Minutes
Environment Canada Labour Management Consultative Committee (ECLMCC)
November 12, 2009
Management Representatives
Ian Shugart, Deputy Minister
Bob Hamilton, Associate Deputy Minister
Félix Boudreault, Senior Advisor to the DM
David Grimes, ADM for Meteorological Service
Mike Minuk replacing Chief Information Officer
Michael J. Keenan, ADM for Strategic Policy
David McGovern, ADM for International Affairs
Cynthia Wright, ADM for Environmental Stewardship
Brian Gray, ADM for Science & Technology
Basia Ruta, ADM for Finance & Corporate
Lynette Cox, ADM for Human Resources
Albin Tremblay, Chief Enforcement Officer
Labour Representatives
Ole Jacobson, PIPSC (Pres., National Consultation
Team)
Daryl Hoelke, UEW–PSAC
Bertrand Myre, CAPE
Jim Vollmershausen, RDG for Ontario
Randal Cripps, RDG for PNR
Trevor Craig replacing RDG for PYR
Philippe Morel, RDG for Quebec
Daniel Lebel, RDG for Atlantic
Charles Slowey, DG for Communications
Pierre Bernier, DG for Corporate Secretariat
Carol Najm, DG for Audit & Evaluation
Don Bilodeau, A/DG HR Planning, Perf. & Systems
Carole E. Lemay, Director, Compensation, LR & Class.
Martine Sigouin, Manager, LR
Carol Doiron, Senior LR Advisor
Bill Sukloff, PIPSC (VP, National Consultation Team)
Manon Desormeaux, UEW–PSAC
Opening remarks
The Deputy Minister (DM) welcomed members to the meeting and suggested a round table for everyone to introduce
themselves.
The DM acknowledged the time and effort devoted by management and labour representatives to both the people
and the policy agenda of Environment Canada (EC).
Some of the issues discussed recently at the management table have been: Public Service Employee Survey, the
Pandemic Influenza, Wellness and OSH. Some of these topics are on today’s agenda.
There are also some highly visible issues from a policy perspective that EC is working on and they include: Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen from Dec 6 to 18, 2009, the Chemical Management Plan, the recovery
strategies of the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the science agenda and the reduction of air pollutants.
The department’s finance committee is currently reviewing its mid-year budget situation. The department continues
operating in a constrained fiscal environment. We are not sure what the next federal budget will mean for EC.
Review of Agenda Items & Approval
The agenda was reviewed and approved.
Review of Action Items from Last Minutes—May 21, 2009
The following action items were reviewed and discussed:
a) Public Service Employee Survey—This issue is on today’s agenda.
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Minutes from ECLMCC Meeting on November 12, 2009
b) Harassment Complaint Process—A consultation meeting was held with the unions on June 16, 2009. The
outcome was the following Action Plan:
 Improved Timelines (contracting process streamlined, clear time frames set in Terms of Reference for
investigators and specific deadlines outlined for complainants and respondents);
 Training (ongoing mandatory training for managers, Joint Learning Plan (JLP) training available, training
module and online web-base course being developed);
 New Tools on Website (process mapping being developed; guides, screening tools & other relevant
documents to be added on website); and
 Updated EC Website (we are currently working on this).
UEW asked that the website include a clear and simple map that shows the harassment complaint process.
No further action required at this time.
c) Application of National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive while on Training at the Algonquin College—Mr.
Albin Tremblay, Chief Enforcement Officer, explained that the reimbursements of the full travel entitlements as
per the NJC Travel Directive are currently being processed across the country for 2008. Discussions on
reimbursement for years prior to 2008 are underway. He will provide a response to Union of Environment
Workers (UEW) as soon as possible.
Action Item: CEO, Enforcement, to provide a response to UEW on whether EC will consider a
reimbursement to employees who took the training prior to 2008.
d) Code of Conduct—Mrs. Basia Ruta, ADM, Finance & Corporate, indicated that, during the union consultation
conducted last spring on a draft Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Code of Conduct, the agreement was to
develop an Action Plan as the work on the TBS Code moves along. Since the TBS Code of Conduct is still in
draft form, the development of an EC Action Plan has been deferred until the final TBS Code is issued.
According to the latest update, the draft is currently being reviewed by various TBS internal committees; its
release, which has been delayed several times for the past two years, is reportedly planned for late spring 2010.
UEW stated that they want to better understand the value of the Code before working on an EC Action Plan and
this can only be done when the final TBS Code is released.
No further action required at this time.
e) Updates on Labour Management Framework from NCR & ATL—These updates were provided to unions via
email on October 23, 2009.
No further action required at this time.
f) Updates on Employment Equity & CASS—These updates were provided during the Human Resources Labour
Management Consultative Committee (HRLMCC) meeting held in July.
No further action required at this time.
Public Service Employee Survey
Since a detailed presentation was made at the September HRLMCC meeting, Mrs. Cox, ADM, Human Resources
Branch, gave an overview of the three key themes that were identified as priorities from the survey. She also
mentioned that the Unions have been invited to a consultation on November 26 to discuss these themes and hear
suggestions on other possible actions. The next steps for each theme are as follows:
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Leadership and Direction
 survey of Leadership Council
 next Leadership Council meeting planned for January 2010
Learning and Development
 monitoring of 20% of employees on the implementation of their learning plans
Streamlining of business processes and rules
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Minutes from ECLMCC Meeting on November 12, 2009
 project management approach to staffing to be introduced shortly
 review of middle managers report to identify other areas requiring streamlining.
Some Branch Heads gave examples of actions that have been taken in their respective branches following the
results from the survey:
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Middle managers network being created
Succession pilot
Group discussions, town hall meetings
Improvements for staffing processes
In-house training for common training needs
Enforcement National conference
News@EC, external web tools
Work-life balance workshops.
The unions provided the following comments on the actions taken to date:
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Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) feels that, even though 90 percent of the learning
plans are being completed, they are not always being implemented. Mrs. Cox indicated that the monitoring to be
conducted this fall is about the implementation of learning plans. PIPSC feels that the manager approving the
learning plan should be the manager with delegated financial authority.
UEW expressed its concern that the Department is not emphasizing efforts concerning leadership and strategic
direction.
PIPSC also asked if it was the Department’s intention to have a yearly survey similar to other departments. Mrs.
Cox explained that the TBS is implementing a new cycle which will include a full survey every 3 years and a
smaller one on a yearly basis.
Parking Policy
Mrs. Ruta indicated that, this past week, PWGSC agreed to consult with unions through the NJC. The market rates
for PWGSC leased/owned locations are expected to be communicated to the DM and ADM Finance & Corporate,
however, they have not yet been provided. We were advised that PWGSC would like a pan-government approach to
work with the unions. EC is very concerned about the lateness of PWGSC communications on this issue as we are
required to provide employees with 90 days notice of any changes to parking policies or parking rates.
Internally, EC is developing its own parking policy based on the generic policy, and consultation with the Unions has
started. We continue to keep our unions up to date through bilaterals and at various meetings, the most recent of
which was the HRLMCC meeting held in September. EC will continue sharing with all stakeholders the information
on parking as it is made available.
PIPSC expressed thanks to Karen Anderson, DG of Assets, Contracting and Environmental Management
Directorate, for her efforts on communicating with PWGSC about issues with respect to the market rate methodology.
PIPSC stated that we must ensure the PWGSC parking policy for departments includes the reference to “market
practice.” If the market practice is not considered when determining parking rates, federal departments will be at a
disadvantage over private companies who may not have to pay for parking. PIPSC requested to be consulted on the
development of the EC parking policy.
Pandemic Influenza
Since a detailed presentation was made at the September HRLMCC meeting, Mrs. Cox provided a general update:
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Letter sent from the DM to unions
Simulation Exercises across the country
Significant communication to employees and managers including:
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Minutes from ECLMCC Meeting on November 12, 2009
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 One-pagers on a variety of topics
 Managers’ guide
 Communication from DM on vaccination
Discussions with employees encouraging them to obtain vaccination and stay home when sick
Pandemic Committee meets bi-weekly to review the situation.
In reference to the email sent by Mrs. Cox on November 12, 2009, for considering time away from work, up to half a
day, to get a vaccine as paid time off for a medical appointment, PIPSC wanted to point out that this may not be
sufficient time in some situations. They feel that it has been clearly demonstrated that the wait time in some areas for
a vaccination can quickly exceed that amount of time. They are encouraging their members to work out a suitable
arrangement with their supervisor.
The DM agrees that managers should review each case individually.
MSC Work-Life Balance
Mr. David Grimes, ADM, Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), explained that MSC has not undertaken an
analysis on work-life balance but rather has organized and delivered a series of workshops for MSC staff on work-life
balance. This is being undertaken within the context of MSC’s People Plan. These workshops are taking place
across MSC offices over the period of October 2009 to February 2010. Following these, Mr. Grimes will be in a
position to share feedback received from staff.
PIPSC thanked the ADM for this information.
Recently Retired Employees Returning
The DM explained that the Department does not systematically track this type of information; however, in light of this
agenda item, he asked the Branch Heads to provide numbers. The informal survey shows that there are
approximately 50 retirees currently working in EC (less than 1% of the total number of EC employees) as casual or
temp help. The DM further explained that management is not deliberately trying to avoid staffing. There are times
when there is a specific need.
PIPSC explained that employees are noticing that some retirees are returning to perform ongoing duties and that
there has been no plan to ask them to pass on knowledge before they leave. Employees feel that these retirees are
often working on the more interesting projects, taking away these opportunities from employees. PIPSC is not
opposed to a retired employee returning for a short-term project or to transfer knowledge. However, they feel that
managers should be cautious when staffing in this fashion and should clearly outline to co-workers the role and
expectations for this retired employee.
Mrs. Cox indicated that, as part of the HR planning process integrated with business planning, EC management is
getting better at anticipating vacancies and the need for transferring knowledge beforehand.
Corporate Identity
Mr. Randal Cripps, DG for Prairie & Northern Region, explained that this issue was raised during their last RLMCC
on Oct 13, 2009. During that meeting, they discussed options for some type of identification when the TB Uniform
Directive does not apply.
Mr. Charles Slowey, DG, Communications, indicated that further analysis would be required before making a
determination. The DM indicated that, if the Department decides to pursue this, it will consult with the unions at the
beginning of the process.
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Minutes from ECLMCC Meeting on November 12, 2009
Labour Management Framework
Update
Each RDG provided an update on the activities in their respective regions:
 PYR—On November 5 & 6, all members of RLMCC & LLMCCs participated in a pilot training session entitled
The Art of Negotiation Skills. It was a success.
 PNR—During the last PNR RLMCC (October 13, 2009), it was decided to strike a new regional working group to
discuss "next steps" with regards to LMCC learning/training.
 NCR—There have been different training sessions offered. The following documents have been distributed:
long-term disability guide and Guidelines on Time and Cost Associated with Union Management Consultation.
There are regular RLMCC meetings; however, the items on these agendas are ad hoc. There are no LLMCCs
because it is difficult to get stewards at each building. Issues are addressed on a case-by-case basis.
 ONT—The following training has been completed: Union Management Consultation, Interpreting the Collective
Agreement and Employment Equity. Union and management are working together to ensure that the meetings
are as productive as possible.
 QUE—They have decided to hold joint training every 12-18 months. The last one was in June 2009 on the
interpretation of collective agreements.
 ATL—The joint Union-Management Consultation training session has been postponed to Jan 2010 due to lack of
availability for several members.
Training for ECLMCC members
PIPSC is very happy to see that there is a lot of training happening at the regional LMCCs. However, they feel that
the ECLMCC members should lead by example on this front. Mrs. Cox went through the list of training that was
suggested under the Framework and she feels that there does not seem to be a current need for ECLMCC members.
PIPSC recognizes that this is a unique group; however, they feel that the list is not exhaustive. The DM is satisfied
that the committee is working collaboratively and he wants us to continue working diligently on the agendas & the
follow-up actions. He feels that we are leading by example by having a well-functioning ECLMCC that all had wished
it would be. However, if at any time someone has a specific suggestion on potential training for this group, it should
be brought up for discussion at these meetings.
Symposium
PIPSC further explained that they feel some items in the Framework are being neglected such as the symposium and
they feel the Framework should be reworded if we are not going to hold a symposium. The DM feels that we should
not assume that the Framework is outdated. It has only been a few years since the implementation of this
Framework. He feels that we should continue to work within the established Framework before we make any
changes to the initial document. In April 2008, the committee’s position on discussing the need for a symposium was
to wait until all members were comfortable that all aspects at all levels of the Framework were working well. UEW
confirmed that this is their position.
Guidelines on Time and Cost Associated with Union Management Consultation
PIPSC feels that the current Guidelines are too informal and relies on a trust/willingness between the employee
(steward) and his/her immediate supervisor. They have concerns and would like to see more rigour in their
application across the department.
The DM reiterated that we should continue to work within the spirit of the guidelines for at least a year. This will allow
time for both unions and management to use these new guidelines and be in a better position to provide adequate
feedback on its effectiveness.
UEW indicated that they are not interested in opening the Labour Management Framework at this time. UEW
indicated that the Guidelines were missing the section on the “role of union”.
Action Item: To ensure that the final version of the document includes the role of the union and is distributed
to all parties and communicated across EC.
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Minutes from ECLMCC Meeting on November 12, 2009
Standing Items
a) Employment Equity & Diversity Activities—Mr. Jim Vollmershausen, Champion for EE, provided the latest gap
analysis for EC dated Sept 30, 2009. These latest numbers indicate that there is a large gap of women
representation in the SE, EG & GT groups and, for visible minority, in the BI, EN, AS, CS & EG groups.
b) CASS Update—The DM suggested that this item be removed as a Standing Item for future meetings since it has
been scaled down considerably. Mrs. Ruta explained that it had been re-branded the HR Business Solutions
Project for the five (5) early adopter departments. Even though EC is no longer an active participant, the sharing
new modules in Peoplesoft continues.
Action Item: Remove CASS as a Standing Item
Round Table
UEW requested that the minutes be completed and sent out earlier in order to ensure timely receipt of the information
by the membership.
PIPSC asked about the strategic review. The DM indicated that the budget cycle has begun and we will receive that
information when the budget is tabled in early 2010. If there are any decisions that have an impact on employees,
management will inform unions and employees as soon as possible.
Closing Remarks
The DM thanked everyone for their input into the agenda and for their participation at the meeting. He wished
everyone all the best.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Drafted by: Lynette Cox, ADM, Human Resources Branch
Date sent to Bargaining Agents: Monday, November 23, 2009
Date requesting feedback: Monday, December 7, 2009
Final version: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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