OTTAWA — Canada’s military watchdog is calling on the Armed Forces to better accommodate troops with disabled children and other exceptional family circumstances, warning some are being forced to choose between their loved ones and their careers.
While around one in four members of the Canadian Armed Forces are required to relocate every year due to training or operational needs, those with special family needs are allowed to apply for exemptions.
A compassionate posting or status is intended to provide flexibility to members who have special family circumstances, such as children with disabilities or older parents who need support.
But in a new report, military ombudsman Gregory Lick says the military’s current approach to deciding whether troops qualify for such compassionate postings is riddled with shortcomings and problems that need to be addressed.
Those include unclear criteria around who can qualify, a lack of transparency around how such requests are approved or rejected and even pressure on some troops not to apply in the first place.
“Most CAF members and family members interviewed believed the needs of their family were secondary to the needs of the CAF,” reads the report. “Many reported feeling marginalized or stigmatized when requesting … a compassionate posting.”
In an interview, Lick said he was particularly touched during visits to military bases and wings by the stories from service members and families about the difficulties caring for children with disabilities and special needs.
“They’re a very vulnerable community,” he said. “They’re on a wait-list to be able to get help for their children and all of a sudden they get a posting message.”
Compassionate postings and statuses have been very beneficial to military members and families who have been able to take advantage of them, he added. The problem is with the gaps and uncertainties that surround them, which has led to uneven application.
Part of the problem is the lack of clear criteria, including a definition of what constitutes both “family” and “exceptional personal circumstances,” creating confusion for troops asking for a compassionate posting and those deciding whether to approve it.
There was also a lack of understanding around how such decisions are made, with long delays and little in the way of updates or information, and even uncertainty around who was actually responsible for making the decision.
“CAF members reported instances where their chain of command was unaware of the steps involved in the process and unable to identify the decision-making authority,” the report reads.
That uncertainty could explain why only about half of all requests between September 2017 and March 2021 were approved, Lick said.
The ombudsman’s report comes at a time when the Canadian Armed Forces is struggling to recruit and retain troops, with thousands of positions currently sitting vacant even as the military is facing significant demands at home and abroad.
Vice-chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen indicated last week that senior commanders are currently looking at how the military deals with postings and relocations in an effort to better balance military and family needs.
Lick acknowledged military leaders need to ensure Armed Forces members are where they need to be, but argued better accommodating families and those with special needs will help with recruitment and retention in the long run.
“It will show the public, who they’re trying to recruit, that this is an organization that supports its members and their families better,” he said. “There may be a little bit of short-term pain. … But in the long run, these are the things they need to do.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2022.
MONTREAL – One expert says entry-level pay under the tentative deal between Air Canada and its pilots could be a stumbling block ahead of a union vote on the agreement.
Under their current contract, pilots earn far less in their first four years at the company before enjoying a big wage increase starting in year five.
The Air Line Pilots Association had been pushing to scrap the so-called “fixed rate” provision entirely.
But according to a copy of the contract summary obtained by The Canadian Press, the proposed deal announced Sunday would merely cut the four-year period of lower pay to two years.
John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University, says as many as 2,000 of Air Canada’s roughly 5,200 active pilots may earn entry-level wages following a recent hiring surge.
After the airline averted a strike this week, Gradek says the failure to ditch the pay grade restrictions could prompt pushback from rank-and-file flight crew and jeopardize the deal, which is up for a vote next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
ROME (AP) — Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, the Italy striker who was top scorer at its home World Cup in 1990, has died. He was 59.
Schillaci had been hospitalized in Palermo following treatment for colon cancer.
The Palermo Civico hospital said in a statement that Schillacci died on Wednesday morning after being admitted 11 days ago.
Schillaci scored six goals for Italy during the 1990 World Cup. He came on as a substitute during Italy’s opener against Austria, scored in a 1-0 victory, and went on to earn the Golden Boot awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. He only scored one other goal for Italy in his career.
Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina announced that a minute of silence would be held in memory of Schillaci before all games in the country for the rest of the week.
“The uncontrollable celebrations, in which his face was the symbol of shared joy, will remain forever part of Italian soccer (history),” Gravina said. “Totò was a great player, a symbol of tenacious desire and redemption. … His soccer was full of passion. And that fearless spirit made everyone appreciate him and will make him immortal.”
Schillaci also won the Golden Ball award at the 1990 World Cup as the tournament’s top player ahead of Lothar Matthaus and Diego Maradona.
Schillaci played for Messina, Juventus, Inter Milan and Japanese team Jubilo Iwata during his club career.
“You made an entire nation dream during the Magical Nights of Italia ’90,” Inter said on its social media channels.
West Germany won the 1990 World Cup, beating Argentina in the final, while Italy beat England for third place with a winning penalty kick from Schillaci.
Roberto Baggio, who scored Italy’s opening goal in the third-place match, wrote on Instagram, “Ciao my dear friend.”
Having been born and raised in Palermo, the Palermo soccer team announced that it would hold a public viewing of Schillaci at its Renzo Barbera stadium ahead of the funeral, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
French soccer player Wissam Ben Yedder will stay free ahead of his trial on charges of sexual assault while intoxicated, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Marie Roumiantseva said Ben Yedder will remain under strict judicial supervision after a woman filed a lawsuit for sexual assault earlier this month.
The 34-year-old Ben Yedder, a prolific striker in the French league, was briefly detained then released after the alleged incident in his car on the French Riviera. Ben Yedder had been stopped by police after he first refused to do so. He was then put in a jail cell.
After he was summoned to appear in court on Oct. 15 and placed under judicial supervision, the Nice prosecutor’s office appealed the decision not to remand the player in custody. The investigative chamber of the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence did not grant this request and kept Ben Yedder under judicial supervision.
Ben Yedder attended a hearing Tuesday during which he offered to go to rehab. He has admitted he drove while under the influence of alcohol but has denied any sexual assault.
In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with “rape, attempted rape and sexual assault” over another alleged incident in the south of France.
Ben Yedder has been without a club since his contract with Monaco expired at the end of last season.
