bout de papier, Vol. 8, No. 2 (1991) — Spring 1991 // Printemps 1991, p. 34
It is clear that 1991 will prove to be a busy and challenging year for PAFSO as the Association will be involved in a number of important issues. These issues include: the upcoming contract negotiations with the Treasury Board; the Foreign Service Directives triennial review; and the continued consultations on the implementation of Public Service 2000 and the Department’s corporate review. Collective Bargaining As members are aware, the current collective agreement for the FS group will expire on April 30, 1991. To prepare for the upcoming negotiations, a bargaining team headed by Don Mackay has been established. Although actual bargaining is not expected to begin until March, our team has been working diligently to prepare negotiating positions and strategy. As membership input is an essential component in this process, a collective bargaining questionnaire has been sent to all PAFSO members. We encourage all members to complete this survey and return it to the PAFSO office at their earliest convenience.
As a normal part of each collective bargaining round, a special membership meeting was held to discuss the appropriate choice of redress to be used should an impasse emerge at the bargaining table (i.e. Conciliation/ Strike vs. Arbitration). Following a full discussion of the options, the general membership voted in favour of arbitration at a meeting held on January 15, 1991.
FSD Triennial Review
PAFSO, in consultation with other staff associations, is currently preparing positions for the next review of the FSDs which is scheduled to begin in September 1991. As the Association is required to submit its proposals to Treasury Board by July 1, 1991, we have requested your input as part of the general collective bargaining questionnaire. We would also welcome any independent advice or suggestions which members may wish to submit, particularly as it relates to specific problems which have been experienced since the last triennial review in 1989. Public Service 2000/Corporate Review On December 12, 1990, the Government released its white paper on Public Service 2000. It contains widesweeping recommendations which, if implemented, would fundamentally change the structure and organization of the Public Service of Canada.
With respect to personnel management, the white paper advocates various reforms concerning staffing, classification, the appraisal and promotion process, training and career development, and management accountability to name just a few. Of particular interest to PAFSO members is the formal recognition of appointments to level and assignments within grade. While recognizing these concepts, the white paper identifies the need to hold managers accountable for the “fairness and transparency with which they work with employees to match particular assignments with the interests and needs of individuals.” In addition, the report identifies a requirement for a promotion and appraisal process which is fair and transparent and which is supported by an accountability framework which ensures compliance with generally accepted principles. This will be partly accomplished by ensuring that the performance assessments of managers will reflect the quality of their assessments of subordinates and the feedback given to them.”
As many of the recommendations of Public Service 2000 will likely form part of the Department’s corporate review, PAFSO intends to enter into direct consultation on these matters to ensure that the interests of the Association and the general membership are protected. It is part of the Association’s objectives to ensure that the corporate review reflects positive changes to the appraisal and promotion process which will demystify current practices with respect to appraisals, promotions and the awarding of performance pay. Further information on the corporate review will be provided as the consultation process develops
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 8, No. 2 (1991) — Spring 1991 // Printemps 1991, p. 34. Read the rest of this issue →
