Dear members,
I hope this message finds you well. Here in the National Capital Region, the leaves are at their peak, and the mornings are getting crisp. Wherever you are in the world, I hope the season is treating you kindly. There’s a lot to cover this week, so let me catch you up. I have an update from the bargaining table, a look at what the government’s latest consular data report says about the work you do, a final reminder about our Annual General Meeting, a note on group life insurance for our newest members, and an invitation to the Edith Holtom Memorial Lecture with Bob Rae.
Collective Bargaining: An Update from the Table
Our first bargaining sessions with the Employer for this round took place on Wednesday, October 7, and Thursday, October 8. I’m pleased to report that both days were productive and proceeded well.
I know many of you are keen to hear more, but as you’ll understand, I can’t share what’s discussed at the table. What I can promise is that I’ll keep you posted on our progress through these messages. Our next sessions are scheduled for November 24, 25, and 26. In the meantime, if you have questions about how the process works, or what an expired collective agreement means for your pay and working conditions, our collective bargaining FAQ is the best place to start.
Canada’s Consular Work, by the Numbers
I want to take a moment to share some numbers that tell an important story. Global Affairs Canada recently published its Annual Consular Data Report for 2025 to 2026, and it’s a powerful reminder of what so many of our members do every day. Between April 2025 and March 2026, consular officials opened 7,436 cases, issued 208,174 travel documents abroad, and handled 289,254 enquiries through the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre and the Contact Centre for Canadians in the United States. And during the year’s crises in the Middle East, more than 1,500 Canadians, permanent residents, and immediate family members were helped to leave the region.
One figure really stood out to me. Canadians actually travelled less last year, making about 33.4 million trips compared with 38.8 million the year before, and yet the number of consular cases still went up by about 3%. More and more of those cases involve arrests, deaths abroad, medical emergencies, missing persons, victims of crime, and family matters, on top of large-scale emergency responses. In other words, the work isn’t just busier; it’s getting harder.
Behind every one of these numbers are people, many of them our members, at missions abroad and here in Ottawa, working long hours under real pressure and often in the public eye. To all of you: thank you. This is work that rarely makes the news when it goes well, and it’s exactly why PAFSO will keep making the case for the people, training, surge capacity, and attention to well-being and duty of care that it requires.
Annual General Meeting: See You on Monday
Our 61st AGM is this coming Monday, October 19, at 1600, Ottawa time. It will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams, so you can join us wherever you are in the world.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, I’d really encourage you to look through the meeting documents before Monday. They’re available on our website in English and in French, and you’ll need to log in with your pafso.com account to see them. If you don’t have an account yet, don’t worry: you can register on the website here right away. (We will not be able to process new website logins during the AGM itself, so sign up for one now!)
And if you haven’t registered for the meeting itself, there’s still time. Just email agm-aga@pafso-apase.com with your name and department before 1530, Ottawa time, on Monday, and we’ll send you the details on how to connect.
I’m also very happy to share that four members were acclaimed to the Executive Committee this year: Ashley Durec, Trisha Chang, Jean-Philippe Dequen, and Marc-André Desmarais. Their election will be confirmed at the AGM, and I look forward to working with all of them in the year ahead. The AGM is your chance to hear about the past year’s work and to have your say on the year ahead, and I hope to see many of you there.
Group Life Insurance: A Reminder for New Members
I’m passing along a reminder from our Life Insurance Committee about the group life insurance program available to members. If you’ve joined the Foreign Service recently, this one is especially for you: if you apply within 90 days of your start date, as written in your letter of offer, you can get up to $150,000 in Basic Term Life Insurance with no medical assessment. The same window also lets you add coverage for your spouse of up to $100,000, and $5,000 for each eligible child, again without medical evidence. That can make a real difference for new members, and for any dependants, with pre-existing conditions, so please don’t let the window pass you by. To learn more, visit our Group Insurance page, where you’ll find the full program booklet, or contact Geneviève Frappier at genevieve.frappier@pafso-apase.com.
Edith Holtom Memorial Lecture with Bob Rae
For those of you in the NCR, here’s an evening you might enjoy. On Tuesday, November 3, the Honourable Bob Rae, who served as Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2020 to 2025, will give the Edith Holtom Memorial Lecture. His topic is “What is the Direction for Canada post DAVOS,” and he’ll be introduced by Mike Molloy, former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan. The lecture runs from 1930 to 2130 at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Avenue, and is one of a series held in memory of peace activist Edith Holtom. There will be time for questions, followed by a reception where Bob Rae will sign his new book, Reclaiming Canadian Sovereignty in a Ruptured World. It’s free to attend, with donations encouraged, and you can register by emailing HoltomLectures@firstunitarianottawa.ca.
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.
My next message to you will arrive on October 30. Until then, please take care of yourselves and each other.
Pamela Isfeld
President of PAFSO