“National Public Service Week: Worst (or Best) Gift” Contest
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.
From now until June 20, for the duration of the 2026 NPSW (June 14-20 2026), share your answer using the form below and you could win one of eight $100 gift cards to be used on our union web boutique.
Share your worst (or best) National Public Service Week gift — you could win a prize!
We will be choosing eight winners from amongst the list of worst (or best) gifts we receive, based on the originality of the submissions. All submissions — worst or best gifts alike — will be considered. Make sure to add details!
How to participate
The contest is open to all current CIU members in good standing across Canada. To participate, please complete the form below between the opening of the contest (June 11, 2026) and June 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be chosen following the end of the 2026 NPSW. The winning entrants will be chosen by the Contest Committee (the National Office Communications team and the National President) after verification of the information provided. Should there be a tie between two entries, the winner shall be determined at random.
Winners will be announced over the course of summer 2026. Names will not be shared, but the work location of the winners may be made public (CIU national website, social media platforms, etc.).
Prizes!
Eight (8) winners will be selected from amongst eligible submissions. Each winner will receive a $100 gift card for the CIU online boutique (CIU will cover shipping and taxes on the initial order).
Questions? Contact us at contest@ciu-sdi.ca.
Participation form:
Winners
Winners will be announced over the course of summer 2026.
Past contests
Contest: “We’re inundated with managers”
Contest: "We're inundated with managers"
Have you ever felt alone in a sea of managers at your workplace? You wouldn’t be the first. It’s well known that CBSA has a management problem, from its culture to the sheer number of managers at all levels of the Agency. CIU National President Mark Weber said it best: “[CBSA] could go the next decade without hiring another manager and you’d likely still have too many”.
It’s no secret that CBSA has doubled its number of middle managers in the last decade, all while failing to support frontline ranks. Indeed, we’ve heard of some truly staggering managers-to-employees ratios — North Portal, Saskatchewan comes to mind, at one time reaching a baffling seven managers for six officers during the day shift.
This overabundance of managers is a sad reality that you, our members, experience every day, and — whether you cope with it through tears, laughter or a combination of both — we want to know what you’re seeing.
But wait, there’s more: We also want you to have the chance to win some fun union prizes for doing so.
Share your best (but really, worst) managers-to-employees ratio and win a prize!
At the end of every month, starting in September, we will be choosing two winners: One based on the absurdity of the ratio, and the other based on the originality of the submission. Make sure to add details!
How to participate
The contest is open to all current CIU members in good standing across Canada. To participate, please complete the form below. As mentioned above, winners will be chosen at the end of every month. The winning entrants will be chosen by the Contest Committee (the National Office Communications team and the National President) after verification of the information provided. Should there be a tie between two entries, the winner shall be determined at random.
Winners will be announced at the beginning of the next month (for example, the September winner will be announced in early October). Both the name and work location of the winners, along with the ratio, will be made public (CIU national website, social media platforms, etc.). Please let us know if you do not want your name to be shared.
Prizes!
The winner will have a choice of prize from amongst the following: A new CIU hoodie, a limited edition CIU mug (usually reserved for our podcast guests), a CIU pin, a CIU flag with our updated logo, or one of our brand new CIU pride flags!
Questions? Contact us at contest@ciu-sdi.ca.
Participation form:
2026-06-11 The contest has now ended, but may come back in the future!