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Our TC bargaining team returned to the table with the Treasury Board on October 29–30. They received initial responses to our non-monetary proposals and discussed several key issues that matter to our members.
Our team raised members’ disappointment about being left out of the government’s recent pension reform announcement. While the commitment to let frontline workers retire with dignity after 25 years of service is long overdue, many TC members including fisheries, environment, and wildlife officers are still excluded. We made it clear that this is a priority for our members, and we will keep fighting until they have access to fair and equitable retirement.
A proposal on climate change was tabled to help reduce emissions and support greener workplaces. It calls for reimbursements for public transit and carpooling, as well as access to electric vehicle charging stations and secure storage for bikes and scooters.
We also provided a comprehensive workforce adjustment (WFA) proposal to make the process fairer, more compassionate, and transparent, along with new articles on artificial intelligence and surveillance to strengthen job security and protect members privacy and rights at work.
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 Carney 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
Your TC team meets the employer again December 10–11. We’ll keep members informed as talks progress. Here’s how you can support your bargaining team now:
- Read the full proposals so, you know 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.
