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2026 CIU scholarship program

The 2026 CIU scholarship program is now live!

In an effort to help offset escalating tuition costs which act as a barrier to post secondary education, CIU is offering a yearly bursary of one thousand dollars — the Laurel Randle Memorial Bursary.

A former member of the CIU National Board of Directors as well as a Labour Relations Officer working at the CIU National Office, Laurel Randle dedicated her professional life to union activism. In recognition of all her contributions to CIU and to union causes, Laurel’s name and legacy lives on through the Laurel Randle Memorial Bursary.

The yearly deadline to apply for the bursary is July 31 at 11:55 pm ET. For more information regarding the Scholarship Program, its eligibility requirements, and how to apply, please see: ciu-sdi.ca/en/laurel-randle-memorial-bursary/

Statement on the death of SPVM Constable

A member of the law enforcement community, Constable Mohamed Lamine Benredouane of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), was killed in the line of duty on Monday, June 22, 2026.

Constable Benredouane was known by local CIU members, and we wish to express our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased. Our thoughts are with all who are affected by these difficult circumstances.

National Indigenous Peoples Day: Honouring, learning and acting

On June 21, we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day by honouring the cultures, achievements, and leadership of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. It is also a time to reflect on how we advance reconciliation in our workplaces, our union, and our communities.

The Survivors’ Flag will be displayed outside the CIU National Office on June 21, for National Indigenous Peoples Day

Reconciliation must be reflected in our actions

Advancing reconciliation requires ongoing commitment in how we work, listen, and act. Reconciliation calls on all of us to listen, to learn, and to take meaningful action in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in our workplaces and communities.

For PSAC member Jo Hildebrand, it comes down to solidarity: “Our work is about showing up for one another, carrying each other’s stories with care, and making sure no one is left behind as we fight for justice together.’’

Indigenous-led organizations across the country are driving change in education, leadership, community well-being, and culturally grounded services. From language revitalization to health, housing, and land-based programs, their work strengthens communities and advances equity.

Find events near you

On National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recommit to care and accountability into our work together.

This article was first published on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining: Negotiations begin for border services group

PSAC and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) have officially launched a new round of negotiations with Treasury Board and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as part of the ongoing fight to make CBSA a better place to work for more than 9,000 PSAC-CIU members in the FB Group.

Our FB bargaining team met with the employer June 17–18 to exchange proposals, with our team seeking improvements on a wide range of topics.

 PSAC proposals package   Employer proposals package 

Key issues at the table this round include: 

  • An expansion of leave provisions, including annual leave, modelled on what is provided to other law enforcement employees, including the RCMP.
  • New rights in the context of discipline and abuse of authority to protect against CBSA’s heavy-handed management style.
  • Mechanisms that allow members to transfer to different ports and offices.
  • Enhanced protections for variable shift schedule arrangements (VSSAs), shift work, and hours of work.
  • The critical need for access to telework in our collective agreement.
  • Significant increases to shift and weekend premiums.
  • Protections for our jobs and our work in the context of AI, contract workers, and student use.

The employer also tabled their proposals. These include, among other things, changing shift change notice from seven days to 48 hours, eliminating the weekend premium on overtime, and new restrictions on access to Care and Nurturing Leave. On hours of work, management indicated an interest in more “flexibility.” Management also said that “enhancing management authority” is a priority for the CBSA in this round.

We told CBSA management that, while we are prepared to bargain in good faith, our union is looking for improvements in this round of negotiations, not steps backward. We will not give up hard-fought rights.

Next steps

We return to the table on September 9–11. Proposals on wages and allowances will be tabled at a future session once we receive payroll data from the employer.

Make sure you’re on our mailing list to receive the latest bargaining updates. If you have questions, speak with your CIU branch president or an FB bargaining team member.

Meet your FB bargaining team

Pictured above are the members of your FB bargaining team, who represent PSAC-CIU members in this round of negotiations. From left to right:

  • Carl (CIU 10007 Montreal)
  • Stewart (CIU 00024 Toronto)
  • Eric (CIU 40031 Saskatchewan)
  • Jordan (CIU 00016 Niagara Falls)
  • Brea (CIU 40031 Saskatchewan)
  • Ryan (CIU 60004 New Brunswick–PEI)
  • Lisa (CIU 00024 Toronto)
  • James (CIU 70027 Eastern Ontario)
  • Candice (CIU 00023 Fort Erie)
  • Rama Ngenzebuke, PSAC research officer
  • Colin (CIU 20040 Vancouver)
  • Morgan Gay, PSAC negotiator

This article was first published on the PSAC website.

National Public Service Week: Your work keeps this country running

This National Public Service Week, we celebrate and thank public service workers for everything they do to support people across Canada.

We all rely on public services to be there when we need them: to get the benefits we’ve earned, keep our food safe, protect our communities, and respond when disaster strikes. And in times of growing instability, they’re what people in Canada count on most, delivering the security so many of us take for granted.

We know none of it happens on its own; it’s delivered by you, dedicated public service workers in every community.

But instead of supporting workers like you, Prime Minister Carney’s government is asking you to do more, with less. Over 24,000 public service workers have been put on notice that they may lose their jobs. Millions of dollars are being slashed from government departments, meaning fewer resources to do your job efficiently and safely.

Your colleagues, or even you, are now facing the uncertainty of losing your job, carrying a heavier workload when teammates are let go, or wondering what will happen to the quality of the services you work so hard to deliver.

On top of this, Prime Minister Carney is dead set on spending more money on a four-day in-office mandate when expanding remote work could save up to $4 billion. The contradiction is baffling. The government says it needs to cut costs, while simultaneously spending more money on office space; funds that could be used to keep more public service workers in place.

It is very hard to feel valued when your employer would rather cut your job than let you work remotely.

To add insult to injury, this government’s disrespect to public service workers has continued at the bargaining table. Under federal law, a statutory freeze applies during negotiations. Increasing the in-office mandate to four days was not only frustrating, it also undermines your collective bargaining rights.

And if that wasn’t enough, after months of waiting for an answer to our wage proposal, Treasury Board made an insulting offer of less than 1% per year. Workers deserve more than a yearly pizza party to thank them for the work they do; they deserve fair wages that keep up with the cost of living.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can build a stronger Canada by investing in public services that work for everyone. Together, we can show Prime Minister Carney that it is time to change course, stop the cuts, and make our vision of a stronger Canada a reality.

This National Public Service Week, ignore the government’s empty promises and insincere hot dogs and veggie burgers. Instead, take the time to connect with your colleagues, talk about the bargaining issues, mobilize for the fight ahead, and join your union in celebrating your hard work.

To all public service workers: thank you for the work you do to support us and our families. The work you do is invaluable. You keep Canada running. We’ll keep fighting for you.

Join us in the fight to protect public services: ForYouCanada.ca

This article was first published on the PSAC website.

New contest! “National Public Service Week: Worst (or Best) Gift”

Every year, National Public Service Week is an opportunity for the federal government to recognize the contributions of federal public service workers. More often than not, however, that recognition rings rather… hollow. Maybe it’s CBSA’s abysmal record towards our members. Maybe it’s the overall state of the relationship between the federal public service and its employees — excessive review of accommodation agreements, unnecessary four-day return-to-office mandate, damaging workforce adjustments, etc. Maybe it’s the bonuses executives continue to receive as lower echelons are nickeled-and-dimed.

And maybe it’s how little effort the federal public service, as a whole, seems to put into the one week whose purpose should be to demonstrate some level of appreciation. Let’s be clear: Even at its best, NPSW isn’t going to make up for how poorly CBSA performs as an employer. But events like NPSW can only hope to be meaningful if there is some sort of genuine attempt at appreciation behind them. Otherwise, why bother? Two thawed freezies or a cake that managers clearly got to before offering it to employees (true stories) do not exactly scream ‘thoughtful effort’.

So, this year, for NPSW, we thought we would have some fun, and ask you directly: What is the worst NPSW appreciation gift you’ve ever received from CBSA? Maybe it’s cold coffee. Maybe it’s stale pizza. Maybe it’s nothing. And if you feel differently and like some of the appreciation you’ve received, that’s ok, we also want to know. We hear that some local managers genuinely do try to make do with the paltry resources the employer allocates for NPSW.

See our contest page for more
information on how to participate!

From now until June 20, for the duration of the 2026 NPSW (June 14-20 2026), share your answer using the form on our contest page and you could win one of eight $100 gift cards to be used on our union web boutique.

‘We’re inundated with managers’: Latest (and last) winners!

We’re pleased to announce the latest winners of our ‘We’re inundated with managers’ contest !

Congratulations to a member from Montreal, who won in the ‘employees/management ratio’ category, with 3 managers for 5 employees.

And congratulations to a member from Eastern Ontario, in the ‘originality of the submission’ category, who writes: “I am currently in our office section, alone with two managers, an assistant director, and a director.”

These are the last winners of the ‘inundated with managers’ contest — thank you to all who participated! While this contest has come to an end (but may be back in the future!), keep an eye on our contest page for new upcoming opportunities to win prizes!

The New Union Frontier, Episode 7: Brea Baresinkoff

The seventh episode of The New Union Frontier is now live! Our host Amanda sits down with CIU’s Second National V.-P. Brea Baresinkoff to discuss union affairs, with a focus on bargaining, and more! Go to ciu-sdi.ca/podcast to listen now!

PA bargaining: Board agrees to bypass Public Interest Commission process

PA Group

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board has agreed with PSAC’s request to bypass the Public Interest Commission (PIC) process for the PA bargaining group.

PSAC requested that the Board bypass the lengthy PIC process after declaring an impasse in negotiations in February. Following five days of mediation in May, the Board determined that a PIC would be unlikely to help the parties reach a deal.

A major sticking point in negotiations remains Treasury Board’s insulting wage offer of less than 1 per cent per year, which fails to keep pace with the rising cost of living and amounts to a pay cut for federal public service workers.

Additionally, Treasury Board has shown no willingness to act on key priorities for members, including remote work, job security, and stronger protections in the workplace, particularly around the use of artificial intelligence and surveillance.

Our PA bargaining team is reviewing the Board’s decision and will assess our next steps.

This article was first published on the PSAC website.

Wear black for bargaining: National Day of Solidarity on June 17 keeps workers at the forefront

Wear black for bargaining on Wednesday, June 17, to show the employer that workers across the country are united.

Building on the momentum from April’s National Day of Solidarity in support of our Treasury Board bargaining teams, PSAC members are organizing monthly actions to strengthen our solidarity.

  • Wear black: Make your presence felt in the workplace and on every video call.
  • Show your support: Download the “I Support My Bargaining Team” background and poster or wear a PSAC sticker. Use them in every meeting and share a photo on social media using #PSACTogether.
  • Talk to your coworkers: Ensure they know that job security and fair pay are on the line.

When workers are united, the employer pays attention.

After nearly one year at the table, Treasury Board proposed an insulting wage offer of less than 1% per year; a clear pay cut at a time when the cost of living has far outpaced wages.

It’s time for us to come together in support of fair wages and better working conditions for the workers who make our vital public services happen.

Together, we can show our bargaining teams that we are supporting them every step of the way and show the employer that we are a force to be reckoned with. Support our bargaining team by wearing black on June 17!

#PSACTogether 

This article was first published on the PSAC website.

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