PIPSC NRC Newsletter April 2015
RO/RCO Group
Research Officers and Research Council Officers Group Executive Members (2015)
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Susan O’Donnell
Patricia Loder
Mary Zborowski
Lawrence Mak
Keith Yeung
Pengfei Liu
Jeff Zidichouski
Devanand Pinto
Daniel Durand
Paul Thorburn
Daryl Wong
Fredericton
Goose Bay
Ottawa
St. John's
Victoria
St. John's
Calgary
Halifax
Victoria
St. John's
Vancouver
From the RO/RCO Group President
Here’s an update on our actions to meet our objectives for 2015 that we outlined in the last newsletter.
In February, we met for a working lunch with RO/RCO portfolio and building representatives in
Ottawa. We discussed ways to improve information sharing between the executive and our RO/RCO
colleagues working at Montreal Road, Sussex Drive and Uplands. Most of the locations and portfolios
in Ottawa have reps now but we are still looking for reps in Ottawa for: ASPM, Business Management
Services (BMS), Government and International Relations (GIR), Planning and Reporting Services
(PRS), and Knowledge Management (KM). If you are interested in learning more, contact us:
rorco@pipsc.ca
Our new RO/RCO steward in Ottawa joined us at the February meeting. Louis Poirier is an RCO in
OCRE working in M-32. Louis has offered to host informal meetings over coffee with RO/RCO
members in Ottawa to share information about PIPSC activities. You can contact Louis at
Louis.Poirier@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. We encourage all RO/RCO members interested in improving working
conditions at NRC to consider becoming a steward. More information is available on the steward
section of the PIPSC website: http://www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/website/slc
In March, we held a virtual RO/RCO executive meeting for the first time, using our new PIPSC webex
account. This allowed us to meet with our portfolio and building representatives and stewards across
Canada. Ten reps and stewards joined us from Ottawa (Montreal Road, Sussex and Uplands), Picton,
Moncton, Saskatoon, London, Penticton, Vancouver and Edmonton. After a presentation about
professional development and scientific integrity at NRC, we discussed how we are moving forward
with these issues in the next round of bargaining. The virtual meeting went very well and we are now
exploring how we can use this technology to meet virtually with members across the country more
often than we are able to meet with them in person.
In February, we met with the presidents of the other main PIPSC science groups - RE (Research) and
SP (Applied Science and Patent Examination) as well as the PIPSC negotiators working with research
groups. In March, we participated in the PIPSC Science Advisory Council (SAC) meeting. In these
venues we discussed how to work together effectively to promote science integrity at NRC and other
federal agencies and departments and public science as a whole. A photo of the February meeting is
here: http://www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/website/groups/nrc-ro-rco/031015
In February we met with NRC VP Dan Wayner and his committee that is developing a new career path
for researchers. They accepted our proposal to work with NRC management to lead a consultation to
engage both RO and RCO members to obtain everyone’s views and ideas about career paths and
promotion criteria in the new NRC RTO. We expect this work to start in the new fiscal year and will
keep you informed of developments.
Thanks for your ongoing support! Your group co-presidents monitor the group executive email address
so that is the best way to reach us: rorco@pipsc.ca
RO/RCO Co-presidents
Susan O’Donnell, Senior Research Officer, ICT Portfolio, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Pat Loder, Industrial Technology Advisor, IRAP, Goose Bay, Labrador
Negotiations
Negotiating Team: Daryl Wong, Daniel Durand, Patricia Loder and Susan O’Donnell, with PIPSC
Negotiator Suzelle Brosseau.
The goal of the group is to represent the members during the negotiation of the next collective
agreement between the RO/RCOs (PIPSC) and NRC management, as the arbitration contract awarded
by the PSLRB (Public Service labour Relations Board) on May 1, 2014 expired on July 19, 2014. This
contract will remain in force until a new agreement is reached and approved.
Your bargaining team has met to start preparing the proposals. As we were waiting for NRC to disclose
some data, we have not finished the proposals yet. We finally received the missing data during the
week of March 23, 2015 and should be in a position to complete the proposals in the upcoming weeks.
The other PIPSC groups at NRC have also not tabled their proposals as yet.
As always, the success of our proposals depends to a large degree on the engagement and participation
of our members. President Susan has started making a presentation to the members on scientific
integrity. Please continue engaging conversation with the members on science integrity.
Susan represented the RO/RCO Group at PIPSC strike training held on February 19th and 20th. It’s
unprecedented for PIPSC to conduct strike training. It is not the path we would have chosen, but the
current federal Conservative government has chosen this confrontational approach. During this training
it was communicated that a result from a Supreme Court case could have dramatic positive
implications for us in challenging Bill C-4. It reinforces PIPSC position that a large part of Bill C-4 is
unconstitutional.
If you would like more information, contact your RO/RCO group executive: rorco@pipsc.ca
JCC Report
Co-president Susan O’Donnell will be the RO/RCO representative in 2015 at the Joint Consultation
Committee (JCC) meetings with NRC management. PIPSC will be supported at the JCC meetings in
2015 by our new Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in Ottawa, Michel D’Aoust. At the March JCC
meeting, we discussed CTE issues, workplace stress and mental health, and the new security screening
standard.
The security screening standard was a new agenda item as the policy was introduced abruptly by NRC
on February 23rd. The new standard involves both credit checks and fingerprinting for all new and
renewed security clearances for NRC staff. At the JCC meeting, we had many questions about the new
standard that NRC management could not answer - questions ranging from the implications to staff if
they receive a negative credit check to how the fingerprint database will be used. Treasury Board has
allowed 36 months from October 2014 to implement the credit check requirement and there is no
mandatory requirement for fingerprints in the TB policy. At the JCC, PIPSC requested that NRC put
the new NRC policy on hold until we have full consultation with NRC management to understand the
implications of the new standard for our members. We will keep you informed of developments via
news bulletins by email.
At the most recent JCC meetings we have argued strongly for coordinated action and a policy to
address the high levels of workplace stress at NRC. At the March meeting, we presented a report
outlining how other federal government agencies were addressing workplace stress and mental health.
As a result of our efforts, NRC has agreed to look at this issue in more depth and to work with the
Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) team on a coordinated approach. The next JCC meeting will be
in June.
… Susan O’Donnell
RO/RCO Group AGM in Ottawa - Advance notice; mark your calendars for Thursday, November 5,
2015. More details will follow.
=========================================================================
Are you planning a social, cultural, recreational or information activity for your RO/RCO
colleagues, a BBQ, outing, ball game, holiday lunch, workshop or other event? You can ask
the RO/RCO Executive for funding support - up to $20 per member attending to a $200
maximum. We need more awareness of our union and volunteers to become union
stewards. The only requirement for the funding is to share information about our union at
your event, such as a print-out for everyone of the PIPSC homepage. Let everyone know
that the event was supported by their union and that we need more stewards to represent our
members: http://www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/website/aboutinstitute .
=========================================================================
Call for Institute/Portfolio Representatives RO/RCO
The NRC RO/RCO Group is seeking volunteers to serve as PIPSC representatives at each Institute/
Portfolio location. Local Representatives are members of the RO/RCO group who volunteer to
represent the RO/RCO Executive in their respective Institutes/Portfolios. Although one representative
is required per Institute/Portfolio, a Portfolio may have multiple “detached” satellites. It could be useful
to have a local representative for each satellite as well. Representatives are invited to attend the annual
general meeting (AGM) of the RO/RCO Group in Ottawa each fall. If anyone is interested in
volunteering a small portion of your time to serve as an Institute/Portfolio representative, please
send an email message to rorco@pipsc.ca .
RO/RCO Executive Committee Meetings
As NRC has many locations across the country, exec visits will normally occur on a 3-4
year cycle. However, if you feel a pressing need for the executive to visit your workplace
sooner rather than later, please contact President Susan O’Donnell at rorco@pipsc.ca .
Consultation and Better Together - Your union representatives have several formal, and many informal
opportunities, to engage with NRC management on workplace issues. These include the NCOSH National Committee on Occupational Safety & Health, and the JCC - Joint Consultation Committee.
The PIPSC “better together” motto reflects the need to raise more awareness of the importance of
unions in the workplace.
Most recent RO/RCO Group information will be on the PIPSC web site, under groups – go to:
http://www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/website/groups/nrc-ro-rco
provide labour relations representation and advice to members. The PIPSC
ERO’sEmployment
Relations Officer (ERO) for all the NRC groups in Ottawa is Michel
D'aoust. His office is at PIPSC, 250 Tremblay Road, and he can he reached by email,
mdaoust@pipsc.ca , or by telephone at (613)228-6310 or 1(800)267-0446, extension 2403. The EROs
for NRC in other regions are: Atlantic - Max Way, Quebec - Valerie Charette, Toronto - Tony Jones,
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta - Grace Chychul, and BC – Jennifer George.
Bits & Bytes
Email - PIPSC asks that you receive correspondence by email. There is a form at
www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/website/memberservices/membership/email_addresss_notification
You can specify that you receive these messages at an email address of your choice. The messages are
very short as they generally do not contain any information, but direct you to a specific bit of the
PIPSC web site.
Did you know? PIPSC has agreements with a number of companies in a
program called ServicePlus, your member benefits program where you
can take advantage of preferential rates and savings on a variety of
products and services, exclusively for PIPSC members. Rent a car from
Avis, travel on VIA Rail, stay at a Delta Hotel, clothe yourself at Mark’s
Work Warehouse or buy a Toshiba or Apple computer. For more details,
go to http://www.pipsc.ca/portal/page/portal/serviceplus
Did you know? If you contribute to a registered federal political party or to a candidate for
election to the House of Commons, you will get a tax credit which is deducted directly
from your federal tax payable. For the first $400 of contributions, the credit is 75%. Giving
$100 to the party of your choice actually costs you $25. It is an active way to participate in
the democratic process. Consider carefully the policies and records of each party, especially
in the areas of science and technology, generally of great interest to our Group members.
Penny wise and pound foolish? The Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is now owed
$136M, chopped $1.7 million from the budget of the fine recovery program in 2013-14 to help pay
down the federal deficit, said Sujata Raisinghani, spokeswoman for the service. Outstanding fines that
were recovered dropped in value that year, to $6 million from $7 million the year before, while the
backlog of unpaid fines rose by $11 million to its now record high of $136 million.
Notable quotes:
* The science of today is the technology of tomorrow. – Edward Teller {especially relevant for NRC}
* Scientific advancement should aim to affirm and to improve human life. – Nathan Deal
* Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. – John Dewey
The lighter side
* Did you know? The first electricity detective was called Sherlock Ohms.
* Entropy; it isn’t what it used to be.
* The best way to observe the Doppler effect is to watch cars at night. The lights of those approaching
are white and the lights of the ones going away are red.