Bill C-357

An Act to amend the Government Employees Compensation Act

This enactment amends the Government Employees Compensation Act to broaden the entitlement of federal employees to compensation for work-related injuries and disabilities. It creates a presumption that certain mental health disorders among certain federal employees are caused by the circumstances of their employment and provides for compensation to be paid to the employees or their dependants. This enactment also repeals a bar on claims against the Crown other than for compensation under the Act. Finally, it replaces the term “workmen” with the term “workers”.

World Mental Health Day

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on World Mental Health Day to acknowledge a sobering reality. In any given year, one in five Canadians experiences mental health issues.

Federal public safety employees who operate in a high-stress, unpredictable environment often work at great risk to their own mental health. That is why I tabled Bill C-357, an act aimed at creating presumptive mental health injury coverage for all federal public safety employees. This bill is a response to the long-standing call from the Union of Safety and Justice Employees to ensure that all federal public safety personnel have access to workers' compensation for mental health-related injuries.

My bill seeks to rectify the current inequitable system that leaves federal government employees' benefits and entitlements dependent on the province in which they reside. Public safety employees work tirelessly to keep Canadians safe. It is our duty as MPs to help keep them safe as well by passing this bill.

On this World Mental Health Day, let us commit to ensuring mental health supports for all. We stand with our dedicated public safety employees.

[Jeff Sandelli]

I think I can speak to that. Thanks very much for the question as well as for Bill C-357 and that reference.

I think it's exceedingly important that as we do this work that's critical to protecting Canadians' safety, which is what our members do behind the scenes—not many folks understand the work that's being done—the resourcing certainly is a huge issue. When there's a lack of resources, it adds extensive pressure to our members who are in these institutions, in the community parole offices and in the community correctional centres, undertaking this work. It's frontline work and support-level work. Everybody is impacted by this work. It's stressful work to begin with. Certainly the potential for operational stress injuries is high to begin with in corrections. We know this. However, without proper resourcing, it's even more so. It's compounding. In order to have proper assessment and proper outcomes, I think we know we're going to need to have healthy public safety personnel.

We've been calling on all parties to support the contents of Bill C-357 as it relates to the modifications of GECA, the Government Employees Compensation Act, so that all federal public safety employees are treated equally across our country. Currently, it's at the discretion of provinces. GECA hands down that assessment to individual provinces. As a result, our members aren't treated equally. They aren't presumed to get coverage in all provinces the same way. That means a member in one province might be getting presumptive coverage for their injury, whereas in another province they may not. It's not fair. It doesn't leave us in a good position as we continue to see more of our USJE members going off on stress injury.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

I will, Mr. Chair, because I think it's fair to say that our parole officers and our classification officers, the members of both the unions that are represented today, do an incredible job under very difficult circumstances.

They have had to deal with workplace issues and mental health concerns that are raised every day. It's a workplace environment that is very difficult. That's why I tabled, on September 20, Bill C-357, an act to amend the Government Employees Compensation Act, which would allow for presumptive injury classification for federal correctional workers—workers of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees and also the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers—so that they're covered by this.

I wanted to ask both our witnesses to what extent the federal government should be providing additional resources—adopting bills like the one I've tabled on behalf of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees—so that your members, who do such valuable work, can work in a workplace that is safe and allows them to continue to make their contributions to Canadians.

Government Employees Compensation Act

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-357, An Act to amend the Government Employees Compensation Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce a bill in support of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees' long-standing call to ensure more federal public safety personnel have access to workers' compensation for mental health-related injuries so that federal public safety personnel do not fall through the cracks anymore.

Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli highlights that hundreds of dedicated federal parole officers who supervise Canada's highest-risk offenders are experiencing untenable levels of occupational stress and compromised mental health. My bill would fix the current inequitable system for federal government employees whose benefits and entitlements depend on the province where they live. We must ensure all federal government employees are treated equitably.

I would like to thank my seconder, the excellent MP for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

This bill supports the long-standing call of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees to ensure that more federal public safety personnel have access to workers' compensation for mental health-related injuries. The bill will correct the current inequitable system for federal government employees, whose benefits and rights depend on which province they live in. These employees must be treated equally.

I want to thank David Neufeld, the union president, who is here today, and Nancy Peckford and Kristy Howard, from the union, as well as Penny Bechbumb from Legislative Services.

I hope all members will support this bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)