Dear members,
Here we are in September, and I am marking the official beginning of my new three-year term as your president. It’s already back to school, and summer here in the NCR is coming to its end. I’ve even seen a few red leaves here and there. We’re heading into a busy fall and have been laying the groundwork with some major changes to the organization.
Organizational Changes at PAFSO
In the last few months, we at PAFSO have been working on realigning our strengths in order to better meet the challenges that lie ahead. We have made some changes to our organizational structure, creating a new Labour Relations Team Leader position and reintroducing the Executive Director position.
The new Labour Relations Team Leader position was established to head our LRA team and align PAFSO’s labour relations strategies with the organization’s objectives, while providing advice on complex cases, and participating in various labour-management forums.
I’m very happy to announce that this new role will be filled by our own Bertrand Myre. We are very fortunate to be able to leverage Bert’s considerable expertise and experience to help us navigate the government’s current efforts to reduce operating costs. As General Manager, Bert has been instrumental to PAFSO in leading us through several important files, such as the Canada Life fiasco, the Work Force Adjustment at IRCC earlier this year, and this most recent expenditure review. We are pleased to be able to continue to rely on his experience, strong strategic thinking and instinct for conflict management in this new role, which will allow him to devote maximum attention to protecting members’ interests.
I’m also pleased to introduce PAFSO’s new Executive Director, Dan Whalen, who might already be known to some of you. Dan is a lawyer who served as a Foreign Service Officer for over ten years. Before leaving the Foreign Service in 2018, he represented Canada abroad in two overseas hardship postings – in Egypt, during the Arab Spring, and later in Saudi Arabia. At headquarters, Dan worked primarily in the International Law Branch. He comes to us most recently from a senior directorship at Public Services and Procurement Canada and just graduated from the National Security Programme with the Canadian Armed Forces.
As Executive Director, Dan will work with me and the Executive Committee on overall strategic planning, policy, and implementation, and will oversee PAFSO’s daily operations including corporate services and staff management.
With this realignment of our strengths and expertise, we are confident that we are in the best possible position to weather the current climate of austerity within the Federal Government and position ourselves for success in the next round of collective bargaining. Particularly within the context of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review, PAFSO is well prepared to fight for your rights, to defend your profession, and to promote the essential work that you do.
The Comprehensive Expenditure Review
Based on the timelines that were shared with us, the departments were scheduled to have submitted their cost savings plans to Treasury Board last week. However, at this time, we have not seen details of their plans. As a result, the measures IRCC or GAC may implement in order to reach their cost reduction targets remain unclear.
As the old adage says: “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” PAFSO’s hope is that the departments recognize the importance and value of Canada’s professional Foreign Service, and advocate for maximum protection for the positions and resources our work requires. But, rest assured, we are prepared should that not be the case. For the better part of a year, we have been ramping up for this expected review. The structural realignment mentioned above is the latest part of our plan.
Annual General Meeting
The 60th PAFSO Annual General Meeting, is scheduled for Monday, October 20, at 1600, Ottawa time. The meeting will be held virtually, so, if you would like to participate, please let us know by sending an email to agm-aga@pafso-apase.com with your name and department. A formal meeting invitation with the full agenda and all related documents will be sent to registered participants at a date closer to the event.
Executive Committee Openings: nomination deadline extended
As we head into a particularly interesting and challenging period for the Canadian Foreign Service, PAFSO’s Executive Committee members will be in a position to make a real difference on the issues that affect you, your colleagues and your families directly. If you have views, serving on ExCom an excellent opportunity to turn them into action.
This year, there are 10 positions to fill on the committee, including one (1) for FPDS, one (1) for TD, one (1) for FSIA, two (2) for Immigration, two (2) for MCO, and three (3) for members at large. For those interested in putting their name forward for one of these positions, more information, including the nomination form with the Terms of Reference and Code of Conduct, is available on our website. If you want to know more about the role of the Executive Committee and the time requirement expected from members, we have a helpful webinar here on our YouTube channel that explains it all.
In order to give more people a chance to come forward, the deadline to submit your nomination for the Executive Committee has been extended by two weeks. You have until Friday, 12 September at 5pm to send in your nomination form. Nominees will be confirmed at the AGM.
Nominations for Randy Orr Memorial Award extended until 12 September
Immediately following our AGM, we will be holding a ceremony to present the Randy Orr Memorial Award, which recognizes exceptional volunteer service to the foreign service community. Nominations are open to anyone, including PAFSO members, their families, and other colleagues who have contributed outside the framework of their paid employment to improving the lives of those who serve Canada abroad.
We have extended this deadline to Friday, September 12 in order to give you a chance to nominate such an exceptional person. Please send an email to info@pafso.com outlining who they are, what they have done, when, and why it made a difference. Your nomination should be supported by three people, including at least one current regular PAFSO member.
Preliminary Consultations on Collective Bargaining
As our current collective agreement is set to expire in June next year, one of the items on our AGM agenda will be an update on collective bargaining. In preparation for that discussion, we will be seeking your views on key priorities for a new contract.
To that end, we will be circulating a short questionnaire on the subject between now and the AGM. I will also be holding an informal Zoom consultation on Wednesday, September 17 at 1130 Ottawa time. You can register for the webinar here.
CCIL Panel on Careers in Public International Law September 18 at 1300
Our friends at the Canadian Council of International Law are offering an online webinar on careers in public international law on September 18, 2025, from 13:00 to 14:00 EDT. Moderated by Camille Lefebvre (Humphrey Fellow 2021), the panel will feature Professor Kimberley Trapp (Humphrey Fellow 2006) and Professor Jeff King (Humphrey Fellow 2005), both faculty members at University College London (UCL) Faculty of Laws. They will share valuable insights into building an international career and navigating opportunities abroad. A live Q&A session with the audience will follow the panel. Click here to register for this session.
PAFSO Group Insurance
As we finish up one posting season and prepare to enter the next, our Insurance Committee has asked me to remind you all of the uniquely tailored insurance programs available to PAFSO members.
As a PAFSO member, you have access to our own group life insurance program as well as specialized home and auto insurance designed for Foreign Service Officers. You can also sign up to ServicePlus and take advantage of a wide range wide range of exclusive promotions on entertainment, clothing, electronics, furniture, travel, insurance and more.
I have also been asked to mention that the Insurance Committee is looking for one or two more members to join their committee this year. So, if you’d like to help out with this very vital program, please send an email to Marty Johnson and let him know.
Congratulations and thanks to Adam Beauchemin
Finally, I’m both happy and sad to announce that Adam Beauchemin will be leaving our Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations Team for a great new reporting job at CTV. A graduate of Carleton’s Master of Journalism programme, Adam has been a key figure in our office since 2023, when he joined us to help stick-handle the re-launch of bout de papier. Since then, he has worked on a number of key projects including our advocacy videos and served as the Chief Editor of our upcoming 60th anniversary book, Dip Notes.
Although we will miss him on our team, we’re looking forward to keeping our eyes on him in this next phase of his career.
That’s it for this week’s message. Unless we hear of any major developments concerning the CER, you’ll hear from me in two weeks’ time.
In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out to us if you are having any concerns at work. Are you having issues with your pay? Do you feel harassed or discriminated against? Do you have a grievance or a staffing complaint? Or do you just want some clarifications on our collective agreement or the FSDs? Whatever the case, PAFSO is here for you. Just send us an emailwith your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns. For anything and everything else, please send us an email at info@pafso.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President