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Communications Magazine - Vol. 37, No. 3, Autumn 2011

  • Perspective
  • Perspective
  • With the changing seasons and the end of the year just around the corner, Canadians are already witnessing transformation to the federal workforce and will continue to see changes to services provided by government departments in the months and years ahead.
  • More »
  • Cuts to the public service already starting to bite!
  • Cuts to the public service already starting to bite!
  • While media are focused on the proposed numbers of professionals involved in cuts to Canada’s public service as an attempt to offset the budget deficit, there is little being written as to which specific services will shrink or cease to exist as a result of the cuts.
  • More »
  • Cutting Science Equals Cutting the Public Good
  • Cutting Science Equals Cutting the Public Good
  • Many government departments, including Health Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Environment Canada are undergoing significant cuts which will damage our ability to accurately assess and evaluate threats to the environment, safety and health, and Canada’s infrastructure.
  • More »
  • Shared Services: Meaningful Consultation is Critical
  • Shared Services: Meaningful Consultation is Critical
  • The Institute was shocked to learn of the creation of Shared Services Canada, announced on August 4, 2011 by the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and the Honourable Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board Secretariat.
  • More »
  • Collective Bargaining or BUST!
  • Collective Bargaining or BUST!
  • In a June 2007 B.C. Health Services decision, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized that Collective Bargaining is a right protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as part of our freedom of association.
  • More »
  • Setting the Record Straight with Small Business
  • Setting the Record Straight with Small Business
  • This August, PIPSC launched a new awareness-raising campaign to counter the biased and self-interested view of the public service promoted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), an organization that represents over 100,000 small business owners across the country.
  • More »
  • Collective Bargaining Messages
  • In light of the massive cuts that the government is beginning to implement across the public service, we are anticipating another challenging round of bargaining.
  • More »
  • Off the Beaten Path
  • The Manitoba Association of Government Engineers (MAGE) Group represents approximately 150 professional engineers employed by the Government of Manitoba.
  • More »
  • Health Canada Whistleblowers
  • The Institute is supporting an application for judicial review of the decision issued in early August by the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) in the cases of PIPSC members Dr. Shiv Chopra, Dr. Margaret Haydon and Dr. Gérard Lambert.
  • More »
  • Legal Update
  • In June 2011, the Federal Court issued a decision dealing with the freedom of association protected by ss. 2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
  • More »
  • Know Your Rights
  • Tired of having your manager scream at you every time you present him with a problem? Fed up with being excluded from important work-related meetings or having your name left off e-mail lists?
  • More »
  • 2011 Legacy Foundation Annual Scholarship Awards
  • Last year, the Professional Institute launched its Legacy Foundation and entered the final decade before its 100th anniversary. As we approach our centennial year, we reflect on the tremendous contributions our current and past members have made to the Canada we know today, and the country our children will inherit.
  • More »
  • 2011: World Veterinary Year
  • The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization declared 2011 as World Veterinary Year, marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of the veterinary profession and of veterinary science.
  • More »
  • PIPSC Adds Integrity to Committee
  • Integrity is one of the traditional cornerstones of Canada’s professional public service. Regretfully, despite its clear mandate, the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada had failed to look into numerous and serious allegations of transgressions brought forward by concerned public service employees.
  • More »
  • Institute Advice in Pre-Budget Consultations
  • The Institute submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance as part of the government’s annual pre-budget consultation process. The following is a summary of the advice contained in the brief.
  • More »

Vol. 37, No. 3, Autumn 2011

On the Cover

Magazine Cover

Public service unions call on the federal government to reverse plans to cut valuable public services and jobs which Canadians depend on from coast to coast to coast.


Editor’s Note

Public services are part of the very fabric of our country. They support a better quality of life for all Canadians and they contribute to our prosperity. In these fragile economic times, the government has begun to make unilateral cuts within the federal workforce and is implementing its Shared Services Agency without the engagement and consultation of public service professionals. These actions will have serious consequences on the ability of Canada's public service professionals to continue to fulfill their mandate in the future. We will continue to take every opportunity to promote the expertise and dedication demonstrated by our members on a daily basis, and to defend the rights of our members, as well as the rights of Canadians to have access to effective public services. We welcome your feedback on this issue of Communications Magazine. Please send your comments to lallan@pipsc.ca.

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