Timothy Edwards: Electronic Mail

Mr. Edwards Dept: Given the huge amounts of overtime, often unpaid, which our members put in day in and day out abroad, we believe that this will have a significant operational impact, Mr. Edwards said, according to Globe and Mail. Should such inappropriate use of electronic mail continue, it may result in administrative or disciplinary measures up to and including termination of employment, the note warned and Timothy Edwards, the union president, said members were instructed late Sunday to begin a work-to-rule campaign on Monday morning, which means not responding to work-related e-mails after hours and working a strict 7 1/2 hours each day. They have also been asked to exercise their right to communicate internally in the language of their choice and to decline to fill in for their bosses. The union has been without a contract since June, 2011. Last week, foreign service officers launched their first action, an electronic picket in the form of an out-of-office message explaining that they are in a legal strike position and apologizing for any delay in responding. An official from the Department of Foreign Affairs responded two days later with a note threatening to fire anyone who continued to use the out-of-office message. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.