Perry Work Report for the week of May 02, 2013

Perry Work Report, May 2, 2013

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Ottawa's Public Service Plans: Turfing Poor Performers

"Conservative plans for public service reform include a focus on turfing poor performers as the government girds for a fight with "union bosses" and defends proposed new powers over independent Crown corporations."

The Globe and Mail, May 2, 2013: "Ottawa's new public service plans include turfing poor performers," by Bill Curry and John Ibbitson

"This report analyzes the results of the PSES as they pertain to performance management and sheds light on the relationships between performance management and other aspects of employees’ work and work environment. Although these relationships cannot be interpreted as ones of cause and effect, information on them can help managers and human resources leaders better target their efforts to strengthen performance management in the public service."

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2011: Public Service Employee Survey Focus on Performance Management

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CBC: From Public Broadcaster to State Broadcaster

"The federal government is taking a harder line on collective bargaining, giving itself sweeping new powers to steer independent Crown corporations on their negotiations with employees over wages and benefits. The main targets are the CBC, Canada Post and Via Rail."

"The union representing employees at the CBC warns the new powers are a "ridiculous" infringement on the independence of the CBC.

"I don’t know how anybody looking at that cannot see this as turning the public broadcaster into a state broadcaster," said Marc-Philippe Laurin, the CBC branch president of the Canadian Media Guild, a union that represents many CBC workers."

The Globe and Mail, May 1, 2013: "Harper tightening the reins on CBC, Via Rail and Canada Post," by Bill Curry and John Ibbitson

 

"George Smith, a former CBC vice-president of human resources who now teaches collective bargaining at Queen’s University School of Public Policy Studies, said the government’s proposed new powers are unprecedented.

"That goes against decades of industrial relations policy in this country and I think it’s reprehensible," he said. “There’s been no discussion or debate about this and there’s no sense that this is what the Canadian public wants."

The Globe and Mail, May 2, 2013: "Ottawa's new public service plans include turfing poor performers," by Bill Curry and John Ibbitson

 

"The latest federal budget implementation bill will allow Treasury Board to unilaterally interfere directly in negotiations between Crown Corporations and their unions.

"Bill C-60 (the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1) forces these employers to get Treasury Board’s approval for their bargaining mandate. It also allows Treasury Board to plant one of its employees at the bargaining table putting the big chill on any open and frank discussions at the table.

Injecting a third party into the bargaining process removes control from the parties most affected and who know the workplace best - not exactly conducive to effective collective bargaining."

PSAC, May 1, 2013: "Treasury Board gets to set the agenda for bargaining with Crown Corporations"

 

ACTRA, May 1, 2013: ACTRA Condemns Gov’t Assault on CBC’s Collective Bargaining & Journalistic Independence

Auditor General’s Report: Chapter 11: Special Examination of Crown Corporations (21 pages, PDF)

Free CBC from Political Interference Petition

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New Union Project, New Constitution

"A Look at the union through different lenses:

 

"The new union’s Constitution establishes the framework for a new organization. The merger of CAW and CEP with the new union will give it the strength, dynamism and spirit of our combined membership. A draft Merger Agreement for the CAW and CEP respectively and the new Union has been prepared. It is almost identical for each of the CAW and CEP.

The Merger Agreement(s) will:

  • Provide for the merger of the CAW and CEP respectively with the new union.

  • Continue current CAW and CEP Local Union and subordinate bodies as Local Unions and subordinate bodies of the new union with the same Officers to serve the term of office for which they were elected.

  • Insure CAW and CEP Local Unions and subordinate bodies continue to hold their assets, funds and other property, as Local Unions and subordinate bodies of the new union.

  • Transfer the assets, funds and other property of the CAW and CEP National Unions to the new Union (National Union).

  • Cause the bargaining rights of the CAW or CEP National Union and/or CAW or CEP Local Unions to be transferred and continued with the new National Union and/or the continued New Union Local Unions in the same configuration as before the anticipated merger.

  • Reaffirm the new union Constitution as the Constitution of the "merged" Union. This is a historic moment for our unions and the Canadian trade union movement.

    Let’s work together to seize this opportunity to build a new union and enhance the lives of our members, and their families, and improve the communities in which they live and work.”

 

New Union Project, April 11, 2013: Progress Report on the CAW-CEP New Union Project

New Union Project, April 30, 2013: New Union Constitution Highlights (12 pages, PDF)

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Labour Pains

"At its peak, the Hamilton branch of the United Steelworkers of America (Local 1005) had more than 14,000 members. Their annual meetings filled Ivor Wynne Stadium. Today, the oldest union in Hamilton has just over 600 members. For the Steelworkers of Hamilton, the past looks a lot more glorious than the future. And they are not alone amongst labour organizations.

What is the future for labour in Canada? Do unions still matter in the 21st century?"

Stories from CBC's Labour Pains:

CBC, April 23, 2013: Read Labour Pains Town Hall Here or Watch Labour Pains Town Hall on YouTube

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Ten of the Best Union Songs of All Time

"Unionists are often many things - steadfast, political... and surprisingly decent musicians. Union songs have been a part of the movement since the very beginning.

So in that spirit, here are 10 of the best songs written about workers or the union movement."

And although it might not carry the same weight as some of the other songs listed, The Power Plant Strike Song from The Simpsons remains one of the most memorable tunes about a union ever written, and a favourite. Who could forget Homer's adventures as a bumbling union leader?

CBC, April 19, 2013: "Ten of the Best Union Songs of All Time", by Adam Cater

YouTube, April 4, 2009: The Simpsons - Union Strike Song and Classical Gas

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Big Susie's Brings Fight for Sex Workers' Rights to Hamilton

"When it comes to workers' right groups in Hamilton, Big Susie’s stands out. It doesn’t have an office, collect dues or broker negotiations between its members and their employer.

Its logo - a silhouette of a corseted woman in high-heeled boots, holding an umbrella with one arm and flexing her bicep with the other - doesn’t have much in common with mainstream labour organizations.

And unlike unions that represent pipefitters, deli clerks or government workers, it advocates for people whose work is often regarded as illegitimate, and in some cases, illegal."

CBC, April 17, 2013: "Big Susie's brings fight for sex workers' rights to Hamilton", by Cory Ruf - part of CBC’s Labour Pain series

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Slowing the Economy and Costing Jobs: Canadian Government Continues to Cut the Budget

"The Conservative government's last two budgets promised a focus on jobs and growth, but a new report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer says spending cuts from those two documents will slow the economy and cost 67,000 jobs."

The Globe and Mail, April 29, 2013: "Ottawa’s spending cuts will slow economy, cost 67,000 jobs: budget watchdog," by Bill Curry

Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, April 29, 2013: Economic and Fiscal Outlook (32 pages, PDF)

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Generation Y: Do Unions still Matter to Young People?

"Unions haven't done a good job connecting with young workers and teaching them about their rights in the workplace, labour activist Pablo Godoy says - and that has lead to young people caring less about union activity compared to previous generations.

Now, union leadership must step up and connect with young people on their terms, so they can fully grasp their rights as workers and understand where those rights came from, he says. But some say even if they do, it won't matter - because young people are simply better off without union representation altogether."

CBC News, April 15, 2013: "Do Unions Still Matter to Young People?" by Adam Carter

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This Just In: Money DOES Buy Happiness!

"You can't buy happiness, we've all been told. "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems", Biggie concurred. And while we can all agree that desperate poverty is hideous, there is a broadly held view that after a certain level of income (around $75,000, say), more money doesn't buy more well-being. But it's just not so. Economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers have been arguing for years that, yes, richer families tend to be happier, and no, there is not an automatic cut-off point. In other words: Mo' money, fewer problems."

The research can be easily summed up in two graphs:

1) The first graph looks at income groups within countries. In all nations surveyed, richer households reported more life satisfaction. 

2) The second graph compares different countries, rather than different households within countries. Here, each circle represents a nation, with the richest ones clustered on the right. If extra income didn’t matter for well-being, you’d expect the line to flatten. Instead, it steepens. More money doesn't just mean happier families. It means happier countries.

"But Biggie was onto something. Problems such as social turmoil (such as the rise of single-parent households) and income inequality could act as a tax on self-reported satisfaction, counteracting the effects of rising total income."

The Atlantic, April 29, 2013: “Money Buys Happiness and You Can Never Have Too Much, New Research Says,” by Derek Thompson

The Globe and Mail, May 1, 2013: “Maybe money can buy happiness after all,” by Barrie McKenna

Brookings, April 29, 2013: “Subjective Well-Being and Income: Is There Any Evidence of Satiation?” by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers

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International Productivity Monitor Spring 2013 Issue

"On April 10, 2013, the Centre for the Study of Living Standards released the Spring 2013 issue of the International Productivity Monitor. The issue contains a number of articles on the outlook for productivity growth by prominent economists. For example, one article presents evidence that firms adjust production efficiency in response to labour supply development, making total factor productivity growth endogenous. The authors conclude that for countries, like Canada, close to the technological frontier with good institutions and adequate support for research, development, and entrepreneurship, concerns about slow TFP growth may be less pressing as long as labour input growth remains strong."

Centre for the Study of Living Standards, April 10, 2013: International Productivity Monitor, Number 25, Spring 2013

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Deloitte: Human Capital Trends Report 2013: Leadership

"Success in most organizations depends on the commitment and talent of its workforce. According to Deloitte's third annual Human Capital Trends report, Leading Indicators, C-level executives need to take a critical look at how their company's talent is driving its business and address seven specific issues in order to remain successful over the next 18 to 24 months."

"The seven Human Capital Trends for 2013 provide a solid checklist for getting started with the crucial conversations important to helping your organization actively engage with one another:"

Deloitte, April 4, 2013: Human Capital Trends Report 2013 (27 pages, PDF)

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'Antiquated' Apprentice Rules Starving Economy of Skilled Workers

According to a C.D. Howe Institute study, overly restrictive and "antiquated" provincial regulations are contributing to a shortage of young apprentices and starving the economy of badly needed skilled workers. The study argues that government could better regulate quality and safety in the workplace, rather than limiting access to trades via rules such as mandated ratios of apprentices to journeymen at companies, overly restrictive accreditation programs, and numerical caps on registered apprenticeships.

"The study comes as the federal government moved this week to curb abuses of its controversial temporary foreign worker program, which companies have been increasingly tapping because they say they can't find qualified workers in Canada."

The Globe and Mail, May 1, 2013: "'Antiquated' apprentice rules starving economy of skilled workers: report," by Barrie McKenna

C.D Howe Institute, May 1, 2013: Access Denied: The Effect of Apprenticeship Restrictions in Skilled Trades (24 pages, PDF)

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum-Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) is a non-profit organization that not only acts as resource for, but connects Canada's apprenticeship community. Registration is free, and necessary to access reports. "Participants work collaboratively to support vibrant and innovative apprenticeship systems and policies with a view to developing a highly-skilled, inclusive, and mobile skilled trades workforce. Employers, unions, equity-seeking groups, educational institutions, and the jurisdictions support CAF-FCA operations through membership."

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Who Has Your Back?

"When you use the Internet, you entrust your conversations, thoughts, experiences, locations, photos, and more to companies like Google, AT&T and Facebook. But what do these companies do when the government demands your private information? Do they stand with you? Do they let you know what's going on? In this annual report, the Electronic Frontier Foundation examined the policies of major Internet companies to assess whether they publicly commit to standing with users when the government seeks access to user data.

"The purpose of this report is to incentivize companies to be transparent about how data flows to the government and encourage them to take a stand for user privacy whenever it is possible to do so."

Electronic Frontier Foundation, April 30, 2013: "Who Has Your Back?: Which Companies Help Protect Your Data from the Government," by Nate Cardozo, Cindy Cohn, Parker Higgins, Marcia Hofmann, and Rainey Reitman (20 pages, PDF)

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World Report on Child Labour

"A report by the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), says that social protection policies can play a key role in the fight against child labour, which currently affects some 215 million children worldwide.

The World Report on Child Labour: Economic vulnerability, social protection and the fight against child labour, is a new ILO study which reviews relevant research on how different types of social protection measures can help combat child labour. These include cash transfer schemes, social health protection and income security in old age.

For example, Brazil's Bolsa Familia cash transfer programme--which pays families a certain amount per month provided their children go to school--has played a key role in the reduction of child labour both in rural and urban areas."

ILO, April 29, 2013: World Report on Child Labour: Economic vulnerability, social protection and the fight against child labour

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Book of the Week

Human Resource Management in the Public Sector, edited by Ronald J. Burke, Andrew J. Noblet and Cary L. Cooper. Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA : Edward Elgar, 2013. 330 p. ISBN 9780857937315 (hardcover)

UTLibraries link to catalogue record: http://go.utlib.ca/cat/8855813

This insightful book presents current thinking and research evidence on the role of human resource management policies and practices in increasing service quality, efficiency and organizational effectiveness in the public sector. Internationally, public sector organisations face enormous challenges, including increasingly uncertain political and economic environments, more vigilant and cost-conscious governments, rapidly evolving community needs and an ageing workforce. This collection examines a range of HRM-related topics that will influence the capacity of public sector agencies to negotiate and respond to the challenges ahead. These topics include managing public sector human resources during an economic downturn, enhancing the satisfaction and motivation of public sector employees, attracting and retaining talent, leadership development, and case studies in successful public sector organizational change. With each chapter drawing on the latest research, but also emphasizing the practical implications, this collection is suitable for practitioners, researchers and students alike. It will also be valuable for HR specialists and managers of HR units in the public sector.

Visit the Recent Books at the CIRHR Library blog.

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Editors: Vicki Skelton and Melissa Wawrzkiewicz
Designer: Nick Strupat

Copyright © 2013 Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources Library, University of Toronto. All rights reserved.

Date posted