Bill C-59: PSAC readies $5M campaign against sick leave reforms

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is considering its next move after the budget implementation bill introduced Thursday signalled the Harper government is prepared to go outside the collective bargaining process now underway to achieve its budgetary goals.

Proposed changes to federal civil servants' sick leave provisions are one of the most contentious issues in ongoing talks with public service unions, includingPSAC.

Those talks are working towards a fall deadline. But C-59would give the government the ability to act before the conclusion of that process, something unions say contravenes thePublic Service Labour Relations Act.

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"The government has decided to completely throw out any pretence that they intend to respect the collective bargaining rights of its workers," said Robyn Bensonin a statement.

PSAC's national president also warned the bill would "cause irreparable damage to labour relations."

"We will take every available action in our power to challenge the legislation," she said.

The statement Thursday said the Supreme Court hasestablished the right to collective bargaining as a charter right and said the union "will defend that right using all means at our disposal."

PSACconvention delegates unanimously passed an emergency resolution late last month authorizing the spending of up to $5 million dollars on a campaign to oppose government actions that compromisemembers' rights.

Savings helped balance budget

Treasury Board President Tony Clement has said on several occasions his government is committed to the collective bargaining process.

But if the budget implementation bill passes through all stages beforeParliament rises for the summer, the federal Treasury Board Secretariat will have the power to establish and modify the "terms and conditions ofemployment related to the sick leave of employees," including a new short-term and long-term disability program.

In interviews following the April 21 federal budget, the Harper government talked tough.

EmploymentMinister PierrePoilievre, who represents an Ottawa-area riding where many federal civil servants live,told CBC Radio'sOttawa Morningthat the savings his government had budgetedto find in public service agreementwere "set in stone."

"What's up for negotiation is how we achieve those savings," he told host RobynBresnahan.

Last month's budget presumptively countedon saving$900 million this year from the change. It was a major piece of Finance Minister Joe Oliver's framework for reaching a $1.4-billion budget surplus for 2015-16.

The budget also said reducing long-term disability costs and other savings from unwinding the liability related to sick leave wouldresult in savings of $200 million in 2016-17 and 2017-18 and$100 million in the following two years.

PSACplans to meet early next week to figure out its next move, which could include legal action to try to prevent implementation of the budget bill's provisions.