The RCEA currently has a significant financial surplus as well as significant cash and investments (GICs) on hand. I feel that no dues increases are needed in the coming years and I will be championing that the RCEA Management Committee waive the automatic dues increase in Article 11 of the RCEA Constitution for at least the next two years or that Article 11 be repealed or re-written. The exact amounts of our current surplus and monies will be in the Audit Report presented at this year’s AGM; prior year’s values can be requested from the RCEA.
I will work diligently to reduce the gulf between the compensation packages of our members and those of the private sector/RCO’s starting with the TO and OP groups, which appear to have the greatest gap.
I will investigate hiring a lawyer to bring part of our legal work in-house. The RCEA did have a staff member with a Law Degree; unfortunately, they left the RCEA for another role last year. This role will:
- Add negotiation capability
- Improve quality of the packages presented to the membership
- Improve the efficacy of our grievances
- Help identify and fight harmful bills
- Enhance our capability to finally address the TO mobility issue (promotions, reclassification, accurate job descriptions)
- Give greater ability to address OP certification issues
This position will be paid for by redirecting some funds currently going or that would go to external lawyers, eliminating the President’s monthly allowance and the balance from the RCEA’s significant financial surplus.
I wish to improve our services to members, starting with our website. I feel it needs to have more in-depth information on it. More importantly, I want to add clearer explanations on how binding arbitration works and how the RCEA gives value for the dues that are collected.
I’m going to increase engagement and transparency. Rules and processes will be clearly shared. Information about important events, like elections, will be widely communicated. I believe that the rules for an election should be posted at least 2 months prior to the call for an election.
I’d like to start a discussion on the possibility of term limits for the President.
I’d like to negotiate with NRC to allow the VPs and the next Treasurer access to the leadership courses on the Canada School of Public Service. I believe in mentoring the next generation of leaders and preparing them for the challenge of being President.
I wish to make changes to our constitution. For example, section 9a of our constitution allows the first VP to become President if the President leaves partway through a term. This means that an un-elected President could be acting in the role for up to a year and a half, until the next scheduled election. I want you to always have a voice in who your President is so I will put forward that we reduce that window so that an election would happen sooner.
As President, I would be championing the above ideas, but to implement change I would need widespread support. Ideas would need to be discussed in-depth and voted on by the appropriate RCEA committees (such as the Management Committee or the National Executive Committee). In the case of changes to the RCEA Constitution, a successful vote would also need to be held at the next AGM.