Evidence of meeting #30 for Official Languages in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was training.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
So you would be in favour of an amendment like that.
Director, Strategic Research and International Relations, Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne
Yes.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Silas, let's get back to part V of the Official Languages Act.
Am I correct in saying that not all public servants have the right to work in the official language of their choice and that they can only do so in specified places, designated back in 1977? That means that in the public service, there are regions in Canada where you can speak in English and in French, or even only in French, and other regions where you can speak only in English .
Does that make sense?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
No, I wouldn't say it makes sense. There are francophone communities across Canada, from sea to sea, and workers in these communities must be able to work in the language of their choice.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
The areas in question were designated in 1977 on the basis of the 1971 census.
Would you like to see an amendment that would update these designated regions?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Yes. Definitely. They have not been reviewed since the 1970s. It's high time for a review of them, and of the bilingualism bonus.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Getting back to the bilingualism bonus, which has been $800 for 25 years, you said that you would like to see it increased, but you didn't suggest an amount.
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
It's more like 50 years without a review. What we asked for at the bargaining table was an increase to $1,500.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Okay.
What do you think the level of bilingualism ought to be for public servants to be entitled to this bonus, given that there are several proficiency levels? Should it be the beginner level or higher?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
It should be the same language level that currently entitles them to the $800 bonus. Only the amount would change.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Some would say that in Canada today, knowing both official languages is a prerequisite to working in the public service, and that this bonus should accordingly be eliminated. They say that if you're not bilingual, you can't find a job in the federal government, but I think that's completely false. There are a lot of unilingual anglophones working in the federal government, but we don't see very many unilingual francophones.
Is that true?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Yes, absolutely. There is a huge disparity between the number of unilingual English-speaking managers and the number of unilingual French-speaking workers, who don't have the same opportunities for advancement.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
To return to the designated regions, should these be reviewed every time there is a census, meaning every five years, or should the review be for the next 50 years?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
It shouldn't be as long as 50 years. I don't know whether it should be done every five years, but it should be as often as needed to provide an accurate representation of the population and of bilingualism in Canada.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
There were problems at Air Canada; I believe you are aware of these. Should there be an amendment to require Air Canada to be more conciliatory and to comply with the act?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Yes, I think companies like Air Canada should be more inclusive in terms of bilingualism. I would add that it's the federal government's responsibility, as an employer, to show leadership and set a good example for bilingualism in the workplace.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you Mr. Silas and Mr. Gourde.
Ms. Patricia Lattanzio, You have six minutes.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for your presentation, Mr. Silas. You mentioned that public servants should be able to communicate in the language of their choice and receive language training. Your main goal appears to be raising the bilingualism bonus for public servants, because the current bonus appears to be encouraging a culture of simply passing the test rather than achieving results.
Could you spell out what you are asking for in terms of employee communication in the language of their choice and language training, including distance learning?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
I mentioned the increase in the bilingualism bonus several times because it's one of the main things we are asking for. It's one of the most concrete ways of promoting bilingualism in the federal public service. However, we would also like to have easier access to free language training. We would also like training and translation to be carried out within the public service, to ensure that managers are able to communicate in both languages and that all information, whether for workers or the public, be released in both official languages.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, information for the public was often not very well translated, causing major problems that could lead to a health and safety crisis for the public. It's essential for all information to be accessible in both languages.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Isn't the bilingualism bonus considered an integral part of collective agreements between parties at the National Joint Council, which includes the bargaining agents from the public service, the Treasury Board and a number of distinct employers.
Did your organization, the PSAC, support a cyclical review of the bilingualism bonus directive at the National Joint Council?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
We certainly raised this priority at the National Joint Council and at the bargaining table.
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
You also spoke about the importance of indigenous languages.
Could you explain in detail what you mean by improving or enhancing communication with indigenous peoples?
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Certainly.
Following our last round of negotiations with the Treasury Board, we established a joint committee with the Treasury Board and the PSAC to review the use of indigenous languages in the workplace in the public service.
We identified at least 450 positions in which workers had to use an indigenous language for their work. It's a talent that deserves to be recognized and promoted by the government, as an employer, and these workers should be entitled to bonuses that acknowledge the fact that they are providing an essential service in communities where indigenous languages are still being used.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Wouldn't indigenous people also have English as a second language?