Following a disappointing meeting with Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) on November 7 2024, PIPSC is voicing concerns over the government’s approach to public service cuts. The union is disappointed by both the lack of consultation, and by TBS’s apparent lack of preparation, despite the fact that these cuts were first introduced in the 2024 budget. 

“We expect genuine engagement with our members and consultation at the departmental level,” said PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. “Without this, we risk seeing the same type of blanket cuts we saw during the Harper era—which had a detrimental impact on the programs and services Canadians rely on.”

While it’s encouraging to see TBS advising departments to cut back on consultants and contractors, only time will tell if departments will follow through. Without firm measures and oversight, this shift could become an empty promise, and our members will bear the brunt.

The government’s reassurance that cuts “will not affect services to Canadians” rings hollow when we consider the reality of attrition. 

“Every position left unfilled represents real work not being done and real services not being delivered to Canadians,” said Carr. “Every vacant position means fewer people doing the same amount of work—or more. Burnout among our members is an inevitable outcome of this approach.”

We are particularly concerned by ongoing cuts to training—as well as temporary, casual, term, and student positions. These roles often represent a first step for young workers into the public service, and cutting them is short-sighted. With a wave of retirements on the horizon, we should be investing in the next generation of public servants, not pushing them away. 

“These cuts threaten to create a lost generation in the public service at a time when we need new talent and fresh perspectives more than ever,” said Carr. 

It’s time for the government to reconsider its approach, ensure departments adhere to TBS guidance, and protect the essential services Canadians rely on.

OTTAWA, November 4, 2024 — The Government of Canada is committed to building its digital talent to deliver best-in-class digital programs and services for all Canadians.

Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, announced the first annual investment of $4.725 million to support the IT Community Training and Development Fund.

The fund aims to support the professional development of over 20,000 IT practitioners in the Government of Canada (GC) and was established under the latest collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC).

Managed jointly by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and PIPSC, this fund provides support to ongoing efforts to equip the government’s IT professionals with the latest digital skills and knowledge. In doing so, the fund helps to strengthen the capacity of the public service to design, deliver, and maintain robust, human-centered technology solutions and services.

By supporting the expertise and excellence of the public service, we can deliver effective, modern and citizen-focussed programs and services to Canadians.

Details of training and development opportunities are available via the GC Digital Talent Platform: IT Community Training and Development Fund | GC Digital Talent

Quotes

“The Government of Canada is building its digital talent to deliver best-in-class services to Canadian in the digital age. The IT Community Training and Development Fund will help our efforts to future-proof our public service by building in-house technical expertise to ensure we deliver high quality and reliable services that Canadians deserve.’’

• The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport

"This fund is a positive step in recognizing and supporting the career development of IT professionals who are the backbone of our federal government’s digital presence. This investment not only expands skill-building opportunities for our members but also has the potential to reduce the government’s reliance on outsourcing. By strengthening in-house expertise, we can preserve critical institutional knowledge, reduce dependency on IT consultants, and ensure the high-quality, cost-effective services Canadian taxpayers expect."

•  Jennifer Carr, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)

Quick facts

• The IT Community Training and Development Fund was launched in 2024 under the latest collective bargaining agreement with the IT Group with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC).

• A total amount of $4.725 million will be provided annually, starting April 1, 2024, for the duration of the current IT Collective Agreement to significantly invest in the enterprise-wide professional growth and skill enhancement of the GC's digital workforce, currently comprising of over 20,000 employees.

• The GC Digital Talent Strategy supports new digital skills development, recruitment and retention, including untapped and underrepresented sources of talent  to meet current and anticipated requirements of the digital community.

• The GC Digital Talent Strategy supports several Government of Canada strategies: The GC Application Hosting Strategy, The Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service, and GC Enterprise Cyber Security Strategy.

• In January 2024, the Government launched the new GC Digital Talent Platform, which serves as a centralized hub for connecting individuals, internal and external, with a wide range of digital and tech roles across the GC. The platform has approximately 850 prequalified applicants ready to be paired with digital opportunities in the federal public service. New job opportunities are posted on an ongoing basis.

Associated links

• Minister Anand announces the launch of the GC Digital Talent Platform to build a strong and diverse digital public service - Canada.ca
• Directive on Digital Talent

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For more information: 

Myah Tomasi
Press Secretary
Office of the President of the Treasury Board of Canada
Myah.Tomasi@tbs-sct.gc.ca
343-543-7210

Johanne Fillion 
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
Communications Officer
613-883-4900
jfillion@pipsc.ca

Media Relations
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Telephone: 613-369-9400
Toll-free: 1-855-TBS-9-SCT (1-855-827-9728)
Email: media@tbs-sct.gc.ca

OTTAWA, October 23, 2024 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) joins the Canadian Association of Public Employees (CAPE) in urging the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) to conduct a thorough investigation into the federal government's return-to-office (RTO) mandate. 

This call arises from growing concerns regarding the lack of evidence-based decision-making that led to the current mandate, the impact on employee productivity and morale, and serious health and safety concerns that have been raised by members of the public service. 

PIPSC is alarmed by the government's approach to returning employees to the office. This is particularly true in the wake of significant changes in work patterns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the known productivity gains of flexible telework, and the government’s own acknowledgement of its benefits. The union emphasizes that many public servants have adapted to flexible work models that enhance productivity and support work-life balance, which are at risk with the mandatory “one-size-fits-all” approach. 

“Our members are being forced to return to grossly inadequate offices without justification or consideration of the varying circumstances in which they operate,” said PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. “The lack of sound, evidence-based decision-making seriously impacts employees and wholly disregards the benefits of flexible working arrangements to all Canadians – from productivity gains to better equity, diversity, and inclusion, and opening up good public sector jobs across Canada.”

“Modern, flexible work models enhance public service delivery,” continued Carr. “Canadians should be concerned that the government chose an approach that erodes trust, morale, productivity and ultimately, the strength of public services Canadians rely on. We want answers – and a better path forward, which is why we’re demanding an investigation.”

See the letter to OGGO.

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

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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca

WHITEHORSE, October 7, 2024 — The Yukon Employees’ Union (YEU) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) are withdrawing from the Health and Human Resources Steering Committee (HHRC) effective immediately.

Despite an invitation to participate, the HHRC has not afforded the unions proper and equal consideration. Labour’s inclusion in the HHRC is largely symbolic, and the interests of healthcare workers are not being adequately considered. This is not consultation.

“Consultation is a two-way street. Currently, the interest of healthcare workers is being tokenized by the Yukon Government (YG) and the Yukon Hospital Corporation (YHC),” said YEU President Justin Lemphers.

On August 16^th, Minister on Health and Social Services, Tracy-Ann McPhee, highlighted the involvement of unions in the development of the Health and Human Resource Strategy (HHRS) while speaking to the media.

The average listener, after hearing Mcphee speak, will think that the unions played a pivotal role in shaping the contents of the Health and Human Resource Strategy (HHRS). In fact, concerns raised by the unions were not incorporated, and union representatives were often not given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully during meetings.

At the latest meeting, the HHRC provided an annual report for Committee endorsement and release to the public. This report represents an ongoing lack of employee engagement and the continued reliance on precarious for-profit staffing agencies to deliver healthcare in the Yukon; all of which the unions will not endorse.

“It is essential that the voices of healthcare workers are heard and respected in any strategy that affects their work and the quality of care provided, and we cannot continue to participate in a process where our contributions are not genuinely considered,” said Kathleen Chapman, PIPSC YHC Group President.

The HHRC, as it stands, is being chaired by representatives from the employer's side - one from the Yukon Hospital Corporation and one from the Yukon government. Unions are invited at the co-chairs' discretion, primarily to observe rather than actively participate, creating the appearance of union involvement without providing meaningful opportunities for input which is misleading to both the media and the public.

Union leadership refuses to let the will of our members be tokenized. Hundreds of workers represented by YEU and PIPSC are employed by YHC and YG. They deserve better.

Currently, YHC and the YG are relying on for-profit staffing agencies to address crisis level staffing shortages in the healthcare system. For example, a full-time unionized X-ray technician earns a maximum pay of $47/hour. Yet, for-profit staffing agencies are paid $120/hour to staff the same position for the very same work.

Workers deserve better. The unions believe that improving wages, enhancing work-life balance, and increasing the number of full-time unionized positions are essential to retaining local healthcare workers and attracting healthcare workers from other jurisdictions.

The HHRC is not looking towards sustainable solutions that are inclusive of healthcare worker concerns and insights, rather they are focused on maintaining broken solutions in a broken system.

Both YEU and PIPSC are willing to work with the government in collaboration to achieve the best outcome for healthcare workers here in the Yukon. To achieve that, the unions must first have a genuine seat at the table.

Our members work tirelessly every day to keep the healthcare system here in the Yukon running, they continue to deserve better. Until the HHRC provides a genuine platform for their voices to be heard, the unions will no longer continue to lend it our credibility and perpetuate this performative process.

OTTAWA, September 9, 2024 — Unions representing more than 330,000 federal public service workers are demanding that the government reverse its three-day in-office mandate and return to a policy of remote work flexibility. Beginning today, federal employees are being ordered to work from ill-equipped and unsanitary office buildings three days a week, despite a lack of proper workspaces or a coherent policy across departments.  

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) and the Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) have been united in their opposition to the government’s misguided mandate since it was announced May 1. 

Federal public service workers are holding protests across the country this week to contest the government’s policy and fight for a fair approach to remote work that puts workers and their families first.

Unions marked the beginning of the three-day mandate with a rally in front of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada building in Ottawa, which has a large inter-union local organizing committee mobilizing workers against the mandate.

“In a direct attack on Canadian taxpayers and basic logic, the government has decided to forge ahead with this ludicrous plan to pressure employees back into cramped and unfit office space that nobody wants or needs to be in,” said CAPE President Nathan Prier. “Our members are clogging up roadways, buses and trains to go to disgusting offices that don’t have space for them to sit on video calls that could be done more effectively at home. This mandate is not only exacerbating existing problems – it is creating new ones.”

As the future of work evolves, remote work has become more than just a temporary solution — it’s a proven model that enhances productivity and the well-being of workers. Flexible remote work policies allow workers to balance their professional and personal responsibilities, while reducing their environmental impact and strengthening local communities.

“Telework isn’t just a trend, it’s the future of work and the next frontier of workers’ rights,” said PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa. “We’ve seen firsthand how remote work improves peoples’ lives and makes our public service more inclusive and responsive to the needs of Canadians. That’s why we’re committed to fighting for a future that puts workers first.”

“In an increasingly competitive job market, the public service needs to position itself as an equitable and innovative employer,” said PIPSC National President Jennifer Carr. “By implementing progressive work policies, we can attract the brightest minds from across Canada – regardless of their geographic location – and retain the exceptional talent we already have.”

Some departments had previously told their employees that they would not be able to implement the three-day in-office policy by today’s deadline, as they simply do not have the space to accommodate the influx of staff. Arbitrary enforcement of this unnecessary policy has resulted in confusion and resentment across the federal public sector.  

Canada’s federal public service unions announced last week they will be launching a national campaign to reverse the government’s mandate and secure remote work rights in workers’ collective agreements. Remote work is the new standard. The flexibility to work remotely will be a requirement for the next generation of employees and is essential to ensure the public sector is modernized, adaptable and ready to overcome the challenges of the 21st century. 

OTTAWA, September 5, 2024 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is mobilizing public servants to push back against the Treasury Board's inflexible 3-day return-to-office (RTO) mandate. In a show of solidarity, PIPSC and other public sector unions held a rally today over lunch time in Ottawa downtown (corner of Laurier and Bank). 

PIPSC President Jenn Carr challenges the lack of rationale behind the mandate: "PIPSC represents some of the most data-driven professionals in Canada. So when the government makes a sweeping decision like this without solid data to back it up, we have to ask: what's really driving this?"

PIPSC's own data reveals significant concerns about the mandate's impact, particularly when it comes to equity and inclusion. 

"The government claims to care about growing a diverse workforce,” continued Carr. “But our recent survey shows this mandate will hit our most vulnerable members the hardest."

The survey highlighted that a majority of women worry about balancing work and personal responsibilities under the new policy. Persons with disabilities report being more than twice as likely to struggle with managing accommodations. Additionally, a substantial portion of LGBTQ2S+ and racialized members indicate they're likely to consider leaving their jobs over this mandate.

Looking at these numbers, Carr expressed concern about the impact of this mandate on the future of the public service. "This ill-informed, one-size rejection of presence with purpose will limit our ability to continue to attract and retain the best and brightest from coast to coast to coast, once again."

The union argues that the government's approach fails to consider the progress made in recent years, which showed the value of flexible work arrangements.

"So what are we left with?” asks Carr. “A policy that threatens to push out diverse talent, worsen mental health, and make life more difficult for those already struggling. And for what? A solution to a problem that doesn't exist."

PIPSC is calling on the government to provide clear, data-driven justification for the mandate and to implement flexible work arrangements that account for individual needs and circumstances. 

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

Public prosecutors approve deal, but warn work is needed to fix a criminal justice system in crisis

FREDERICTON, August 7, 2024 – The New Brunswick Crown Prosecutors Association (NBCPA) have voted to ratify a new collective agreement with the government. NBCPA President Shara Munn said that this deal makes welcome progress but warned it is just the first step towards fixing the recruitment and retention crisis eating away at New Brunswick’s criminal justice system.

“After lagging far behind other jurisdictions, this agreement will mean more competitive pay for New Brunswick’s prosecutors. It makes up for some lost ground,” explained Munn. “But our justice system is under tremendous pressure. To fix this crisis, the government must act urgently to stop the exodus of experienced prosecutors and bring in the new prosecutors we desperately need. This means giving Crown prosecutors and Family Crown Counsel the resources, support, and fair working conditions they need to do their jobs effectively.”  

The deal provides more competitive pay for both prosecutors and senior prosecutors and NBCPA members voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying their new tentative agreement, with 86% of ballots cast in favour of the new contract. 

“New Brunswick public prosecutors take immense pride in their work. They work under heavy workloads and challenging conditions to keep New Brunswick’s criminal justice system going,” said Eva Henshaw, Acting President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. “This was a hard-won victory and shows the solidarity and commitment of New Brunswick’s Crown Prosecutors and Family Crown Counsel. We thank the government for this meaningful first step towards progress for crown prosecutors, while recognizing that we still have work to do.”

Munn added that while the deal gives the government a new tool for improving retention and recruitment, New Brunswickers should understand vacancy rates remain alarmingly high in prosecution offices across the province.

“Too few prosecutors cover too many cases, leaving them overburdened and looking for an exit. Vacancy rates have reached disaster levels in offices across the province. This could put public safety at risk,” cautioned Munn. “That’s why we have been raising the alarm with the government for years. This deal is a step forward, but we still have a long road ahead for the government to give New Brunswickers the criminal justice system they deserve.”

PIPSC represents over 75,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government, and over 16,000 AFS members employed at the CRA. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

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For more information or to arrange an interview with NBCPA President Shara Munn please contact:

Stéphanie Montreuil – smontreuil@pipsc.ca or (613) 804-7267.

Prepare for the New Dental Contract

Starting November 1, 2024, both the Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) and the Pensioners' Dental Plan will transition to a new contract - both with Canada Life.  These plans cover most eligible PIPSC members in the Core Public Administration and at Separate Agencies, as well as eligible retirees from these employers.  This is an administrative change that does not affect coverage. To ensure the plan administrator's records are up-to-date, all covered members must complete positive enrollment. This step is essential to ensure the plan administrator has accurate and current information on file.

How to Maintain Coverage (PSDCP)

Online Account Holders: If you already have an online account, visit Canada Life’s PSDCP Member Services website to update your contact information, including your mailing address.

No Online Account?: If you don’t have an online account, you can call Canada Life’s PSDCP Member Contact Centre at 1-855-415-4414 between 8 am and 5 pm in your local time zone to confirm your personal information.

Starting in the late Summer, Canada Life will reach out via email, phone, and/or mail to provide you with instructions on how to positively enrol.  You must complete this very simple housekeeping measure to maintain your dental benefits.  If you are not contacted by October, please reach out to Canada Life directly.  

More information can be found on the Treasury Board's web page  and the Canada Life web page about the contract change.

How to maintain Pensioners' Dental Plan Coverage

A similar process will occur concurrently for retirees covered by the Pensioners' Dental Plan, which is administered by Sun Life. Please note that Canada Life will become the administrator of this plan, taking over from Sun Life, on November 1st 2024.  Ensuring your Sun Life records are correct will mean Canada Life receives the correct information when they need to contact you to enrol.  Dental claims should be submitted to Sun Life until October 31st, after which, all claims should be sent to Canada Life.  The date of the expense does not matter - only the date on which you are submitted the claim.  Note that your policy number will change.

PIPSC Supports Proactive Measures

Positive Enrollment is an important tool to keep plan premiums affordable and records accurate. PIPSC is pleased with these proactive steps to ensure the transition to the new dental contract is smooth and avoids the issues experienced during the Public Service Health Care Plan’s switch to Canada Life.  The Treasury Board appears to have learned valuable lessons from that experience  and union officials are in close contact with employer officials to monitor progress.

Plan Changes

Significant improvements to the PSDCP were tentatively announced.  Additional information on plan changes will be published when finalised.  A review of the Pensioners' Dental Plan, which is led by the designated representative for retirees - the National Association of Federal Retirees, is also underway.  Updates on that plan review process will be made available by NAFR as they progress.