Canada’s unions are offering their best and brightest for the large number of jobs the NDP must fill as soon as possible.
The huge growth of the NDP caucus means close to 300 positions are now open. Given that many of the MPs will be rookies themselves, hiring quality staff becomes even more important.
On average, an MP will have about two full-time staff on Parliament Hill and another two in the riding office. But the NDP is also in line for a larger central staffing budget for research and communications in the OLO – Opposition Leader’s Office.
Unlike other parties that allow MPs to hire and fire staff largely at will, NDP staffers are unionized, meaning jobs must first be offered internally and decisions can be challenged.
On its face, that suggests added hurdles for a party that is under the gun to get ready for the new session. But given the sheer volume of openings, New Democrats insist the union rules aren’t likely to cause delay.
Jack Layton will make his first major speech as Opposition Leader on Wednesday when he addresses a meeting of the Canadian Labour Congress in Vancouver.
The NDP staff operate under Local 232 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union. Dave Coles, the CEP president, said he and other union leaders agreed Monday in Vancouver at the CLC conference to identify strong staff members to offer the NDP.
“We want the party to succeed. It’s important to us. We’ve got a Harper majority. We want Jack to have the best there is,” Mr. Coles said in an interview. “We’re looking tirelessly right now – in the last 72 hours – to find good resource people for the party, and so is the whole labour movement.”
The return of majority governments provides some stability to what is a highly unstable profession. Many Hill staffers – often young university graduates – work on short-term contracts with no job security.
The constant threat of an election was a particular challenge for the Conservatives, who will now have an easier time persuading experienced people to take on senior positions in ministers’ offices.
While the NDP finds itself swamped with résumés for those 300 or so jobs, an equal number of staffers – largely from the Bloc Québécois and the Liberals – are suddenly out of work. NDP spokesman Karl Belanger said they are welcome to apply to the NDP. He said that might work best at the riding level, where the work is less partisan and is largely focused on helping constituents deal with federal government issues.
“The door is not closed,” he said. The NDP’s director of operations for the caucus, Jess Turk-Browne, is leading a team responsible for filling the NDP positions. Jobs are expected to be posted on the party’s website by next week.
The NDP describes itself as an employment equity employer. That means “women, persons of colour, aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons are encouraged to apply.”
Mr. Belanger, whose name and e-mail address appear online on party news releases, said his inbox is full of résumés. Some are even coming to him via Facebook and Twitter. “They’re pouring in,” he said.
Not all union leaders are onboard, however. “I find that strange,” said Gary Corbett, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, who said he doesn’t believe other unions will give away their best staff. “Even unions have bad staff. Which ones are they offering?”
