bout de papier, Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) — Summer 1988 // Été 1988, p. 30
The PAFSO office and its Executive Director exist to assist the membership with problems they encounter in their professional and rotational life. The PAFSO Executive Director is hired by the Executive Committee and reports directly to the President of PAFSO. The responsibilities of the position are broad and range from the management of the PAFSO office and of its insurance plan, to participation in the Foreign Service contract negotiations and consultations on the Foreign Service Directives. The Executive Director is actively involved in taking PAFSO’s concerns and interests before the various central agencies such as the Public Service Commission and the Treasury Board Secretariat, and also maintains contact with other federal public service bargaining agents within the forum of the National Joint Council.
PAFSO is able to provide assistance in a wide array of problems whether they be related to appraisals, assignments, planning of leave (maternity or other), application of the Foreign Service Directives and of the collective agreement, a question on the dental plan, superannuation, citizenship, etc…
Individual problems have often been settled through discrete intervention by PAFSO without recourse to formal procedures. But issues have also been resolved through PAFSO representations either at the final level of the Departmental grievance procedure, the National Joint Council or before an adjudicator. In 1987, PAFSO supported 8 grievances and all but one were successful. Four of these concerned the application of the collective agreement and four, with the application of the Foreign Service Directives. Financial settlements have also been obtained on behalf of members in cases where PAFSO was able to show treatment had been unfair and to argue successfully that the employee ought to be compensated.
It is PAFSO’s practice to take a case before a third party only if it is based on firm grounds. It is hoped our policy and our successes will elicit greater cooperation from departmental personnel management. While, unfortunately, to date this has not always been the case, nonetheless our relationship with the Department has developed in recent years and we look forward to even further improvement in the future.
It is departmental policy that employees should not suffer undue hardship due to the rotational nature of their career. PAFSO is here to ensure that the terms and conditions of employment at home and abroad are maintained in accordance with that policy and are, in fact, improved from time to time. We are here to protect the interests of employees and their families. Do not hesitate to call on us. We are here to help and assist under any circumstance.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) — Summer 1988 // Été 1988, p. 30. Read the rest of this issue →
