As I enter my second three-year term as your President, my commitment to you remains as strong as ever: PAFSO will fight to ensure that our members – and our profession – get the resources, support, and respect that they deserve.
The work that you do is important, vital and essential to Canada and Canadians both at home and abroad. This is the message that I will continue to deliver at the National Joint Council and other labour-management fora, with parliamentarians, decision-makers, other external stakeholders, and in the media.
Under the emerging climate of belt-tightening and austerity, PAFSO will work to ensure that the Employer never forgets that cuts to Canada’s professional Foreign Service carry significant threats to Canada’s sovereignty and identity by weakening our national security frameworks. They put at risk our trade relationships, our capacity to help the world’s most vulnerable, our influence on the world stage, and our ability to protect our citizens abroad. And all this at a time when we are facing unprecedented threats.
The upcoming negotiations for our new collective agreement offer us an opportunity to ensure that our members are adequately compensated, protected, and recognized. This will be a top priority for me and my team. We have a full staff of dedicated professionals ready to assist you.
I would especially like to encourage you all to deepen your involvement with PAFSO. Whether through attending our events, volunteering for committees, or sharing your expertise, your participation makes our union stronger. Together, we can set new standards for labour rights, protect the status of our profession and build a more resilient Foreign Service community.
As your President, I am committed to ensuring that all voices in our organization are heard. I believe in the power of consensus-building and collaborative solutions. My door is always open, and I look forward to working with you to protect and advance our professional interests.