Local 30048 Dinner Meeting - January 13, 2014

Local 30048 Dinner Meeting
Jan 13, 2014
5:30 pm

Location: to be announced

Agenda:
Local 30048 by-law changes (see www.local30048.ca for copies of current and
proposed bylaws)
2014 PSAC Prairie Triennial Convention
Local 30048 budget for 2014

To confirm attendance and submit additional agenda items for consideration, please RSVP to
stephanieerb68@yahoo.ca by Jan 6/14.

Please plan to attend.
Questions? Contact any current executive member

CFIA rejects PIC recommendations

CFIA bargaining got off to a rocky start this week, with the Employer bargaining team flatly rejecting almost every single recommendation made by the Public Interest Commission.

In the first session of negotiations since the PIC released its report last July, CFIA gave a mind-numbing presentation on why it could not agree to even the most modest of the PIC’s recommendations. 

“This is more than disappointing,” said Bob Kingston, President of Agriculture Union.

“This round of bargaining with CFIA has been a unique experience with respect to its lack of meaningful discussion and progress. In my 29 years of being involved in collective bargaining, I’ve never seen anything like it.  CFIA’s inability to have a rational discussion on the issues before us has not changed one bit.”

The PSAC bargaining team endorsed the report of the Public Interest Commission immediately after it was issued, and called on the Agency to return to the bargaining table and use the recommendations as a guideline to a negotiated settlement.

The impartial Chairperson of the PIC made several recommendations that validated many of the Union’s proposals, including accumulating overtime over the course of a work week, increased and more flexible wash-up time for meat inspectors, and a reduction of the work week to 37.5 hours from 40 for the small number of GL/GS workers employed by CFIA.

Any provision not found in collective agreements in the Core Public Administration (CPA) was dismissed by the Agency as precedent-setting. But it then rejected language recommended by the PIC that does exist elsewhere in the CPA on the grounds that it is a separate agency.

“We are insulted by CFIA’s condescending attitude toward its dedicated, hard-working employees,” said PSAC team member Raphael Tarasco, Third National Vice-President  for Agriculture Union. “We should not be second-class to the rest of the public service.”

“We now have no choice but to advance the schedule for strike training. We encourage all members to sign up.”

Please stay tuned for further developments as your team continues to meet the employer this week. 

http://psacunion.ca/cfia-rejects-pic-recommendations

Holiday Giving Project

The Lethbridge Area Women's Committee and Local Crafters are supporting the Second Annual Holiday Giving Project. Please consider joining in!

For more information, contact Shannan.LittleATgmail.com.

Urgent - Participate in our telephone town hall to find out how Bill C-4 will impact you - Today November 7, 2013

Less than a week after reconvening Parliament, the Conservative government introduced Bill C-4, an omnibus budget bill that proposes to radically change our rights as federal public service workers.

In addition to putting our lives at risk, this Bill puts every one of our collective agreement provisions in jeopardy.

We know that Treasury Board wants to take away our sick leave. We know that the government wants to bring down the costs of its workforce. We also know that Tony Clement has no respect for our work and value that we bring to the public service. 

Bill C-4 is all about making it easier for the government and Treasury Board to come after us in the next round of bargaining and to strip away our long-standing negotiated rights.

To ensure our members have the facts and understand how this will impact their work and rights heading into bargaining in 2014, PSAC Prairie Region is holding a live and interactive telephone town hall on Thursday, November 7.

To participate, all you have to do is answer the phone when we call on Thursday, November 7, starting at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time and 7:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.

We'll be using the member contact information we have on file. If you don't receive an advance phone call or voicemail message on Wednesday, contact Jeffrey Vallis to ensure your phone number is up to date.

Telephone: (204) 956-4625

vallisj@psac.com

Updated bylaws

At our November 25, 2013 Local meeting, we are proposing these bylaw updates.

Local 30048 meeting - Nov 25 - Election and bylaw changes

Local 30048 Meeting
Nov 25, 2013
7:00 pm

Lethbridge Research Centre

Cafeteria Conference Room

Agenda:

Election of local officers for 2013-2014

Local 30048 by-law changes 

Bargaining

If you wish to add an agenda item, please contact Stephanie Erb at stephanieerb68ATyahoo.ca by 

Nov 18/13

Please plan to attend.   

Questions?  Contact any current executive member 

Annual General Meeting of the Lethbridge & District Area Council

The Annual General Meeting of the Lethbridge & District Area Council will be held on Wednesday, October 23 from 6-9 pm in the Community Room of The Lethbridge & District Police Station 135 - 1St Avenue South, Lethbridge , Alberta.

 

Please RSVP Dave Pearson or Sherry Hunt @:

 

peardd@telusplenet.net  or hunt.dowson@gmail.com