Dear members,
There have been some major developments since my last message to you three weeks ago –both in Canada and on the world stage. As Foreign Service officers, many of you are engaged in dealing with the ramifications of tariff discussions and other decisions being made by the new US administration. While these developments provide an opportunity to showcase the important role you play in activities like facilitating diplomatic contacts, supporting negotiations, and assisting Canadian business, they have created many challenges.
Many of you have also been seized by the difficulties facing our us counterparts, particularly those employed by USAID. Early last week, I reached out to my counterpart at the American foreign service association to express PAFSO’s solidarity and support in the face of the shocking decision to recall all of the agency’s personnel, along with their families, and to shut down its operations world-wide. They have launched legal action to stop the move. We are also in touch with Public Services International, which is currently working with the largest US unions on the broader issues facing public servants. Over the coming days, we will liaise with these groups on the best way to support them and will keep members in the loop.
With this context in mind, I’ll move on to events closer to home, starting with some good news for PAFSO members first.
The new FSDs
I’m very pleased to finally announce that the new set of Foreign Service Directives have been signed off by all parties. Despite a late December cabinet shuffle and the prorogation of parliament in early January, the revised directives were signed off last week by Treasury Board President Ginette Petitpas Taylor. They are currently in translation and are scheduled to be published on the first of March and come into effect on April first.
I’d like to extend my thanks to our FSD negotiator, Paul Raven, as well as ExCom member Logann McNamara, for their many months of hard work through what has been a long, and at times frustrating, process. Paul and I are planning to hold a few information sessions in early March in order to go over the new changes in the FSDs. I’ll let you know more once we’ve landed on some dates and times for those. Please also keep an eye on our website for additional information when the directives are published.
Work force adjustment (WFA) at IRCC
Unfortunately, not all of my news is good. In mid-January, at an ad-hoc National Labour-Management Consultation Committee meeting we were informed that IRCC was to undergo a Work Force Adjustment. The department is planning to cut about 3,300 jobs over the course of the next three years. This represents approximately a quarter of its current work force.
It is important to know that your collective agreement has protections against job cuts. These are defined by the National Joint Council’s Work Force Adjustment Directive. First and foremost, it is the Employer’s duty to “maximize employment opportunities for indeterminate employees affected by work force adjustment situations, primarily through ensuring that, wherever possible, alternative employment opportunities are provided to them.” The directive stipulates that those employees affected by a WFA and for whom the Employer can predict employment availability will receive a guarantee of a reasonable job offer within the core public service administration. Those for whom this guarantee cannot be provided will have access to transitional employment adjustments.
Basically, being in a WFA situation does not mean an immediate layoff, but rather it’s a structured process that can span over a number of years. The WFA Directive details the many steps involved in the process, but for a quick overview, our team has put together this FAQ as well as this 10-step WFA flowchart available on our site, which I invite you to consult.
At the time I write this, the Department has yet to notify affected employees that their services may no longer be required. Though, in our meetings with the Employer, we have been informed that this will most likely be happening sometime next week. The Employer will be providing that list to us as well, which we will use to build a separate mailing list to contact those impacted by the WFA directly.
As we go through this process, please note that there are mechanisms in place should you feel that the WFA process is being carried out unfairly or that the directive is not being interpreted correctly. Our Labour Relations Team will be there to help you identify your best course of action.
We are currently working with our team to put together some briefing sessions to help you better understand the process and share with you the services PAFSO will be able to offer. Keep an eye out for those details in the coming weeks, and as always, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on this file at every step of the way.
We understand that there are currently no plans to go through a similar process at GAC, although we are keeping a watchful eye on the situation there. We will of course keep all of you in the loop on what we learn.
PAFSO 60 and Nominations for the Diamond Jubilee Award
PAFSO is turning 60 this year. Join us on Wednesday, June 4, at the National Gallery of Canada to mark this important milestone.
A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the PAFSO 60 Diamond Jubilee Award to recognize the exceptional achievements of our members. Nominations for this prestigious award are open until April 4, 2025. You learn more about the award and the nominations process here on our site.
As well, our events committee which has been hard at work planning this event is looking for a few more volunteers to help out as the date approaches. If you would like to get involved in planning for this momentous event, please send an email to Marty Johnston and let him know.
A conversation with Tim Martin on his book Unwinnable Peace
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hosting Tim Martin at our PAFSO Breakfast. Tim is a former PAFSO member, Head of Mission, and Representative of Canada in Kandahar. Most recently, he has written a book, Unwinnable Peace, on his experiences during Canada’s longest war. For those who were unable to attend, our discussion on the lessons learned for Canada in the Afghanistan conflict, and on the value of diplomats in complex conflict situations is available to watch here, on our YouTube channel.
Webinar on the Future of the FS Group at IRCC, 27 February at 1200 Ottawa time
On Thursday, February 27, I will be joined by IRCC’s Director of Workforce Management, Sylvain de Cotret, for a webinar on the department’s plans for the future of the FS group. Given the recent news, I am certain many of you will be interested in what Sylvain has to share. This event was originally scheduled for January, so if you signed up to that session, you do not need to register again. Otherwise, please click here to register. If you have specific questions you would like me to raise with Sylvain, please let me know by sending them to info@pafso.com before close of business Ottawa time on February 25.
Invitation to join the Canadian Diplomatic Family Network
On Monday this week, you should have received an email inviting PAFSO member spouses and family members over the age of 18 to join the CDFN at no cost. The CDFN is a new independent organization dedicated to enhancing the experience of diplomatic families when accompanying our members at post. PAFSO is proud to support this initiative that aims to improve the lives our members and their loved ones while living and working abroad in the service of Canada. You can learn more about the CDFN and the many resources they offer by visiting their website.
Nominations for President to open soon
Ashley Durec, chair of the PAFSO Nominations Committee, has informed me that nominations for PAFSO President will open within the next couple of weeks. Please keep your eyes open for a separate e-mail on this subject. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the process, please contact Ashley via info@pafso.com.
That wraps things up for this week’s message. Stay tuned for more details on our FSD information sessions as well as our IRCC WFA briefings.
In the meantime, you can always reach out to us if you are having issues with your pay; if you feel harassed or discriminated against; if you have a grievance or a staffing complaint; or if you simply need some clarifications on our collective agreement of the FSDs. We’re here for you. Just send us an email with your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns and we’ll put you in touch with our Labour Relations team. For anything and everything else, just email info@pafso.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
We’ll chat again in two weeks. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President
@PafsoPresApase