Aboriginal, Inuit and/or Métis; Pride Committees for members who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and/or transgender persons, and Access Committees for members who have disabilities.

These committees lobby for changes to human rights legislation, oppose harassment and other forms of discrimination in the workplace, support community human rights struggles and work to increase inclusion and representation in their workplaces and in their union.

At least three Components or Directly Chartered Locals must apply to the AEC to form a Human Rights, Access, Pride or Unity committee.  These Committees are eligible for funding from the PSAC Centre.

Each PSAC Regional Council has at least one seat for equity group representatives.

The PSAC Constitution (section 15) and the Human Rights Program website provide additional details on how to establish a Regional Human Right's Committee.