On the second anniversary of the launch of the federal government's disastrous Phoenix pay system, a small group of public servants protested outside of Sudbury Liberal MP Paul Lefebvre's Durham Street office Feb. 28.
They held signs saying “Burnt by Phoenix” and wore paper phoenix hats while handing out union literature to passersby.
In yesterday's budget, the Trudeau Liberals promised to eventually move away from Phoenix and begin the development of the next generation of the federal government's pay system.
The government has committed to spending $16 million over the next two years to look into a new pay system.
In the meantime, the budget has set aside additional funds to deal with problems created by the current pay system — $431.4 million over six years.
Monique Trudel, president of Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) Local 534, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), is singularly unimpressed with the mess Phoenix has caused, and isn't holding her breath that the situation can be remedied.
“The system has cost Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars, and it's not fixed,” she said.
“We don't know when it will be fixed. I don't think it can be fixed. The budget came out yesterday, saying they were going to be looking into consulting on what they can do over the next two years.
“That's not a promise to put me on a different pay system. That's a promise to look at something they've already thrown a lot of money at.”
Trudel said she's filed “hundreds” of grievances on behalf of local public servants who have been underpaid, overpaid or not paid at all.
“How I do quantify the stress when you're not getting paid?” she said.
“For the most part, nobody has that money in savings. You're either using a credit card or line of credit and eventually that can run out. The stress is unimaginable.
“We've had some people quit because of this. But for the people who have been there more than a couple of years, it's a good-paying job.
“You're not wanting to quit your employment to find other employment. You just hang on and hang on and hope that something changes.”
Trudel said she and her members didn't speak to Lefebvre Wednesday, although they have talked to him about Phoenix in the past. “We're just trying to make a point today,” she said.
