The government’s plan to cut nearly $15 billion in programs and services over the next four years is a major step backwards when they should be focused on building a strong social safety net when Canadians need it most. 

The use of scab labour by the Iqaluit Housing Authority is yet more proof that robust anti-scab legislation can’t come soon enough. Legislation that puts workers first would prevent employers from using scabs instead of working to resolve labour disputes in good faith. 

Using students to do the work of border service officers was a critical issue raised by our FB bargaining team when talks with Treasury Board/CBSA continued March 21-23. PSAC-CIU was particularly alarmed by remarks from CBSA President Erin O’Gorman who told a parliamentary committee, “I would say that our student BSOs become, to a large extent, our permanent workforce.” 

PSAC expects the federal government to invest in strong public services in its 2023 budget to build an economy that puts working people first and prevents Canadians from falling further behind. 

Following eight months of negotiations with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), PSAC’s bargaining team has made the difficult decision to declare impasse for more than 4,100 members working at CFIA, and will file for conciliation.