As the government moves ahead with plans to cut tens of thousands of federal public service jobs, Treasury Board has tabled a proposal that would strip workers of the power to negotiate improvements to the workforce adjustment process. 

During negotiations with PA, EB, TC, and SV groups from September 10 to 18, Treasury Board proposed removing the Workforce Adjustment Appendix (WFAA) from the collective agreements of more than 155,000 PSAC members.  

If that happened, members would only be covered by the National Joint Council (NJC) Work Force Adjustment Directive. Unlike collective bargaining, the NJC process doesn’t let members negotiate improvements directly or vote on job security language. 

Why this matters 

The strongest improvements to workforce adjustment have always come from PSAC members fighting for them at the table. That’s why PSAC enshrined workforce adjustment in our contracts in 1998 — and why we've strengthened these protections every round since. 

This round, our bargaining teams will be tabling proposals to apply equitable seniority in determining layoffs, reduce involuntary relocations, maximize employment opportunities through telework as an alternative to relocation, and more. 

With sweeping job cuts on the horizon, workers need stronger job security — not weaker. PSAC will continue fighting to improve these vital protections. 

Group-specific updates 

• EB group: Treasury Board wasn’t prepared to engage meaningfully with the team — delaying discussions and admitting they don’t yet have a mandate. At the same time, they said they’re still costing and assessing our proposals. While we have concerns about the employer’s approach, it’s still early and the bigger picture of these negotiations has yet to emerge. 
   
• PA group: We tabled our proposal on injury-on-duty leave and challenged the employer’s concessions that would negatively impact equity-deserving groups. It’s clear the employer is targeting the hours of work protection for IS employees, but our team will fight back. 
   
• SV group: We tabled proposals on compassionate care leave, statement of duties, and compensatory leave. The employer presented us with proposals on union leave, implementation, pay simplification, and work force adjustment. We expressed our concern with several of their proposals that would cut back on allowances and premiums, including overtime and the HVAC allowance. 
   
• TC group: The employer tabled concessions that would remove recourse for late implementation of the collective agreement and put up barriers for union activities. They also proposed changes to simplify pay rules under the new pay system that raised serious concerns for shift workers. We tabled improvements to caregiving leave and pushed back against the employer’s concessions. 

The next bargaining dates are scheduled for October 22-23 for PA and SV, and October 29-30 for TC and EB. 

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