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Our PA bargaining team returned to the table with Treasury Board, October 22–23. For the first time, the employer began responding to our proposals and in many cases signaled they were not prepared to agree to the improvements members are calling for.
That position is consistent with the mandate Treasury Board set for itself in its opening package, which emphasized "preserving and enhancing management authorities” rather than strengthening rights and improving conditions for workers.
Despite this, our bargaining team is pushing forward. At this session, we submitted a new proposal to create reasonable caseload limits for parole officers. This would protect the psychological health and safety of 1,600 parole officers who help offenders reintegrate back into society and keep our communities safe.
We also submitted a comprehensive proposal to improve workforce adjustment (WFA) and new articles on artificial intelligence and surveillance.
Strengthening workforce adjustment
We presented a proposal that strengthens our members' job security rights during WFA and fixes the biggest problems members face when navigating this stressful process.
Our proposal would:
- use seniority to make unbiased and objective decisions about the selection of employees for retention and lay-off (SERLO) and determining how reasonable job offers are given;
- prevent contracting out when members can do the work;
- prevent forced relocations and increase the use of remote work to prevent layoffs;
- increase the education allowance from $17,000 to $25,000 and offer language training;
- improve access to alternation and voluntary departure programs to minimize involuntary layoffs.
Last month, Treasury Board tabled a proposal that would remove workforce adjustment negotiations from the bargaining process just as thousands of federal public service workers face job cuts under the Liberal government. While PSAC members would still be covered by the National Joint Council (NJC) Work Force Adjustment Directive, members would no longer be able to collectively bargain or vote on WFA job security improvements under Treasury Board’s proposal.
To learn more about workforce adjustment, visit our resources page, which includes links to our members’ guide, frequently asked questions, alternation platform, WFA process flowchart, and more.
Guardrails on artificial intelligence, surveillance, and privacy
We also introduced new articles on artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, surveillance protections, and privacy to ensure new tools don’t become a backdoor for cuts, contracting out, surveillance, or discrimination.
Our proposal makes it clear that AI must assist — never replace — federal public service workers. People accessing public services should have the right to speak to a human, not a chatbot. No automated system should be used to make or support decisions that affect workers’ rights, duties, or conditions of employment. All employment-related decisions — including hiring, performance management, and discipline — must remain human decisions.
Because surveillance is a top concern for members, especially those who work remotely, the proposal outlines strong protections, including:
- the employer cannot use electronic monitoring to track productivity or evaluate workers;
- remote workers cannot be singled out for enhanced electronic tracking or surveillance;
- the union must receive advance notice and full disclosure before any monitoring tools are introduced or modified.
The proposals also ensure strong privacy and data protection, including strict limits on the use of personal and equity data.
What comes next
Our PA team meets the employer again December 3–4. We’ll keep members informed as talks progress. Here’s how you can support our bargaining team now:
- Read the full proposals to find out exactly what we’re fighting for.
- Get to know your bargaining team so you know who represents your interests.
- Talk to your coworkers about what’s on the table and why it matters to you.
- Get involved early by attending rallies, info pickets, lunch-and-learns, and mobilization events in your area.
- Subscribe to our mailing list to get the latest bargaining news as it happens.
- Download bargaining graphics to show visible support at work and online.
