2024 PIPSC AGM Highlights. Part 2: Key Victory - Motion to Refer Undiscussed Resolutions to the Board of Directors Brings Hope They Will Finally Be Heard and Addressed

Resolutions that address the issues of the Union transparency and the distress caused by the employer's and Union's actions related to the vaccination mandate have now a chance to be considered.

Summary

By far the most important objective of the PIPSC Annual General Meeting (AGM) is to discuss and act upon resolutions submitted by Union groups and members. These resolutions represent a broad range of concerns and proposals that are critical to union members, and over 80% of AGM time over is devoted to this task.

Yet, due to time constraints (a two-day meeting structure) and the necessary parliamentary procedures outlined in Appendix A, only a fraction of resolutions are actually get considered. On average, each resolution requires around 30 minutes (and often more) for discussion and voting. Given the high volume of submitted resolutions, it's clear that many will not make it to the floor for debate, regardless of their importance. This year was no exception, with over 72 resolutions submitted, including 59 on time and an additional 13 as late submissions. However, only the top 23 resolutions received floor time for discussion, leaving 49 unaddressed.

This procedural bottleneck raises a persistent issue: only those resolutions at the very top of the “resolution debate order” are likely to be discussed, while the rest are, as some say, left to “die” without consideration. This lack of discussion is frustrating for members who take the time to draft, propose, and submit resolutions, only to see them sidelined. The decision on which resolutions reach the floor rests with the Resolutions Subcommittee and AGM Chair—introducing potential biases that many members find concerning.

But this year, something unprecedented occurred. Members united to support a new emergency motion with the goal of preventing unaddressed resolutions from falling into procedural limbo. This motion, now adopted, required the Board of Directors to review all resolutions that did not make it to the AGM floor.

Full Story: How it happened.

The resolution debate order at the PIPSC AGM is set by the Resolutions Sub-Committee (RSC). This is how the committee explained its decision for the order it made. It prioritized resolutions from the Board of Directors and Advisory Council, followed by those from Regions & Groups, and lastly, private members’ submissions. Within each group, financial resolutions were prioritized first, followed by bylaw-related, and then policy-related resolutions.

You can review each resolution's full text here on the PIPSC website, and those authored by Dmitry are also available on his Electoral Platform Portal.

With an average debate time of around 20 minutes per resolution, some stretching to 30 or even 40 minutes, the challenge of time constraints is unavoidable. The fixed time of only two days leaves many resolutions, particularly those at the end of the list, unlikely to “reach the floor.” Thus, these critical member-submitted resolutions often "die" without any discussion—a reality that many members find deeply concerning.

However, a pivotal moment occurred in the final minutes of the AGM. A motion was introduced to ensure that every undiscussed resolution would be “Referred to the Board of Directors.” It was a historic motion, achieved through the coordinated efforts of several determined delegates, including myself, who had advocated for more inclusive and equitable treatment of all member-submitted resolutions.

The urgency of this motion was palpable, as the AGM had to adjourn by 5 p.m. due to the contract with the hotel venue. With only 10 minutes left, the motion was brought to the floor in a dramatic, almost cinematic manner—like a high-stakes play in the closing moments of a World Cup final. The delegates rallied in a last-minute push, akin to a game-winning pass from Zidane to Griezmann to Mbappé, culminating in a victory that felt like a game-changer for PIPSC’s AGM proceedings.

Replay of the historic motion:

Just as the AGM neared its final minutes, delegates seized one last opportunity to make a crucial move. The push to get an emergency motion on the floor was a highly coordinated effort and unfolded like a nail-biting finale. When the previous discussion ended, Delegate D took the floor to propose an emergency motion (drafted the night before with Delegates R and G) to refer all undiscussed resolutions to a Special General Meeting (SGM). This proposal, however, was ruled Out of Order by the Chair, as it didn’t meet with parliamentary rules as no date for SGM was provided.

Then Delegate S stepped in to rescue the situation and helped to quickly amend the motion so that undiscussed resolutions be referred to the Board of Directors instead of being referred to an SGM, which would meet the procedural requirements. This amendment was swiftly emailed to the Chair (all amendments needed to be submitted by email) . Twice more, the wording of the motion was fine-tuned and re-submitted, until it finally met the Chair’s approval and was allowed onto the floor.

Then came the vote to formally accept the motion for debate. As the "ding-ding" alert sounded, signaling the start of voting, everyone in the room pressed the buttons on their devices. The results came in, with the required majority in favor, and the motion was officially up for debate.

The debate itself had its share of contention, with some delegates voicing concerns about the practicalities of referring these resolutions to the Board of Directors—questions surfaced around whether the Board had the authority to act on them and if they’d even have time to address each one properly.

Then there was a motion to “Call the Question” in order to stop the debate and proceed directly to the final vote. This motion required a two-thirds majority. With a resounding ding-ding, the delegates voted once again and the required majority was obtained (see image below), and motion passed.

Finally, with just a couple of minutes before the final whistle (i.e., call to adjourn the meeting) the vote on motion to refer all undiscussed resolutions to the Board of Directors started. Another sound of "ding-ding" alert, signaling the start of 20-second voting time that would determine the fate of all undiscussed resolutions. The air was tense as everyone cast their votes. Two more minutes to count the votes and voila - The results shown on the screen: 70% voting in favor. The motion carried.

Final Thoughts:

While we don’t yet know exactly what the Board of Directors (BoD) will do with the resolutions referred to them, one thing is certain: this year, those resolutions did not simply "die" as they had in previous years. This is a significant improvement, as it ensures that member concerns won’t be disregarded just because of time constraints or procedural technicalities.

Appendix B below lists all 59 resolutions that were initially slated for debate at the AGM. Of those, only 23 were actually debated, meaning more than two thirds would have been completely ignored, as if they never existed, had it not been for the last-minute emergency motion that referred them to the BoD.

It also sheds light on how the Union organizes its business and how certain issues are pushed to the end of the list, reducing their chances of being discussed. For example, according to the resolution debate order developed by this year’s AGM (shown in image below and discussed in more detail in this article), Resolution B-17 (on the distribution of alcohol and cannabis products) was ranked higher than Resolutions P-18 to P-25 (on Union transparency and the distress caused the vaccination mandate). Unsurprisingly, this raised eyebrows among many delegates.

But now, thanks to this emergency motion, we’ve learned what can be done to prevent such important issues from being buried. At least now, we can hope that these issues will be given the attention they deserve.

For details on the issues that Dmitry aimed to address at the AGM using the resolutions mechanms, please read this article:

2024 PIPSC AGM: Resolutions authored and seconded by Dmitry

Appendix A: Typical Process for Considering a Resolution

The process for reviewing and voting on a resolution at the PIPSC AGM involves multiple steps, several of which include voting using digital gadgets.

This process is designed to allow for thorough discussion and democratic decision-making but is quite time-consuming. See for yourself. Here’s a typical procedure:

1. Debate on Resolution’s Current Text
   The initial stage opens with a debate on the original text of the resolution, allowing delegates to voice their positions.

2. [Possibly] Amendments Proposed and Projected
   During the debate, amendments to the resolution may be suggested. These are typed and projected on a screen for all delegates to review.

3. Motion to Allow Amendment(s)
   A formal motion to allow the proposed amendments is made, and delegates may vote on whether or not to permit the amendments.

4. Debate on Amendment(s)
   If the motion to allow amendments passes, debate shifts to the specific amendments, where their merits and implications are discussed.

5. [Possibly] Motion to Stop Debate
   At any point during these debates, a delegate may call for a motion to stop debate. This requires a two-thirds majority to pass and, if successful, moves the process forward by closing the debate on that particular issue.

6. Voting on Amendment(s)
   Delegates vote on the amendments themselves, after which votes are tallied and the results announced. If the amendment passes, the text of the resolution is updated accordingly.

7. Debate on the Amended or Original Text
   Following the amendment process, debate resumes on either the newly amended text (if the amendment passed) or the original text (if the amendment failed).

8. [Possibly] Motion to Stop Debate
   Once again, a motion to close debate can be raised, requiring a two-thirds majority to proceed to the final vote.

9. Final Voting on the Resolution
   The final vote is taken on the resolution as it stands—either amended or in its original form.

10. Vote Counting and Announcement of Results
    Votes are computed, and the final result of the resolution is announced, marking the end of the floor process for that resolution.

Appendix B: Resolution Debate Order for 2024 PIPSC AGM (Adopted by the Resolutions Sub-Comittee)

You can view each resolution's full text on the PIPSC website, and those authored and seconded by Dmitry on his Electoral Platform Portal.

Board of Directors & Advisory Council 

1. F-01 BoD Audited Financial Statements  

2. F-02 BoD Appointment of Auditors  

3. F-03 BoD Budget 

4. F-04 BoD Dues Increase - Approved (65% vs. 35%)

5. F-05 AC PIPSC Dues Inflation Adjustments  - Defeated (75% vs. 25%)

6. B-01 BoD Governance Bylaw Review 1 - General  

7. B-02 BoD Governance Bylaw Review 2 - Annual Report  

8. B-03 BoD Governance Bylaw Review 3 - Seal  

9. B-04 BoD Governance Bylaw Review 4 - Resolutions  

10. B-05 BoD Governance Bylaw Review 5 - Remuneration  

11. B-06 BoD Governance Bylaw Review 9 - Financial Authority  

12. B-07 AC Group Executive Maximum Size  

Regions & Groups 

13. F-06 Atlantic Provide a PIPSC Staffed satellite Office in Fredericton  

14. Withdrawn F-07 Atlantic Dues Increase

15. F-08 Atlantic Ratio for Labour Relations Resources to Regular Members  

16. F-09 RE Group Group AGM Delegates  

17. Withdrawn F-10 RE Group Dues Increase 

18. B-08 AFS Group PIPSC By-law 10.2.3 Resolution (Minimum size of Sub-group Executive) 

19. B-09 Quebec Bylaws 7.1 and 7.1.1 - Retired Members on Bargaining Teams  

20. B-10 Quebec Nomenclature of Branches  

21. B-11 Quebec National AGM delegate ratio 

22. B-12 Ontario AGM Priority Discussions  

23. B-13 SP Group Science Advisory Committee  

24. B-14 Prairie-NWT Annual Allowance BL 14.3.1  

25. B-15 BC-Y & IT Group Fee Adjustment  

Resolutions LEFT WITHOUT DISCUSSION (referred to Board of Directors)

26. B-16 BC-Y & IT Group ITSP Mandate 

27. P-01 Atlantic Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation Meal Stop  

28. P-02 Atlantic Resume Printing and Distributing Calendars for Constituent Bodies 

29.  P-03 Quebec Divestment from fossil fuels  

30. P-04 Quebec Policy on Steward Liberation  

31. P-05 Quebec Fair distribution of members 

32. P-06 Quebec Prioritisation of National AGM business  

33. P-07 SP Group Bargaining Communications  

34. P-08 SP Group Science Advisory Committee  

35. P-09 SP Group Virtual Meetings  

36. P-10 SH Group Shift Workers Attendance at Branch & Subgroup Events 

37. P-11 RE Group Climate 

38. P-12 BC-Yukon Policy on Board of Directors  

39. P-13 IT Group Policy on Financial Support for Member Participation  

Private Members

40. F-11 Oake Travel Restrictions When in Deficit  

41. F-12 Oake Limits of Past Expenses for Presidents and Vice Presidents  

42. F-13 Oake Hospitality Spending Restrictions When in Deficit  

43. B-17 Tellier + Alcohol and cannabis products  

44. B-18 Wong + Reporting of Expenditures  

45. B-19 Khan PRQC 

46. B-20 Wong Bylaw 13 

47. B-21 Jamieson AGM Delegate Count Calculation  

48. P-14 Domey PSPP Phase Out from Fossil Fuel Investments (#1) 

49. P-15 Domey PSPP Phase Out from Fossil Fuel Investments (#2) 

50. P-16 Oake No Members of the Board of Directors on Committees of the Board  

51. P-17 Oake Special General Meeting (SGM) Chair Selection

52. P-18 Xiao Covid Medical Privacy and Bodily Autonomy  Info Campaign  

53. P-19 Xiao Covid Compensation  for PIPSC employees who were placed on LWOP

54. P-20 Xiao Covid  Mandate Impact Survey 

55. P-21 Corda Election Activities  

56. P-22 - Inclusion of Additional Grounds of Discrimination in the PIPSC Equity Statement (E)

57. P-23 - Use of Non-Divisive Imagery on PIPSC Public-Facing Websites (E)

58. P-24 - Address High Fear of Reprisal Among Professionals Working on Policies Affecting All Canadians (E)

59. P-25 - Transparency and update related to PIPSC Statement supporting mandatory vaccinations (E)  
    

Late Resolutions:

1. L-01 - Election Transparency Improvement Across all Groups and Regions (E) -

2. L-02 - Support for Members Right to Informed Consent, Bodily Autonomy and Confidentiality of Their Health Care Information (E) -

3. L-04 - Transparency and Scrutiny Related to Non-Elected Union Positions (E) -

4. Last year's resolutions - resubmitted

5. L-05 (formerly 2023 P-12) - Term Limits for FULL TIME Board of Directors and Groups Executives (E)

6. L-06 (formerly 2023 P-14) - Election Transparency Improvement (E)

7. L-07 (formerly 2023 P-14) - Employee Medical Treatment Ethical Refusal Protection Policy(E)

8. L-XX - Adding “Fearless Advice” to the List of PIPSC Issues (E)

9. L-XX - Inclusion of Additional Grounds of Harassment and Discrimination in PIPSC Messaging

10. L-XX - Transparency and Scrutiny Related to Non-Elected Union Positions and Union Operation