Despite high-profile scandals involving for-profit prisons, unsafe long-term care facilities, renovictions at Starlight Investments in Toronto, tax avoidance, and an overly close relationship with the oil and gas industry, PSP Investments—tasked with managing the pension fund of most of our members—maintains a nonchalant attitude toward responsible investing. At recent public and union-stakeholder meetings, PSP officials dodged pointed questions and criticism regarding their shocking record on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues.

Unlike most other pension plans this size, PSP lags in integrating ESG principles into its investment strategies. While they have acknowledged the relevance of climate risks on investment profits, they remain largely focused on reporting, not taking action—a stance that most large plans evolved from over a decade ago. This failure to integrate responsible investing not only endangers future returns but also deepens the climate and affordability crisis. PSP is also conspicuously silent on other critical aspects of ESG including equity initiatives, tax fairness, indigenous rights, union-busting, and evidence-based public policy.

This is not rocket science. Other major pension fund investors, such as Quebec’s Deposit and Investment Fund (CDQP) and Ontario’s University Pension Plan, have proven that meaningful ESG investing is both feasible and financially viable. PIPSC is calling on PSP Investments to take immediate steps to align its investment strategy with the values of the public service workers for which it is supposed to work. This means creating a genuine path to carbon reduction, adopting investment exclusions based on common-sense ethical standards, and signing onto global investment commitments respecting human, social, and worker rights.

PSP Investments operates as an arm’s length Crown corporation, tasked with managing member and employer contributions to the Public Service Pension Plan, the defined benefit pension plan covering most PIPSC members in the Core Public Administration and at separate employers.

We proudly stand with our brothers and sisters in the Canadian Union of Postal Workers who are fighting not just for their own futures, but for the future of public services across Canada. Their struggle is our struggle - a fight to protect good jobs and quality services for all Canadians.

Right now, Canada Post faces mounting pressure to compete with unregulated delivery services that exploit gig workers and cherry-pick profitable urban routes. But Canada Post's mission is different: it serves every Canadian community, from downtown Toronto to remote Arctic villages, regardless of cost. This universal service is a vital thread in our national fabric - one we cannot afford to lose to private companies that put profits before people.

We're witnessing a dangerous trend toward the 'gigification' of work, where stable, full-time jobs are being replaced by precarious, part-time positions. This isn't just about postal workers - it's about protecting the dignity of work itself. When crown corporations are forced to degrade working conditions to compete with under-regulated private companies, we all lose.

CUPW's vision goes beyond defending what we have - they're fighting to expand and enhance our public services. Their struggle today will shape how Canada responds to the challenge of the gig economy tomorrow. We can either race to the bottom with precarious work, or we can build a future with strong public services and good jobs for all.

We demand the federal government take immediate action: resolve this dispute fairly and close the regulatory gaps that allow the exploitation of workers through precarious employment. Quality public services require protected, respected workers.

The time for solidarity is now. Join us at the picket line on Tuesday, December 10, from 7:30 to 9:00 AM ET at 1424 Sandford Fleming Ave to stand with CUPW workers. Bring your PIPSC flags and your fighting spirit. When we stand together, we win together. Your presence on the picket line matters - see you there!

Pay Equity is more than just a legal requirement; it's a call to action to eliminate unjust wage discrimination between men and women. Your PIPSC staff and stewards have been working hard to apply these laws at 18 different pay equity tables for our members.

Watch pay equity leaders and activists for a webinar and question period about how the pay equity analysis might affect your salary and pay. 

Watch the webinar

OTTAWA, December 3, 2024 – In a clear violation of the established direction allowing flexibility for Indigenous federal employees to work remotely, many Indigenous employees have been ordered to report to their designated work site in person without any justification – despite meeting all of the criteria for an exception. The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and the Indigenous Federal Employees Network (IFEN) are calling on the Treasury Board to uphold the remote work exception for Indigenous federal employees and ensure its consistent enforcement across all departments. It is critical that the exception is applied equitably, reflecting the original intent to provide flexibility and support for Indigenous public sector employees.

The exception was originally developed to enable Indigenous employees to live and work in their communities, recognizing the importance of maintaining strong cultural and familial connections. Those ties are fundamental and frequently influence employment-related decisions, as highlighted in the Treasury Board’s own policy, which acknowledges that, for many Indigenous people, living and working within their communities is “critical to their identity.” Ensuring the exception is honoured upholds this principle and supports the preservation of cultural integrity and well-being among Indigenous employees.  

The Treasury Board has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Indigenous employees working in their communities as a key reconciliation commitment. This commitment reflects the government’s broader pledge to respect Indigenous self-determination and cultural continuity. However, IFEN has reported that management in multiple departments are ignoring these exceptions, undermining this critical reconciliation initiative. Such actions erode trust and diminish the government’s ability to rebuild relationships with Indigenous peoples. Furthermore, this disregard negatively impacts the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees, contradicting the government’s stated commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that acknowledges and respects the unique needs and priorities of Indigenous communities.

Quotes

“This devotion to a poorly considered in-office presence mandate – at the expense of Indigenous rights – sends the wrong message and shows the government’s lack of coherence when it comes to its stated goals of respect and reconciliation,” said Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees. “This government seems to have a poor appreciation for the critical importance of this exception which is right at the heart of Indigenous cultural survival and wellbeing. We are calling on the government to honour its commitment to Indigenous peoples by ensuring the exception is upheld and respected evenly across the federal public sector.”
 

"Reimagining the future of work is about more than just remote work; it’s about setting a new standard for progressive, inclusive and dynamic workplaces," said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president. "The federal government is missing a unique opportunity to dismantle systemic barriers that suppress marginalized voices and to create a federal public service that reflects every slice of Canadian life, particularly from Indigenous communities and small towns."

 "The federal government's failed return-to-office mandate is once again showing its true colours—this time ignoring the rights of Indigenous workers," said Jennifer Carr, president of PIPSC. “Denying Indigenous employees the exemption to work from their communities isn't just a benign oversight; it’s the kind of blatant disregard that has real impacts on Indigenous rights, safety, and cultural identity. It must be corrected—now."

“Ignoring this exception directly undermines obligations set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, the final report of the National Inquiry into 2SMMIWG+, and the Clerk’s Indigenous hiring targets, along with other repeatedly stated national reconciliation goals,” said the executives of the Indigenous Federal Employees Network. “This exception must be clearly communicated to all managers, including those at the ADM level, across all departments without delay to prevent further stress and harm to Indigenous employees.”

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About CAPE

With more than 25,000 members, the Canadian Association of Professional Employees is one of the largest federal public sector unions in Canada, dedicated to advocating on behalf of federal employees in the Economics and Social Science Services (EC) and Translation (TR) groups, as well as employees of the Library of Parliament (LoP), the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (OPBO) and civilian members of the RCMP (ESS and TRL). Read more.
 

About PSAC

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is Canada’s largest federal public service union, representing nearly 230,000 workers in every province and territory in Canada, including more than 165,000 federal public service workers. Read more.

About PIPSC

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) was founded in 1920. With over 75,000 members, the Institute is the largest union in Canada representing scientists and professionals employed at the federal and some provincial and territorial levels of government. Read more.

About IFEN

The Indigenous Federal Employee Network (IFEN) is dedicated to fostering a respectful and inclusive federal public service where First Nations, Inuit, and Métis employees can thrive professionally while embracing their cultural identities. IFEN builds interdepartmental connections, champions workplace equity, supports personal and professional growth, and advocates for a balanced integration of Indigeneity within public service roles.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) strongly opposes the government's decision to transfer $1.9 billion which exceeds the allowable surplus from the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) to its general revenue, a move that ignores workers' equal contributions to the plan at a time when many face layoff notices.

"This isn’t just free money plucked from Santa’s sleigh. This is our members' money, their deferred salaries," said Jennifer Carr, President of PIPSC. “Federal workers contribute 50% of the money that goes into the pension fund, yet are receiving 0% of this added surplus.”

The actuarial report tabled by Treasury Board President Anita Anand on November 25 confirms the strength of the pension plan, showing exceptional investment returns of 18.4% in 2021 and 10.9% in 2022. These returns, combined with our members' contributions, helped build this surplus.

"Imagine a bank telling a Canadian that, even though their investments did exceptionally well, the bank is going to take the profits,” continued Carr. “It sounds almost criminal.”

PIPSC has consistently advocated for better ways to manage this surplus that would benefit both the government and members. A contribution holiday for both employer and employees would provide immediate relief. Targeted improvements to the pension plan would ensure long-term sustainability and demonstrate genuine respect for public service workers' contributions to Canada.

Instead, the government instead wants to use workers' contributions to pay for its poor decisions–like wasteful outsourcing and the billion dollar Phoenix boondoggle. This should concern not just the workforce, but the public.

"While the government talks about stakeholder consultation, it made this decision unilaterally – again," added Jennifer Carr. "In a pension plan where employees and employers contribute equally, employees should equally be considered in the decision making."

PIPSC is calling on the government to pause this transfer and engage in meaningful consultation with unions. Any solution must reflect employees' 50% contribution to the plan.

“If our members' pension contributions can help solve the government's fiscal challenges, those same funds should be used to protect their jobs,” said Jennifer Carr. "‘A well-managed and sustainable fund’ should mean fair treatment of contributors, not just financial metrics.”

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents over 75,000 public service professionals across Canada, including scientists and researchers, engineers, and health care workers. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.                                                          

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PIPSC firmly stands with the Indigenous Federal Employees’ Network (IFEN) in advocating for fair treatment of Indigenous public sector workers. Many federal Indigenous employees, including PIPSC members, have raised serious concerns about the implementation of the federal government’s Return-to-office (RTO) mandate. These concerns centre around the denial of exemptions for Indigenous employees living within 125 km of their formal work location.

The federal government’s RTO mandate includes a key standalone exemption allowing Indigenous employees to work from their communities no matter their proximity to the office. This exemption is critical for both cultural identity and personal safety. However, many Indigenous workers have faced repeated denials of this exception.

Denying this exemption directly contradicts the federal government’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The arbitrary restriction is especially harmful to Indigenous women, whose safety concerns—amid the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)—make remote work a vital option. 

The denial of exemptions undermine the well-being of Indigenous employees and Canada’s commitment to reconciliation. Treasury Board President, Anita Anand, needs to step in.

PIPSC, alongside other unions, is calling for immediate action from Anand to clarify the standalone exemption for Indigenous people to all Deputy Ministers, their equivalents, and any relevant senior civil service staff in all federal departments and agencies covered by the mandate before November 28, 2024.

Indigenous employees have the right to work in a way that respects cultural needs, personal safety, and well-being. PIPSC will always advocate to ensure these rights are respected and protected in the workplace.

Read our joint letter to Treasury Board President, Anita Anand.

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics recently tabled their report from their study: “Federal Government's Use of Technological Tools Capable of Extracting Personal Data from Mobile Devices and Computers.”

PIPSC takes our members’ privacy extremely seriously, which is why we’re pleased to see that our insights and concerns influenced the committee’s report and that several of our key recommendations were adopted. Notably, the report emphasized our position on the greater obligation to conduct privacy impact assessments (PIAs) and the need to consult with the Privacy Commissioner before using new or substantially updated technological tools.

“Technology is moving at a fast pace, and our practices need to reflect that reality.” PIPSC President Jennifer Carr (pp. 44). 

Among other issues, the report highlights our concerns around:

• Employee consent, especially given that current privacy policies were formulated before the advent of cloud-based services (pp. 39)
• The significant variation in consent practices across different institutions.
• Conducting PIAs (pp. 37, pp. 41) and the need for real consequences when senior bureaucrats fail to conduct these assessments appropriately.
• The necessity of Treasury Board to establish clearer guidelines on when new and modified programs require new PIAs. 

Read the full report.

PIPSC will continue to defend the rights of our members and advocate that the government accept our recommendations to prioritize your privacy in evolving workplaces.

In 2024, we awarded 21 scholarships to laureates. Thank you to our members and corporate sponsors. Congratulations to all our laureates.

$5,000 scholarship

• Julia Kirney, Ottawa, ON (Chris Kirney, NR), University of Waterloo

$1,500 scholarships

• Rowan Blanch, Upper Nappan, N.S. (Julie Paquet, SP Group), Mount Allison University
• Emily Qi, Nepean, ON (Aidu Qi, NR), University of Waterloo
• Sachin Gupta, Dartmouth, N.S. (Sanjeev Gupta, AFS), Dalhousie University
• Jonathan Ndayegamiye, Charlottetown, P.E.I. (Judith Nyiraneza, RE), Dalhousie University
• Ava Zidek, Ottawa, ON (Angelika Zidek, RE), University of Ottawa
• Tessa Dec, Vancouver, BC (Katja De Bock, NFB), University of British Columbia
• Tara Emadi, Nepean, ON (Daryoush Emadi, NR), McGill University
• Callista Chan, Markham, ON (Melissa Lam, AFS), Western University
• Liz Herr, Mississauga, ON (Qi Herr, AFS), McMaster University
• Kate Grant, Cornwall, PEI (Darcy Grant, NR), University of New Brunswick
• Joelle Marchenko, Winnipeg, MB (Uri Marchenko, IT), University of Manitoba
•  Zander Karaganis, Ottawa, ON (George Karaganis, SP), University of Toronto
• Pari Goyal, Vancouver, BC (Sarika Goyal, AFS), University of British Columbia
• Ava Nouri, Mississauga, ON (Bijan Nouri, AFS), McMaster University
• Kanto Ratsimandresy, St. John’s, NFLD (Andry Ratsimandresy, RE), University of Ottawa
• Emilia Wesolkowski, Ottawa, ON (Slawomir Wesolkowski, NR), University of Ottawa
• Alexis Shepherd, Surrey, BC (Aaron Shepherd, IT), University of British Columbia
• Sam Waite, Kelowna, BC (Brent Waite, CFIA S&A), Carleton University

$1,000 scholarships

• Michael Yang, Markham, ON (Min Xu, AFS), John Hopkins University
• Serena Valdez Soc, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Giselle Valdez Soc, CP), University of Manitoba

You can help us support a new generation of young professionals and make a difference in their lives.

Donate now

In 2023, we awarded 20 scholarships to laureates. Thank you to our members and corporate sponsors. Congratulations to all our laureates.

$5,000 scholarship

• Guntaas Randhawa, Chestermere, AB (Harpreet Randhawa, AFS), University of Calgary

$1,500 scholarships

• Adele Winker, Victoria, BC (Robert Winker, AFS), University of British Columbia
• Annabel Lu, Ottawa, ON (Jie Wu, IT) University of British Columbia
• Antong Hou, Ottawa, ON (Jiali Shang, RE), Harvard University
• Cynthia Zhang, Ottawa, ON (Yanhui Tong, NR), University of Waterloo
• Diya Chakravarty, Ottawa, ON (Dipankar Chakravarty, SP,) University of Ottawa
• Isla Smith, Ottawa, ON (Murray Smith, SP), Bishop’s University
• Katherine Langille, Ottawa, ON (Heather Langille, SH), University of Waterloo
• Paul Felfli, Ottawa, ON (Georges Felfli, NR), Carleton University
• Ronan Briggs, Carp, ON (Stephanie Watson, SP), University of Ottawa
• Sophia Song Qu, Ottawa, ON (Haicheng Qu, NR), University of Waterloo/Wilfrid Laurier University
• Anna Reso, Maple, ON (Enton Reso, CFIA S&A), Queen’s University
• Grace Zhou, Oakville, ON (Amy Ly, AFS), Western University
• Joshua Dierickse, Waterloo, ON (Jie Dierickse, AFS), University of Waterloo
• Julia Gotovsky, Thornhill, ON (Gail Dangoor, SH), Western University
• Lisa Kappen, Brampton, ON (Sumy Kappen, AFS), McMaster University
• Julian Lau, Edmonton, AB (Andy Lau, IT), University of Toronto
• Marika Leblanc, Middle Sackville, NS (Stéphane Leblanc, SP) Sainte-Anne University

$1,000 scholarships

• Affaan Abid, Corman Park, SK (Aman Abid, NRC-RO/RCO), University of Saskatchewan
• Anil Singh, St Andrews, NB (Rabindra Singh, SP), University of New Brunswick

You can help us support a new generation of young professionals and make a difference in their lives.

Donate now