PS left out of refugee planning

Federal unions decry lack of consultation weeks before airlift

Frontline federal employees who will be screening and managing the 25,000 Syrian refugees coming to Canada have been kept in the dark, say union leaders, despite draft plans suggesting that those being deployed should have been selected and trained by now.

With the government promising full details of its refugee initiative Tuesday, a draft of the strategic plan for “Operation Syrian Refugee” lays out how the government could see up to 6,000 refugees brought in each week starting Dec. 1.

The draft’s communication plan makes a point of saying unions should be “engaged” early in the process to address any concerns they have about the impacts on public service employees. Health Minister Jane Philpott told reporters Friday the draft is outdated, although she would not say what had been changed.

Jean-Pierre Fortin, president of the union representing Canada’s border and customs officers, said he expected a briefing by now, especially since the draft plan suggests his union members will be handling 900 passengers a day arriving on three flights to Montreal and Toronto.

He said Canada Border Services Agency officials called him to a “quick” meeting Friday morning – after the draft was leaked – to tell him they could not talk about plans and impacts on employees until the overall plan is formally announced by the government.

Robyn Benson, president of the giant Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the union backs the government’s plan to bring in 25,000 refugees, but the public service — coming off a decade of cuts — need the resources to pull it off.

“Public service employees have the expertise and skills to make this a success. However, the government will need to provide the adequate tools and support,” she said.

Ron Cochrane, president of the joint union-management National Joint Council, said security and insurance benefits for employees are at the top of the NJC’s concerns.

He said the government should have consulted with the council, which represents 18 unions, and kept them in the loop during the drafting of its initiative.

Cochrane is also executive directive of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO), whose 300 immigration officers will be among the key players on the ground screening and selecting refugees. He said he had not been contacted by officials.

“There will be lots of exceptional circumstances here so I would have thought they would have approached the NJC for consultation, which would be faster than consulting with all 18 unions,” said Cochrane.

The NJC feels the former Conservative government shirked its share of responsibility for the injury or death of public servants who answered its recruitment call for volunteers to help fight the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa. The NJC wouldn’t formally back the initiatives because of concerns about insurance coverage if volunteers fell ill or died while in dangerous or conflict zones.

The draft document, however, highlights security and health as priorities, saying “the safety and security of all Government of Canada personnel as well as refugees will not be compromised by this operation.” It notes, however, the government may introduce “special exemptions” where necessary.

Departments are expected to have developed and implemented security plans prior to each of the plan’s five stages.

According to the draft, personnel being deployed must undergo security training and will be moved in a “secure manner.” All employees will have the training to carry out the operations assigned according to “risk and security standards.”

The key departments planning and co-ordinating the refugee transfer are Canada Border Services Agency; Global Affairs Canada (formerly the Department of Foreign Affairs); Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; and Transport Canada. If the draft plan is accurate, those who have been tapped to go abroad have been trained and cleared for travel, with the first teams arriving this week.

Other departments being enlisted to provide support include the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), National Defence, the RCMP, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and the Government Operations Centre.

Federal departments have been identifying and training people to send to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey since before the election. That’s where the majority of the millions of Syrians who fled their country have taken refuge. At the same time, Canadian embassies have been adding more local staff and language specialists.

In Ottawa, four senior management committees are “maintaining a common operating picture” to support cabinet’s decisions.