Dear members,
I hope that some of you are heading into a restful summer period. Of course, those of you moving this summer are gearing up for that endeavour. I wish you luck. The PAFSO office continues apace with member service and our ongoing engagement with the employer to ensure our best interests are served.
Exchange of Collective Bargaining Proposals
Earlier this week, we exchanged non-monetary proposals with the Employer. This is only the first step in what is normally a long and intensive process. The next step provides some time for both sides to assess the proposals and prepare for our time at the bargaining table. This period generally lasts 3-4 months, so we do not expect to sit with the Employer at the table until September or October.
In viewing the Employer’s proposal, as expected, we do not envision a quick or easy round of bargaining. Our Bargaining Team is well equipped to defend our proposal and rebut those of the Employer that we believe will erode our rights and benefits. I ask you to be patient, understand the need for confidentiality at this point in the negotiations, and trust the process as we move forward with our priority issues at the bargaining table.
National Labour-Management Consultation Committee (NLMCC) meeting at GAC
The week I attended the NLMCC at GAC. This is a regular meeting between bargaining agents and senior officials at GAC every six months. This most recent meeting was the first one with the new slate of Deputy Ministers, and we covered a variety of topics including the latest on Work Force Adjustment (WFA) and the implementation of the Early Retirement Incentive (ERI), the use of AI, and a report from the Well-being Ombud.
There is not much new for PAFSO on the WFA front now that the reduction target for FS03s has been met via voluntary departure, “affected” status has formally been rescinded for that group. The remaining GAC FS04s now await formal notification of their opting status. Our office is providing ongoing support to those members as necessary.
GAC has also confirmed that the ERI applications for all qualified applicants are going forward. Applications received before the end of May have been processed, and more are expected by the July deadline. (Please refer to the Employer’s ERI website for more information)
We took the opportunity at this meeting to raise our concerns about overall cuts to Canada’s foreign service at a time of increasing and critical international engagement, as well as to flag the impact of staff reductions on your workload. We will no doubt be doing so again over coming months as the repercussions of losing the significant knowledge and expertise of our FS04 cadre and other colleagues is felt throughout our diplomatic network.
On the AI front, GAC’s stated goal is to target efforts towards building a secure AI foundation, shaping a high-performing organization, fostering innovation and experimentation and to leverage AI to enhance Canada’ diplomatic, trade, consular and assistance efforts. A mix of off-the-shelf and custom tools are envisaged. From a bargaining agent perspective, particular focus was paid to ensuring that a human-centric approach was paramount, that decision-making and key analysis functions were maintained by our members, and that AI use not disadvantage member development.
The Well-being Ombud reported that 40% of the mission network had an e-inspection survey with 61% response rate. The February GAC check-in survey had 34% of employees reply, the second highest rate since they began. The results highlighted the pressure, uncertainty, and change fatigue affecting morale in the department. Going forward, the Ombud intends to focus on support related to on-going CER (WFA) impacts, enhanced prevention and support for high-risk roles and psychological support for trauma-inducing situations.
Although we agree with these priorities, I took the opportunity to advocate for the need to appoint a new Employee-side Co-champion for Psychological Well-being, since the position has been vacant since I stepped down in December 2024. The deputies agreed that this resource is needed now more than ever, and I will be following up with them to see how I can assist in finding a new Co-Champion.
Webinar on FSDs and Your First Posting – available on YouTube
We had a good turnout for our FSD webinar last week. The webinar has now been posted on the PAFSO YouTube channel, and you can watch it here.
Canadian International Council Mentorship Wrap-up Event on June 23: start time changed to *1800**
Those of you who are participating in our joint mentorship program with the Canadian International Council should have received an e-mail from them informing you that—in order to accommodate the timing of the FIFA schedule—our wrap up reception will now begin at 1800 (rather than 1700 as previously advertised). If you haven’t already confirmed your attendance, please do so at this link https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-cic-ncb-mentorship-program-summer-mixer-event-tickets-1990826133557 I hope to see as many mentors and mentees there as possible to mark the end of a great year.
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