What's New...

The 2010 Budget – Canada’s Economic Action Plan
March 5, 2010
CAPE President Claude Poirier, past President Bill Krause, Acting Executive Director Jean Ouellette, Research Officer Hélène Paris and legal counsel Peter Engelmann convened on March 4 to analyse the details of the 2010 budget as it became available. Hélène Paris, who attended the budget lock-up, helped guide the group to the more salient aspects of the proposed budget as it relates to the public service.

What You Need to Know about the Pension Issue – Qs and As
March 3, 2010
The CAPE Mobilization Committee has developed a Qs and As document in response to the questions and concerns brought to their attention by the membership.

Pension Appeal to be Heard in April
March 3, 2010
In November of 2007, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released its decision in the $ 30 B pension surplus trial. The case involves three court challenges by the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, PIPSC, PSAC, the Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants' Association of Canada and RCMP employee associations to pension legislation passed by the government in 1999 (Bill C-78). The decision dismissed the actions.

All-day session for Local Leadership and NEC members
on the ABC's of the pension issue a resounding success
March 1, 2010
On Saturday, February 27, CAPE held an all day session with members of the Local Leadership and of the National Executive Committee to discuss the pension issue. 25 members of the Local Leadership were in attendance, as well as 4 invited panelists.

Post-budget Special General Meeting
February 24, 2010
March 11, 2010
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Ottawa Marriott Hotel
100 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the impacts of the March 4th budget on CAPE members and on the federal public service.

CAPE in the Media on the Pensions Issue
February 23, 2010
The President of CAPE, Claude Poirier, gave an interview on Monday to Paul Gaboury, from Le Droit newspaper.

On-line Petition calls for protecting our pension plans and retirement security
February 20, 2010
The Public Service Alliance of Canada has created an on-line petition, and has invited all other federal government bargaining agents and representative organizations to make the petition available to their respective members.

CAPE Mobilization Committee
February 20, 2010
CAPE’s mobilization Committee met on Wednesday, February 17, to further clarify and define the Mobilization Action Plan. Printed materials for distribution to the membership will be prepared in the coming days, and CAPE will be producing other tools to enhance our visibility and get our message out to the public that any attack on our pensions in order to cut the deficit is completely unacceptable.

The Financial Incentives Plan has been renewed for one year
February 19, 2010
CAPE, the Translation Bureau, and the Treasury Board came to an agreement to renew the Financial Incentives Plan for a one-year period, until March 31, 2011, with several minor technical amendments that do not change the Plan in any way.

CAPE’s Analysis of the C.D. Howe Institute Report
A Balanced Perspective on Fair-Value Pension Accounting
February 18, 2010
It is CAPE’s opinion that the C.D. Howe Institute’s study is misleading, ignores important facts and is based on incorrect premises as to the continued existence of the plan. We have prepared an analysis, entitled A Balanced Perspective on Fair-Value Pension Accounting

CAPE Pension Mobilization Update
February 5, 2010
CAPE’s National Executive has taken its own members’ concerns into hand, and has issued a call for volunteers for participation on the newly conceived CAPE Mobilization Committee.

CAPE National Executive Committee Adopts Motion to Mobilize the Membership to Protect Pensions
January 29, 2010
At its January 27 meeting, the members of the National Executive Committee adopted a motion in principle, which was submitted by members of Local 514 – Human Resources and Skills Development, National Capital Region. This motion engages CAPE in a campaign to mobilize its members concerning the Harper government’s anticipated attack on the pubic service and more specifically the pension plan of its members.

Are our pensions in danger? Canadians have the right to know the truth!
A message from CAPE President Claude Poirier
January 28, 2010
For over six months, rumours have been swirling about the public service pension plan. Clearly politicians make a habit of targeting public service employees to garner support from the general public.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE
January 19, 2010
CAPE has numerous members with close ties with Haiti, some of them are your friends or colleagues, and we all know someone who has family or friends there. We want to tell them that our spirit and our prayers are with them in these difficult times.

New Year Message
January 6, 2010
At the beginning of this new year, and on behalf of myself and the entire organization, I would like to send you our best wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity.

Support For Employees on Strike at the Museums
December 1, 2009
During its regular meeting on November 26th, CAPE’s National Executive Committee voted to make a financial contribution towards supporting the strikers at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum.

Meetings on November 26th, 2009
November 27, 2009
Yesterday CAPE held three important meetings: the Local Leadership Council, the Annual Membership Budget Meeting and the Annual General Meeting. Quite a plateful.

CAPE ANNUAL REPORT 2008 - 2009

Call for the Boycott of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and of the Canadian War Museum
November 5, 2009
Our colleagues at the above mentioned museums have now been on strike for more than six weeks. Job security is at stake. We are told that the work of unionized employees is being done by strike breakers. We invite you to respect picket lines and to avoid visiting these museums until the labour dispute is over.

EC Conversion – the Treasury Board refuses mediation in the matter of CAPE’s policy grievance alleging violation of article 27.07 (refusal to negotiate)
October 29, 2009
When CAPE filed the notice of reference to adjudication of its policy grievance, the Association informed the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) that it was prepared to participate in a mediation process to attempt to settle the grievance.

EC Conversion – the Treasury Board replies to CAPE’s policy grievance alleging violation of article 27.07 (refusal to negotiate)
October 27, 2009
The hearing of the policy grievance that was filed by CAPE on July 14 was held on September 14. In a reply rendered on October 6, Ms. Hélène Laurendeau, Assistant Deputy Minister, Treasury Board, denied the grievance. The employer is of the opinion that it has met its obligations under article 27.07.

Support Museum Employees on Strike
October 20, 2009
On Wednesday, October 21, at 12 noon, CAPE Local 514 executive and friends will join workers on their picket line at the War Museum over lunch and provide snacks from Tim Horton's as a small gesture of solidarity. CAPE national president Claude Poirier will attend and an invitation is extended to other CAPE locals in the area.

TRANSLATION BUREAU LOCAL 900 - 2009 ELECTION
September 10, 2009
In accordance with the Translation Bureau Local By-laws, an election is being held to fill the five (5) positions.

MEMORANDUM: The FIP Collective Bargaining Committee
September 10, 2009
...a call for volunteers from the membership of the TR bargaining unit for the purpose of establishing a Financial Incentive Plan (FIP) Collective Bargaining Committee.

EC Collective Agreement
August 13, 2009
Treasury Board has finally provided CAPE with electronic pdf versions of the EC collective agreement, which was signed more than 5 months ago. While we do not know when Treasury Board intends to post the agreement on their website, you may access a version of the document here: EC Collective Agreement

Decrease in the pension reduction factor
July 30, 2009
Some CAPE members have recently received correspondence concerning the limit on allowable RRSP contributions for 2009 and, more specifically, a decrease in this limit.

July 2009 Professional Dialogue

EC Conversion
July 24, 2009
CAPE files a policy grievance alleging violation of article 27.07 (refusal to negotiate)

Official Call for Resolutions
July 15, 2009
This is an official call for resolutions to be discussed at the Annual General Meeting.

New EC Qualification Standard in effect on June 22, 2009
June 19, 2009
The new EC Qualification Standard comes into effect on June 22, 2009.

Filing a Classification Grievance for the EC Conversion
June 17, 2009
It is anticipated that there will be many EC members of CAPE who will seriously consider the possibility of filing a classification grievance in response to the Official Personal Notification (OPN) that they are expected to receive in the week of June 15.

Update – TR Pay Equity Complaint
June 10, 2009
The Translation Bureau is solely responsible for issuing the cheques. All inquiries concerning the cheques must be directed to your manager at the Bureau.

Special Notice - Teleconferences
June 1, 2009
The teleconferences scheduled for the evenings of June 2 and June 3 are postponed to June 9 and June 10. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the rescheduling. Thank you.

TR group: cheque for the retroactive pay period
May 26, 2009
We have just learned from the Translation Bureau that the simultaneous ratification of several collective agreements at the beginning of 2009 delayed cheque preparation by Public Works and Government Services Canada.

CAPE President appears before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance on the matter of the EC Conversion
May 20, 2009
CAPE President Claude Poirier appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance on May 6th to explain the injustice of an EC Conversion without negotiated rates of pay.

EC Conversion Call-In Forums
May 7, 2009
CAPE is organizing special call-in forums, to give members an opportunity to ask CAPE Executive Director, Claude Danik, and Claude Vézina, CAPE’s EC Classification Officer, questions regarding the EC conversion process.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission Approves the Settlement Reached in CAPE’s TR complaint!
May 7, 2009
The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) advised the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) that they have approved the agreement reached as a result of CAPE’s complaint on behalf of TRs.

Stewards’ Training Registration Deadline Extended to May 8, 2009
April 29, 2009
In order to accommodate our local leadership, we have extended the deadline from May 1 to May 8, 2009.

Erratum – CAPE Pension Appeal Process Report
April 17 2009

The complaint filed by CAPE with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, on behalf of TRs, has been settled by mediation through the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal!
April 2, 2009
The representatives of both the employer (Treasury Board and Translation Bureau) and CAPE have settled out of court the complaint filed by CAPE. This settlement came during a mediation session held on March 27 by a mediator appointed by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

CAPE in the News
March 31, 2009
Claude Danik, CAPE’s Executive Director, gave an interview on classification to an Ottawa Citizen reporter.

CAPE President Claude Poirier Clarifies EC Conversion History to
Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board
March 27, 2009
Since early January, even before all of the details of the special compensation legislation became known, one of CAPE’s priorities and one of the president’s priorities has been to address the matter of the anticipated legislated prohibition on bargaining rates of pay for the EC conversion.

A Chronology: EC Conversion and C-10
March 20, 2009

Filling Vacant Positions on the NEC: Serving the Best Interests of CAPE Members
March 19, 2009
Did you know that the NEC is composed of 17 positions and that, currently, eight are filled?

Signed Collective Agreement at the Library of Parliament
March 18, 2009
The collective agreement for CAPE members of the Library of Parliament was signed on March 18. The new provisions are effective as of the date of signing.

Signed Collective Agreements
March 17, 2009
The TR and EC collective agreements are signed.

Training Schedule – Spring 2009
March 11, 2009
The following is the spring training schedule for CAPE. The following training will be conducted at the national office, starting each day
at 8:30 a.m.

A Reminder: Paycheques for the Retroactive Period and Tax Deductions at Source
March 6, 2009
In some cases, the Income Tax Act allows lump-sum payments, such as retroactive pay, to be issued without tax being withheld, or with a reduced amount of tax withheld – for example, if you wish to use the payment to contribute to your RRSP.

Association Ratifies New Collective Agreement at the
Library of Parliament
March 6, 2009
On March 6, CAPE members at the Library of Parliament voted in favour of the ratification of the new collective agreement.

EC Conversion - CAPE Appears before the Finance Standing Committee
February 27, 2009
CAPE’s President Claude Poirier and Research Officer Hélène Paris testified Monday night before the Finance Standing Committee.

CAPE Pension Appeal Process Sub-Committee Report and Recommendations Summary
le 27 février 2009
At its meeting of May 20, 2008, the National Executive Committee (NEC) struck a sub-committee on the pension appeal process. . It completed its deliberations, and submitted its report to the NEC on February 18, 2009.

Association Ratifies New TR and EC Collective Agreements
February 20, 2009
TR and EC members voted in favour of accepting the Employer’s Final offers. This means that the collective agreements will be renewed until 2011.

Ratification Vote on the Tentative Agreement - Library of Parliament
February 18, 2009
Memo To: CAPE Members of the Library of Parliament Unit
From: Library of Parliament Bargaining Team
The ratification package has been mailed to CAPE’s LoP members.

Collective Bargaining Call-In Forums -
Message from Chief Negotiator Claude Danik
February 14, 2009
I would like to thank all of CAPE's members who participated in the collective bargaining call-in forums.

Michèle Demers
February 11, 2009
CAPE lost a dear friend and strong ally yesterday. Michèle Demers, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, passed away yesterday.

Special Compensation Legislation - the Expenditure Restraint Act – Questions and Answers
February 10, 2009
CAPE’s analysis of the special compensation legislation that was announced by the Minister of Finance in late November and tabled in the House of Commons on Friday February 6.

INFORMATION MEETING FOR THE LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT
CAPE MEMBERS
February 10, 2009
As a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees working at the Library of Parliament, you are invited to an information meeting regarding the ratification of the tentative agreement reached on January 28th, 2009.

Expenditure Restraint Act
February 8, 2009
CAPE has just been made aware of Bill C-10, and of Part 10 of the bill entitled Expenditure Restraint Act.

TR and EC Collective Agreement Ratifications – Questions and Answers
February 4, 2009
Responses from the Chief Negotiator, Claude Danik, to questions that have been posed by members regarding the TR and EC collective agreement ratifications.

CAPE LOCAL 514 (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada /
Service Canada/Labour Program, in the National Capital Region)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
February 4, 2009
IMPORTANT NOTICE - Collective Bargaining Call-In Forums

PRESS RELEASE
Tentative Agreement Reached by CAPE’s

February 2, 2009
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) reached a three year tentative agreement with the Library of Parliament on behalf of its members, on January 29, 2009.

Collective Bargaining Call-In Forums
January 29, 2009
In addition to information on the ratification votes posted on CAPE’s web site and information provided in the ratification kits, CAPE is organizing special call-in forums. The forums are intended to give members an opportunity to ask the chief negotiator, Claude Danik, questions on the final offer to CAPE’s TR members and on the final offer to CAPE’s EC members.

Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Party Leaders
January 28, 2009
On January 23, the 18 unions representing federal government employees sent a letter to Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Official Opposition, Gilles Duceppe, Leader of the Bloc Québécois, Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party, asking them to oppose the planned special compensation legislation.

2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
CAPE LOCAL 514
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada/Service Canada/Labour Program, in the National Capital Region
January 27, 2009
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 from 11:45 A.M. to 1 P.M. in the Gatineau Room, Maison du Citoyen, 25 rue Laurier, Gatineau (Hull Sector).

Employer’s Final Offer – EC and TR Ratification Votes
January 27, 2009
The EC ratification package has been mailed to CAPE’s EC members. The TR ratification package has been mailed to CAPE’s TR members. Please visit the CAPE web site over the next two weeks: you will find additional information and analysis relating to the final offer, including analysis of how the compensation legislation that is expected to accompany the budget this week will affect the offer.

Letter from CAPE President Claude Poirier to the Minister of Finance and the President of the Treasury Board
January 16, 2009
Letter from CAPE President Claude Poirier to the Minister of Finance and the President of the Treasury Board regarding the anticipated special compensation legislation and its potentially negative impact on the ability to negotiate pay rates relating to the EC conversion.

Pensions Appeal Update
January 7, 2009
The NJC Bargaining Agents Side will be addressing the issue of lead litigator at a meeting scheduled for January 14, 2009. There are two very skilled candidates proposed by different bargaining agents.

Message from the President
January 5, 2009
At the beginning this New Year, 2009, I wish you health, happiness and prosperity.