Dear members,
I want to start this week’s message by letting you know how pleased I am to be carrying on in my role as President of PAFSO.
Over the past three years I have been able to achieve several positive developments for our membership, from strong collective bargaining agreements to the establishment of an advocacy and stakeholder relations program, to clear strategic planning for the future of our association. These form a strong foundation from which we will navigate the current climate of political and economic uncertainty. My focus for this next term will be job and career security for our members, the strengthening of supports for those posted abroad, and the economic and professional well-being of our occupational group.
I want to thank you for your continuing trust in my leadership. As you know, since 2019, I have been dedicated to ensuring that PAFSO is well positioned to meet the challenges faced by the FS community. And now I look forward to continuing this project and defending, protecting and promoting our profession for the next three years.
With that out of the way, let me update you on a few items this week.
The new FSDs
As you know, the NJC recently published the updated set of Foreign Service Directives on their website. These new provisions represent some major improvements such as increased flexibility on travel, more support for children with disabilities, and a streamlining of the processes for establishing the status of common law partners and adult dependents.
You can learn more about the changes in this detailed listing of all the changes made to the directives that will come into effect on 1 April in this NJC communiqué. They have also produced an FAQ on the changes which you can find here on their site.
On our end, we held two information sessions over the last few weeks to walk members through the more significant changes to the directives and to answer any questions members had about the review process. For those who were unable to attend, we have made available a recording of the first session here on our YouTube channel. The second session can be found here. It features an interesting Q&A piece starting around the 80-minute mark. Please note that we have since clarified the fact that FSD51 amounts will continue to be calculated based on the lowest available fare.
We’re hiring
PAFSO is currently looking to add to its Labour Relations team. We are seeking an experienced, proactive, and autonomous individual with excellent analytical and communications skills to add to our team of Labour Relations advisors. As part of PAFSO’s efforts to foster a workforce representative of the diverse FS community, we particularly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, people living with disabilities, persons of all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions. If you know anyone who would be a good candidate for this position, please pass along this job posting, and feel free to share it on your social and professional networks. The deadline for applications is next Friday, March 28 at 4pm, Ottawa time.
PAFSO 60
Tickets for PAFSO 60, our 60th anniversary gala cocktail reception, went on sale last Friday. You can get yours here on our Eventbrite page. I hope you will be able to join us on 4 June for an evening of great food, great company and the opportunity to celebrate our great profession. Our space at the National gallery is limited, so make sure to get your tickets before they sell out. All IRCC and GAC employees, and plus-ones are welcome.
The evening will also include the presentation of the PAFSO 60 Diamond Jubilee Award to a deserving colleague who has shown exceptional dedication to their work in a particular situation or throughout their career. If this sounds like someone you know, you have until April 4 to submit their nomination. You can find out more about the Diamond Jubilee Award and the nominations process here on our site.
The passing of former Executive Director Kim Coles
I was deeply saddened last Friday when I learned of the passing of Kim Coles, who served as PAFSO’s Executive Director from 2019 to 2022. Kim was a bright and shining presence both at work and as a friend. Her legacy at PAFSO will live on with all of us – those of us who worked with her directly, as well as everyone she touched in her role as Executive Director. PAFSO is a better place because of her and her spirit will always be a guiding light for our organization.
Our deepest condolences go out to Kim’s family and friends during this difficult time. You can find Kim’s obituary here as well as more information on condolences and donations on this site.
The loss of PAFSO member Jessica Mills
We also learned last week about the sad passing of PAFSO member Jessica Mills – a member of our Management-Consular stream – and offer our condolences to her loved ones. I did not know Jessica myself, but those who did remember her for her energy, professionalism and commitment to making the world a better place. Her obituary, along with information on the fundraiser for her young son, can be found here.
That’s it for this week’s message. If you are in the NCR, I hope you are enjoying this first official day of spring as much as I am. It feels like it’s been a long winter.
In the meantime, 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, do not hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here for you. 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 talk again on April 4. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President
@PafsoPresApase