Author Archives: Jayson Roy

Canada’s public services at risk: PSAC pushes back against cuts

PSAC has serious concerns about the federal government’s plans to reduce government spending by cutting public service jobs.

Without prior consultation, the government unilaterally announced their plans to cut costs across the federal public service during a briefing with unions on the Refocusing Government Spending Initiative November 7.

The 2023 budget outlined $15 billion in cuts to programs and services over the next four years, with another $3 billion in spending reductions announced in last year’s Fall Economic Statement.

When cuts were first announced in 2022, Mona Fortier, Treasury Board President at the time, said the government would find $6 billion in savings by increasing remote work and selling off real estate.

Last year, Treasury Board President Anita Anand promised workers wouldn’t be asked to do more with less and that there would be no job losses. Then we heard that 5,000 jobs would be reduced through natural attrition.

Today, we heard a very different story. The government is now widening the net, looking to cut term and casual employees, and opening the door for departments to slash permanent employees through Workforce Adjustment.

Federal departments have been assigned specific budget reduction targets in salary line items. PSAC is insisting that unions must be consulted while these targets are reviewed. These targets, protected under Cabinet privilege, will remain confidential until they are made public in June 2025.

Workers and Canadians are waiting in limbo. Families who benefit from critical programs won’t know if the services they depend on will be cut. Public service workers won’t know if they’ll have jobs by next summer – if they can renew their mortgage, start a family or pay their student loans.

Government savings should not fall on the backs of workers and the services they deliver to Canadians.

The government should instead go after the billions they’re wasting on contracting out public services and the massive savings remote work offers for Canada’s public service.

PSAC will be fighting back against these cuts and protecting workers caught in the crossfire.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC and TBS complete joint study on mental health support mechanisms in the federal workforce

Workplace mental health directly impacts employee well-being, productivity, and overall organizational success and is a crucial factor in creating a supportive, sustainable, and productive work environment.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) are pleased to release the Joint Study on Mental Health Support Mechanisms for Employees, which is focused on improving mental health support for federal employees. The study explores how exposure to workplace trauma—whether directly or indirectly—can impact mental well-being and offers solutions to address these challenges.

Background

The study follows an agreement reached in October 2020 during collective bargaining with the Program and Administrative Services and Technical Services groups. Its goal was to identify roles that expose workers to explicit, disturbing material or potentially dangerous situations and determine how best to support these workers.

The study aims to:

Enhance understanding of how to support workers at risk of psychological harm.
Minimize the risks of trauma exposure in the workplace.
Identify the specific mental health support workers need.
Highlight best practices and recommend ways to implement them across departments.

Collaboration and process

The Joint Committee on Mental Health Support Mechanisms, made up of union and employer representatives, co-chaired by members of both parties, conducted the study. Their collaborative work shows how unions and employers can join forces to improve workplace mental health.

In the course of their work the committee

Gathered evidence to develop criteria to identify high-risk roles across departments.
Assessed current mental health programs and identified gaps.
Reviewed existing literature on trauma-related mental health support.

Findings and recommendations

The study found that, although mental health resources are available, it’s unclear how frequently they are used or how effective they are. It also highlighted the need for better systems to identify psychological risks in the workplace.

The report emphasizes the need to:

Equip workers and managers with mental health knowledge to identify risks.
Strengthen informal peer support networks.
Provide recovery options for affected employees.

It also recommends that employees and managers participate in joint training. This approach helps build stronger peer networks and improves engagement, with managers playing a key role in program success.

Looking ahead

The study offers a framework for departments to improve their mental health action plans, which ultimately will benefit the entire federal workforce.

Union and management representatives on Occupational Health and Safety Committees are encouraged to use the study as a guide and take steps to apply its recommendations.

Download the Joint Study on Mental Health Support Mechanisms for Employees.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

What you need to know about the telework joint panel process for federal workers

As part of our collective agreements for federal workers, PSAC negotiated a letter of agreement (LOA) on telework to protect workers from arbitrary decisions about remote work. The LOA was designed to ensure that managers assess each remote work request individually, rather than as a group. It also required managers to provide written responses, helping PSAC hold the employer accountable for fair and equitable decision-making.

However, the federal government violated this agreement by unilaterally imposing a rigid one-size-fits-none mandate, forcing workers back to the office three days a week.

PSAC is actively fighting back against this backwards mandate through legal challenges and a joint campaign with other public service unions to defend your rights. Because if the government can so easily break this agreement, what’s stopping them from undermining the rights of other groups? Our collective strength is the key to protecting all workers from the erosion of hard-fought gains.

Progress on joint review panels

Despite these obstacles, PSAC has been working closely with components and federal government departments to establish joint union-management review panels. These panels provide a fair, case-by-case review process for resolving grievances related to remote work.

If your telework request relates to a request for accommodation, it will not be reviewed by the joint panel, as accommodation requests should follow the appropriate duty-to-accommodate procedures.

So far, panels have been set up for over 100,000 members, including in major departments and agencies such as Employment and Social Development Canada, National Defence, and the Canada Revenue Agency. Work is ongoing to establish panels across all remaining departments to ensure every member has access to this resolution process.

How the process works

The joint review panels are an alternative dispute resolution mechanism for members whose telework requests have been denied. They offer recourse for grievances that have not been resolved at earlier stages, giving members an opportunity to have their cases reviewed by a joint panel of union and employer representatives.

Here’s how it works:

Start with your telework request: Submit your new or revised telework request and await the written decision from your manager.
File a grievance: If your telework request has been denied, we encourage you to file a grievance and follow the established grievance process under the collective agreement.The point of filing grievances is to hold the employer accountable. When we’re bargaining for the next round, these grievances will provide concrete examples of the way our members have been impacted.Remember, you should seek support from your union when submitting a grievance. Contact your local and/or component for support from a steward or labour relations officer before proceeding.
Find more information about filing a grievance in our Frequently Asked Questions: Telework.
Access the joint panel: If no settlement is reached prior to the final step of the grievance procedure, you have the option to refer the grievance to the joint review panel. The process varies by department, so you’ll need to contact your component for support as they will understand the terms of reference and process that applies to you.The joint review panel will review the submissions presented by the parties and make a non-binding recommendation to the Deputy Head or their delegate who holds the final level decision in the grievance procedure.

Next steps

PSAC will continue to keep you updated on the status of the joint panels and next steps in our fight to protect your right to fair and flexible work arrangements.

Sign the petition: Demand the repeal of the three-day in-office mandate.
Take our survey: Share how the mandate impacts your work and life.
File a grievance: Hold the government accountable for violating the telework agreement.
Read our FAQs: Get answers to your most pressing questions about telework and the government’s mandate.
Use our digital tools: Show solidarity with virtual backgrounds, social media images, and #RemoteWorks posters.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

World Day for Decent Work: workers deserve peace and democracy

PSAC joins the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in calling for peace and democracy this World Day for Decent Work, 7 October, as authoritarianism and escalating military conflicts devastate workers’ lives worldwide.

Trade unions reaffirm their stance: without peace, there can be no social justice, and without social justice, peace cannot last.

Military confrontations in almost every region of the world are worsening, leading to widespread loss of life, livelihoods and rights. Working people are on the frontline of this growing crisis, facing daily injustices and oppression.

Since 2021, Myanmar’s military dictatorship has violently repressed workers and their families, stripping them of basic rights. The people of Myanmar are demanding democracy, starting with the recognition of the National Unity Government.
Since 2022, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has caused unimaginable human suffering and cost thousands of lives. The global trade union movement continues to call for peace and the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
In Palestine and Israel, the worsening conflict has killed and displaced thousands. Trade unions demand an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and all those detained without due legal process, the safe return of all workers trapped by the conflict, increased humanitarian aid and a lasting two-state solution.

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the ITUC, said: “Governments are failing to resolve conflicts through diplomacy, while workers and their unions continue to engage in peaceful negotiations. Workers must be involved in the peace and reconstruction processes if they are to succeed and create the necessary conditions for lasting peace and stability.

“We need a complete change of priorities away from strategic competition, violence and confrontation to common security, negotiation and peace. Rising military expenditure is diverting critical resources away from social priorities. Over US$91 billion was spent on nuclear weapons alone in 2023; ten billion more than in 2022. World military expenditure totals US$2.5 trillion.

“Imagine the benefits to people everywhere if this money was invested in decent work, education, healthcare, and the transition to a green economy? With this money we could deliver the New Social Contract. We need to start investing in peace, not war. Disarmament is a question of justice and is key to building a peaceful world with shared prosperity.”

This World Day for Decent Work, workers demand peace and democracy.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining: Update on wage increases, retroactivity and lump sum payment

As part of the new collective agreement achieved earlier this year for members working at Canada Border Services Agency, PSAC negotiated wage increases totalling 14.8% over four years, which greatly exceeded increases provided across the broader law enforcement community in Canada – including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – for the years of the agreement. The agreement also includes a $2,500 pensionable lump-sum payment.

Wage adjustments and retroactivity will be reflected on members’ pay on October 9, 2024. The employer has not informed PSAC exactly when the $2,500 lump-sum payment will be issued. Our union will continue to press CBSA and PSPC to issue the payment in a timely manner.

The new collective agreement for members in the FB bargaining unit was signed on August 8, 2024. The employer has 180 days to action payments following the signing of the collective agreements. All non-monetary terms of the collective agreement took effect immediately upon signing.

See our FAQ for full details about eligibility for the lump sum payment.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.