Dear members,
Happy Canada Day, everyone. For those of you far from home, I hope that you were able to celebrate with friends overseas. For those of you in the National Capital Region, I hope you stayed dry and safe from the terrible flooding that came in the afternoon. Things have been slowing down with summer approaching and I hope that those of you not in the throes of moving will get some time to relax and take a break as well.
Work Force Adjustment & ERI
WFA and ERI are continuing apace across the federal government. The remaining FS04s at headquarters received opting letters on July 2. Those currently in the middle of assignments abroad will get them in early 2027. PAFSO continues to work with the affected individuals to support acceptable solutions for all and make sure our members are properly represented. Remember that should you have questions, those of you at GAC can reach out to the WFA mailbox (RDE-WFA@international.gc.ca) for all WFA issues..
We also understand that ERI applications are being processed at both IRCC and GAC and are being accepted so long as basic qualifying criteria are met. If you are planning to apply, don’t forget that the final deadline is July 24, 2026. You can find more details on the program at the official website.
FSD 33 Education Assistance at a Lycée in Canada
PAFSO is aware that the Lycée has changed its fee structure for the coming year, and this is causing possible shortfalls between the fees and the FSD allowances. If you have run into this problem, please contact info@pafso.com and you will be referred to a Labour Relations Advisor who can assist you in navigating your options.
Changes to Hardship Levels at Missions
Since GAC announced the most recent changes to the methodology for calculating hardship levels at missions abroad, we’ve heard from you about discrepancies affecting some posts. While the levels at most missions have stayed the same or gone up, GAC is currently investigating several anomalies to see if revisions might be required. If you believe your post has been incorrectly rated, we recommend pursuing the issue with your mission management so they can request a review. Although this will not be a fast process, PAFSO will continue to engage with management to ensure you are fairly and properly compensated for the hardship you and your families face while serving Canada abroad.
PAFSO 60th Anniversary Book
I am very pleased to announce that we’re almost ready to publish Diplomatic Notes. We’re looking forward to having a book that shows the real work the foreign service community does to advance Canadian interests, and the sacrifices you and your families make along the way.
The majority of the book consists of reprints of articles from bout de papier through the years, along with a mix of original essays and interviews to illustrate key moments in the history of the Foreign Service group. We are in the final editing stages, and it should be off to the printer by mid-July with hard copies in hand by mid -September and the e-book ready for distribution at the same time. Once it is available, we will let you know how to access the e-version, and how to purchase hard copies if you so desire.
Save the date—Annual General Meeting 19 October
This year’s AGM will take place virtually on Monday, October 19, at 1600 Ottawa time. Please mark your calendars and watch out for the formal announcement, along with the call for nominations for ExCom.
PAFSO Breakfast with Steve Chapman of the National Association of Federal Retirees on July 14 at 0900 Ottawa Time
Please join me for our final webinar of the season with Steve Chapman, retired PAFSO members and President of the Ottawa Chapter of National Association of Federal Retirees (NAFR). Steve will give us an overview of NAFR’s work, with a particular focus on the ways his organization can help those of you transitioning to retirement in the near future.
Please register for the session here.
PAFSO YouTube Channel
Did you know that we have a YouTube channel. We post most of our PAFSO breakfasts and webinars of interest to members there. They are all publicly available so we do not post those events that could be sensitive, but you will find a lot of useful information on FSDs, retirement and financial planning along with fun interviews with authors who were either former FS or who have an interest in international relations. Please check it out here.
As always, should you have any other concerns at work, do not hesitate to reach out to us. That’s what we’re here for. 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 email with your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns. You can click here to learn more about all the member services PAFSO has to offer. 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.
Until next time, please take care of yourselves and each other.
Pamela Isfeld
President of PAFSO