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N.L. government invests in 18 new Crown attorneys amid severe staffing crunch
Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Minister Bernard Davis announced Wednesday afternoon that the provincial government is investing nearly $24 million to improve the province's justice system.... The investment comes after CBC News reported in numerous stories that Crown attorneys in the province were "suffocating" from overwhelming workloads and a critical staffing shortage.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-14
Newfoundland to add more Crown prosecutors
Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to hire more Crown lawyers following cries of a shortage of prosecutors in the province. The “multi-year investment” will include the hiring of 18 new Crown lawyers, according to a news release.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-13
Critical shortage of Crown attorneys has ‘gone on way too long’ and is hurting public safety
The Canadian Association of Crown Counsel, an umbrella group for thousands of Crown attorneys and government lawyers across the country is calling for a big boost in the number of provincial prosecutors in Newfoundland and Labrador.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-13
Most criminal cases in Ontario now ending before charges are tested at trial
More than half of the criminal charges laid by police in Ontario never make it to trial, according to data from Statistics Canada. The numbers paint a troubling picture of the province’s justice system. More judges, staff, prosecutors and courtrooms needed, says Crown attorneys’ association.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-12
Crown attorneys in N.L. are ‘crumbling’ under their workload, and it’s putting the public at risk
Shawn Patten, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Crown Attorneys Association, believes Happy Valley-Goose Bay report recommendations could make workload 'untenable'.... "And right now our office is doing its best to make public safety a priority. But we're crumbling. Our foundation is crumbling."
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-11-06
PC Justice Critic Calling for Review of Staffing Levels in Crown Attorney’s Office
The Newfoundland and Labrador Crown Attorneys Association says some prosecutors have up to 200 cases on their plate, and sometimes work until early morning preparing for a trial. PC Justice Critic Helen Conway Ottenheimer believes that Crown attorneys are too important a player in the justice system to allow shortcomings in staffing to impact their ability to always be at the top of their game.
[ ...More ]Publication date : 2024-08-12
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Federal unions approve agreement on Phoenix damages
08-05-2019
Late last week, a subcommittee of federal public service unions and employer representatives reached a tentative agreement to provide damages to public service workers in light of the ongoing Phoenix payroll debacle. This tentative agreement was two years in the making. Today, the undersigned unions are pleased to announce they have signed on to this deal.
It’s important to recognize that this agreement in no way absolves the employer of its obligations to pay out any outstanding monies owed to the hundreds of thousands of public servants who continue to face issues with their pay, nor does it remove the employer’s obligation to stabilize the current payroll system and continue work to find its replacement as quickly as possible.
What this agreement does, though, is: provide immediate compensation to every public servant represented by these unions; and
create a process by which additional costs can be reimbursed and additional compensation / damages can be awarded to those affected by payroll errors.
Specifically, this agreement: provides as a starting point, two (2) days of annual leave for anyone who worked in the public service in 2016-17 and additional one (1) day of annual leave for those employed in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, for a total of five (5) days for those employed since Phoenix was deployed, regardless of if or how they were affected by Phoenix;
establishes a process by which those who are no longer employed in the public service but were during the timeframe above can apply for reimbursement equal to that amount of leave;
extends the existing process for claiming out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of Phoenix problems;
creates a process for claiming additional costs including losses incurred as a result of having to cash in investments as a result of pay issues; losses associated with deferred RRSP contributions; costs associated with delayed severance or pension payments; or interest on loans, mortgages credit cards or other forms of debt;
allows for the reimbursement of sick leave for members who took such leave because of Phoenix;
allows for payment of interest on delayed severance payments and pension entitlements or missing pay;
does not preclude additional damages being sought for claims alleging discrimination including issues related to maternity, parental or disability leave;
allows for claims related to consequences of lost occupational capacity, lost security clearances, bankruptcy or significant impacts on credit ratings; and
creates a process for claims related to mental anguish and trauma or other personal hardship.
We have also secured a commitment from the employer that should a bargaining agent secure additional compensation outside of this settlement, all signatory unions will receive the same compensation.
The ongoing Phoenix debacle is unprecedented in the scope and scale of harm caused to employees across the public service. While no amount of compensation could ever begin to provide full redress, it is our opinion that this agreement -- in addition to the employer’s commitment to fully resolve outstanding pay issues and the steps taken previously to mitigate the impact on tax filing errors and defer collection of overpayments -- represents a significant and concrete recognition of the frustration and anguish felt by every public servant.
More details on the implementation of this agreement, including timelines, will be made available in the coming weeks.
So far, the following unions have signed on to this agreement; others are expected to sign in the coming days and weeks.
Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO)
Association of Justice Counsel (AJC)
Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA)
Canadian Federal Pilots Association (CFPA)
Canadian Military Colleges Faculty Association (CMCFA)
Federal Government Dockyard Chargehands Association (FGDCA)
Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council East (FGDTLC (E)
Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council West (FGDTLC (W)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 2228
Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO)
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)
Research Council Employees Association (RCEA)
Unifor, Local 87-M
