Following a letter from Federal Retirees’ president, Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos responded with a meeting to discuss Phoenix damages for retirees.
On July 8, 2021, the National Association of Federal Retirees’ president Jean-Guy Soulière and CEO Anthony Pizzino met with Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos, and members of their staff.
This was following a request by the Association for the Treasury Board to finally pay outstanding damages related to the Phoenix pay system to retired employees of the federal government. This affects an estimated 30,000 individuals who were formerly represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
This settlement for PSAC members is a maximum of $2,500 for each employee and former employee affected by Phoenix during the fiscal years of 2016 to 2020.
In early 2021, PSAC employees began receiving their compensation payments. This was done automatically, without an application. Since the agreement was signed, no retirees have received their settlements, nor has the Treasury Board provided a claim form process or a timeline for when settlements can be expected, only stating that “former employees will be able to submit a claim for the lump sum payment. More information on the launch of this claims process will be available at a later date.”
In response, Soulière sent a letter to Minister Duclos on behalf of our members demanding that our members and those affected by properly compensated just as their former colleagues had been.
Minister Duclos responded with a meeting where it was suggested that the issue may not be resolved until December. Soulière impressed upon the minister the importance of getting this issue resolved as soon as possible. While there was some resistance, the minister was clear that the issue would be resolved by “early fall.”
The Association would prefer a more rapid solution, but it was encouraging to finally receive a timeline and a commitment from Minister Duclos. The Association’s representatives will continue to keep communication with the Treasury Board open — and expects updates in the months to follow.