RCMP Civilian Members (CMs), Union of Safety and Justice Employees (USJE) member champions and union representatives began mapping the way forward for integrating CMs into their future union at a training seminar in Ottawa January 9-10, 2018.
Civilian members from across the country joined together with their colleagues to learn about how the union and collective bargaining work and share their personal experiences.
Facilitators outlined the Treasury Board bargaining process to CMs, as well as the many rights and benefits they’ll gain once they become members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and its component union, USJE.
Through engaging presentations, workshops and discussions, participants learned how to build their communications toolkits to be able to better inform their colleagues about the deeming process and the benefits of union membership.
“PSAC will do everything in our power to make sure civilian members get more, not less, and that they are treated equitably and fairly,” said Robyn Benson, PSAC National President. “We are going to exert the full power of our union to maintain and improve working conditions, benefits and wages —together we will push forward, not backward.”
Attendees also heard about the important work PSAC/USJE are doing to offer assistance to workers suffering from mental health issues in the workplace and the toll of psychological trauma on federal public safety workers.
RCMP CMs and USJE member champions worked hand-in-hand to develop regional plans of action that they’ll bring back to their workplaces across Canada. These plans offered attendees the tools and direction necessary to help raise awareness about the deeming process and collective bargaining to their colleagues.
Look for more information about upcoming information sessions, webinars and conference calls in your region to learn more about how deeming will affect you and what to expect moving forward.
Looking ahead to the next round of Treasury Board (TB) bargaining – which will likely begin in the Summer of 2018 – PSAC and USJE are inviting RCMP CMs to participate in the National Bargaining Conference to bring forward the key issues to fight for on behalf of RCMP CMs. The National Bargaining Conference will take place from March 26 to 29, 2018 in Ottawa.
A call-out for participation will be sent out in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out for it in your inboxes.
The bargaining conference brings together all Treasury Board members to discuss and prioritize issues for bargaining. The participation of all groups in collective bargaining is critical and we encourage all CMs to apply for participation to ensure your voices are heard.