Foreign Service - Strike?

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

totally with you. I just had an argument with someone on a facebook group because he felt like an expert on the subject and SWORE the Treasury Board wouldn't accept the binding arbitration offer. We all agreed that we had to wait and see.. and he was wrong. So definitely, dont get discouraged by people that give information based on their own opinions.

Ya. That was me. I never claimed to be an expert. I did say that the government would not agree to binding arbitration and as of yet they haven't. They have agreed to include conditions that if accepted by PAFSO would then enter them into agreeing to binding arbitration. I make this point based upon the pathology of every other collective agreement the government has interfered with since they gained their majority government. Even legislating back to work Air Canada employees who are no longer part of the public service or a Crown Corporation. With many more collective agreements to fook with the government cannot concede their efforts to reduce the wages of the public sector to equal those of the private sector.

With that in mind the only conditions that the government would agree to enter into binding arbitration would be those that will favour their position. This is what they did with Canada Post. Forced the workers to take a contract far worse then what they had 10 years ago.

That Facebook group is half whiners and half religious zealots. Not one of my comments was intended to rob someone of "hope" but to give them a factual account of how labour negotiations work and that if they think it will be resolved in 2 days or a week then they better have a plan B. They had several posts claiming that the arbitration has been accepted and the strike will be over within hours. I'd say that was giving people nothing but false hope.

So far no resolution has been made. The 2 sides continue to negotiate as they have been on and off for the last 2 years.

 

[costaudjoe]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

totally with you. I just had an argument with someone on a facebook group because he felt like an expert on the subject and SWORE the Treasury Board wouldn't accept the binding arbitration offer. We all agreed that we had to wait and see.. and he was wrong.

It's a little early to make that call. The Treasury Board has agreed to enter with preconditions. PAFSO has obviously not agreed to those preconditions (http://www.pafso.com/news_releases.php?newsID=158). We are not out of the woods yet.

 

[jwa007]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

I am not disagreeing with you marianasanroman. I am calling on the senior members that I have mentioned above that are insistent that the PAFSO strike has nothing to do with immigration applications (which they are commenting to many forum members about and not always kindly I might add) to either back up their claims with hard data/facts or stand corrected. Especially to new people on this forum we ALL have a responsibility to not be careless with our information.

EVERYTHING on this forum should be taken with a grain of salt and NOBODY should actually rely on any "information" received here. This forum is good for sharing personal experiences/timelines and venting frustrations.

If you're relying on any info you receive on this forum to put together your application then you need an attorney. Hire one.

If you're giving out advice to others on how to put together their applications, then you may be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Be careful.

 

[Vats]

Sharing personal experience is not at all unauthorized
and everyone are vice here to take own decision basedupon advise form members

EVERYTHING on this forum should be taken with a grain of salt and NOBODY should actually rely on any "information" received here. This forum is good for sharing personal experiences/timelines and venting frustrations.

If you're relying on any info you receive on this forum to put together your application then you need an attorney. Hire one.

If you're giving out advice to others on how to put together their applications, then you may be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Be careful.

 

[scos]

I still think the "preconditions" probably amounts to non-binding arbitration...

 

[scos]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

EVERYTHING on this forum should be taken with a grain of salt and NOBODY should actually rely on any "information" received here. This forum is good for sharing personal experiences/timelines and venting frustrations.

If you're relying on any info you receive on this forum to put together your application then you need an attorney. Hire one.

If you're giving out advice to others on how to put together their applications, then you may be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Be careful.

If you are identifying yourself as a lawyer and giving legal advice, then that may be a problem. So far I have seen no one in these forums doing that. And in the end it is up to the every member to determine for themselves whether the advice or information they find here is worthwhile or not. Just as they would if talking to others in a support group, party, or other social interaction.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

EVERYTHING on this forum should be taken with a grain of salt and NOBODY should actually rely on any "information" received here. This forum is good for sharing personal experiences/timelines and venting frustrations.

If you're relying on any info you receive on this forum to put together your application then you need an attorney. Hire one.

If you're giving out advice to others on how to put together their applications, then you may be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Be careful.

Just to clarify that you do not require a lawyer to submit an application. Most people come here to get a better understanding of how to interpret the mumbo-jumbo of immigration requirements and gauge their own experience to others. In the year or more that I have been on this forum I have never read of anyone trying to pass themselves off as an immigration lawyer.

 

[jwa007]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

If you are identifying yourself as a lawyer and giving legal advice, then that may be a problem. So far I have seen no one in these forums doing that. And in the end it is up to the every member to determine for themselves whether the advice or information they find here is worthwhile or not. Just as they would if talking to others in a support group, party, or other social interaction.

FYI you do not have to "identify" yourself as a lawyer and affirmatively say you are giving legal advice to be treading in a gray area. My point is to 1) be careful of any "advice" you give; and 2) don't necessarily rely on any "advice" you receive here (or any other internet forum).

Just to clarify that you do not require a lawyer to submit an application. Most people come here to get a better understanding of how to interpret the mumbo-jumbo of immigration requirements and gauge their own experience to others. In the year or more that I have been on this forum I have never read of anyone trying to pass themselves off as an immigration lawyer.

I agree that you do not need an attorney to file an application. Most people do not use one. However, the danger arises where you have individuals (especially foreigners with limited English skills), who believe that you are giving them sound legal advice and act upon that advice. Again, you do not need to affirmatively attempt to pass yourself off as a lawyer to stray in to a gray area.

My point is, this forum has a lot of benefits. It's a great place to share experiences and learn from others' successes and mistakes. However, I've seen a few posts where people tell others "you need to do this" etc. While most of us probably realize that if we're not sure of something we should probably consult with a professional, there are likely others on this forum who either, through a limited knowledge of the English language or different customs, may not understand this and take someone's word as gospel.

 

[marianasanroman]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

Ya. That was me. I never claimed to be an expert. I did say that the government would not agree to binding arbitration and as of yet they haven't. They have agreed to include conditions that if accepted by PAFSO would then enter them into agreeing to binding arbitration. I make this point based upon the pathology of every other collective agreement the government has interfered with since they gained their majority government. Even legislating back to work Air Canada employees who are no longer part of the public service or a Crown Corporation. With many more collective agreements to fook with the government cannot concede their efforts to reduce the wages of the public sector to equal those of the private sector.

With that in mind the only conditions that the government would agree to enter into binding arbitration would be those that will favour their position. This is what they did with Canada Post. Forced the workers to take a contract far worse then what they had 10 years ago.

That Facebook group is half whiners and half religious zealots. Not one of my comments was intended to rob someone of "hope" but to give them a factual account of how labour negotiations work and that if they think it will be resolved in 2 days or a week then they better have a plan B. They had several posts claiming that the arbitration has been accepted and the strike will be over within hours. I'd say that was giving people nothing but false hope.

So far no resolution has been made. The 2 sides continue to negotiate as they have been on and off for the last 2 years.

..and you might be right, but acting like a knows-it-all because you're canadian and discouraging all those people who are waiting YEARS to reunite with their families is not the way. It'd be totally different if you stopped insulting their beliefs and just gave your opinion... without negativity. telling them to go and "try Australia or somewhere else", is not an option for most of them.

 

[nanediniz]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/no-deal-yet-for-striking-foreign-service-workers-feds-coping-with-visa-backlog/article13458343/

 

[DaveSav]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

If you're relying on any info you receive on this forum to put together your application then you need an attorney. Hire one.

Why on earth you would tell people to waste money on a lawyer instead of calling the 800 number?

 

[godisFin]

http://www.pafso.com/news_releases.php?newsID=159

So it seems like the strike is just getting worse...

 

[DaveSav]

Quote from: amikety on July 16, 2013, 12:56:04 am

The diplomats on strike are not immigration officers.

quote

Hi Amikety, I know that you and PMM and another senior keep stating that the PAFSO strike is not affecting immigration applications but I am confused and keep wondering why you folks are so vehement on informing forum members that it has nothing to do with PR applications when the media seems to keep saying the contrary. Please see below, this info. goes as far back as mid-June 2013. I am happy to be corrected by the way. I will post this in the other threads as well where the confusion continues. The link is:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/06/21/canadas_tourism_industry_could_take_hit_during_strike_by_visa_staff.html

Universities and colleges are also putting out statements about the strike affecting student visas and how they believe 1000's of students won't be able to attend due to it. I haven't really been following this closeley but if it's affecting student visas wouldn't that in fact be immigration officers on strike? Or is that a different group that does the student visas?

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

..and you might be right, but acting like a knows-it-all because you're canadian and discouraging all those people who are waiting YEARS to reunite with their families is not the way. It'd be totally different if you stopped insulting their beliefs and just gave your opinion... without negativity. telling them to go and "try Australia or somewhere else", is not an option for most of them.

However you perceive my comments is your problem. What I had posted we have now seen come to pass. I do not know everything but there are some things I know pretty well. What I posted was meant to provide them with a realistic expectation of events. I'm not fookin' Oprah. Immigration is not the church or a casino. God and luck play no part.

Concerning their beliefs they are the ones who brought them into the conversation. They are unwarranted and if anything gives people false hope. I will be careful in the future not to mention that there is no Santa Claus for fear of robbing someone of their Xmas spirit.

 

[jwa007]

Re: Reply: Foreign Service - Strike?

I will be careful in the future not to mention that there is no Santa Claus for fear of robbing someone of their Xmas spirit.

WTF?! There's no Santa Clause?!