How can I show my support to colleagues on strike?
In the event of a strike there are many ways in which you may consider showing your support for colleagues who are on strike. These include:
1. Learning about the issues that your colleagues are striking for on the bargaining agent’s website, and sharing information about the strike with friends and family,
2. Following the PSAC’s social media platforms, and sharing or retweeting their messages from your personal accounts,
3. Using PSAC’s strike hashtag, or using their social media frames on your profile pictures,
4. Sending a letter to the Member of Parliament (MP) in your riding,
5. Attending an organized solidarity rally outside of your work hours to walk with colleagues on the picket line,
6. Signing a petition supporting your striking colleagues,
7. Sending a donation or bringing non-perishable food and groceries to the picket line for striking workers and their families, or
8. Honking your horn with a friendly beep if you drive by a picket line for encouragement.
What happens if a picket line blocks access to my office building?
While the AJC encourages you to be supportive of your striking colleagues, it is important to remember that the AJC may not currently be in a strike position, and if that is the case, you must abide by the terms and conditions of the LP Collective Agreement, and report to work as scheduled. If a picket line blocks access to your office building, contact your supervisor or another management representative to request that you be permitted to work remotely during the strike, or to request safe passage through the picket line.
What should I do if management asks me to perform work outside of my job description and/or bargaining unit work during a strike?
If your management team asks you to perform the work of a colleague on strike, we encourage you to raise concerns that the work is outside of your job description and/or bargaining unit work, preferably in writing. You may also inquire about whether any essential services agreement reached with the striking bargaining agent may assist the Employer in assigning essential work. If a manager insists that you perform newly assigned work, you should comply in conformity with the ”work now, grieve later” principle.
If you are asked to perform duties outside of your job description and/or the LP bargaining unit description, please report this to a member of the AJC Governing Council or fill out the intake form on our website so that we can document these occurrences and consider ways of ensuring that the Employer respects labour laws, the collective agreement, the parameters of what constitutes LP bargaining unit work, and any essential services agreement the Employer would have reached with the striking bargaining agent.
What resources are available to me if I feel stress as a result of the strike?
When a bargaining unit goes on strike, it may be stressful for some employees who are not on strike for a number of reasons, including concern for colleagues and increased workload, as well as health and safety concerns. We encourage our members to reach out to the Employee Assistance Program for support when needed, either by phone, 24 hours per day at 1-800-268-7708, or 1-800-567-5803 (digital service for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing), or by EAP Chat, which is a service available Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 7:30 pm (Eastern Time), excluding statutory holidays.