Dear members,
In the National Capital Region, the mornings have begun to turn cool, and the school buses are getting back on the roads as we head into the Labour Day weekend. Although Labour Day is an ordinary working day at a good number of our missions abroad, I encourage everyone to take a moment to think about what the day is intended to celebrate, and what those hard-won gains have given all of us. For those of you with a long weekend ahead, I hope you enjoy it and get some well-deserved rest, and for everyone else, I hope the week treats you well. There’s a fair bit to get through, so let me dive in.
PAFSO Staffing Update
A warm welcome to Monique Delannoy, who joined us this week as our new Membership and Events Coordinator. Monique brings nearly 20 years in the federal public service, 17 of them at Global Affairs, including a posting abroad in Warsaw. We’re very glad she’s brought that experience here to help support our membership.
Collective bargaining: a new resource for you
For many of us, September marks the beginning of a new learning year, and in that spirit, our PAFSO team has developed some new information resources for you. We know many of you have questions now that our collective agreement has expired, and that the answers haven’t always been easy to find in a readily digestible format. So, we’ve gathered them in one place: a new page on our website — Collective Bargaining: What Members Can Expect — setting out this round from where things stand today to what happens at ratification.
The most important thing on it is also the most reassuring: for now, day to day, almost nothing changes. Now that notice to bargain has been served, the law requires that the terms and conditions of employment in force at that moment continue to be observed. Your leave entitlements, your hours of work, your overtime provisions and your grievance rights all still apply. The rates of pay that took effect on July 1, 2025, remain in force until a new agreement is in place — no gap, no reduction, simply no new increase until then — and your annual increment is unaffected. (This is known as the “freeze provision”.)
The new page also explains how the collective bargaining process works, how ratification happens and who votes, and what FS members can and cannot do if another bargaining unit goes on strike. I’d encourage you to read that last part before you need it rather than after. Although there are things you can do to support your colleagues, our dispute resolution mechanism this round is arbitration, which means FS members are prohibited by law from taking part in any kind of strike. That’s not a matter of PAFSO’s preference; it’s what the statute says. If you have any doubt at all about whether something you’re considering is permitted, please contact us before you act. It’s far easier for us to give you advice in advance than to defend a disciplinary action afterward.
As I mentioned last time, our first three days at the table are October 6, 7 and 8, and our Collective Bargaining Committee meets again this month to keep preparing. We’ll bring you updates here as we’re able to share them.
Request to certify FSD allowances
We understand that GAC has now begun asking employees at missions abroad to “certify” or confirm key information affecting their allowances such as the number of dependants, arrival and departure dates, and absences from post. Information shared with members by the employer indicates this certification is encouraged, but not mandatory. PAFSO is aware that the proposed changes respond to complaints that the existing audit process is cumbersome and can lead to large overpayments or underpayments. Although this has the potential to streamline updates and catch errors in real time, as always, the devil will be in the details of the implementation. Our expert team is in discussion with the employer as this new approach is rolled-out to ensure that proper training and guidance are provided to employees, and that any impact on already-heavy workloads is understood and accounted for.
In the meantime, if you believe your allowances are incorrect, please reach out first to your FSD advisor and escalate to their management within the division if necessary. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the division, please contact us at info@pafso-apase.com for advice on your specific situation.
Diplomatic Notes arrives October 1
I’m very pleased to tell you that in celebration of PAFSO’s sixtieth anniversary, Diplomatic Notes, our anthology of articles from bout de papier, will be launched on October 1. This collection consists of reprints of selected articles from bout de papier through the years, along with a mix of original essays and interviews illustrating key moments in the history of the Foreign Service group — sixty years of our history, told largely in our own words.
The electronic version will be free and will go up on our website at https://pafso.com/ebook/ shortly after the launch; the page is there now if you’d like to bookmark it. For those of you who’d rather hold the book in your hands, we’ll have ordering details for you soon after that.
Reminder: a network for foreign service families
For anyone looking for a community that understands foreign service life, I’d encourage you to consider joining the Canadian Diplomatic Family Network (CDFN) if you have not already done so. It’s a not-for-profit network run by volunteers: the spouses, partners and family members of Government of Canada employees, along with several of our own members. It connects the families of foreign service officers serving at diplomatic missions abroad as well as those currently here in Canada, and it offers a host of resources: choosing a school at post, security clearances for accompanying family members, keeping a career going while you’re abroad, and a forum where families can put their questions to people who have been through the same thing. It’s also a useful place to gather information and advice on life in the National Capital Region, whether you are new to the region or returning from posting. Learn more at https://cdfn-rfdc.com/.
A new Families Resource Hub
On a related note, thanks in part to the advocacy efforts of CDFN, Global Affairs Canada has launched a web portal for foreign service families at https://families.international.gc.ca/. It brings together what families have generally had to piece together on their own — preparing to leave, adjusting to life abroad, coming home to Canada — along with sections on emergency preparedness, health and well-being, education and moving with children, training for family members, spousal employment, and a set of checklists and FAQs. Much of what your spouse or dependants once had to rely on you for is now theirs to look up directly, so it’s worth passing the link along at home.
PAFSO/CIC mentorship program: call for mentors (deadline September 18)
I’m pleased to continue working with the Canadian International Council (CIC) and Marvin Hough International Research and Analysis Ltd (MIRA) on the National Capital Branch Mentorship Program. Since the uptake has been so strong in previous years, we’re doing our call for volunteer mentors for our 2026–2027 cohort first and will open up to mentees once we know how many we have.
It’s possible to be both a mentee and a mentor, and I encourage those of you who are early in your careers, as well as experienced regular, associate, and affiliate members, to think about what you have to offer to someone starting out on the foreign service path. As a mentor, you will have an opportunity to support the next generation of international affairs professionals and:
- Share your experience and expertise by providing coaching, guidance, and career advice to a student or young professional aspiring to build a career in international affairs.
- Build a meaningful mentoring relationship through bi-weekly or monthly meetings, as mutually agreed with your mentee, during the program term from September 2026 to June 2027.
- Participate in networking and educational events that bring together mentors, mentees, and other members of Canada’s international affairs community.
Participation is straightforward. Mentors must be active members of the Canadian International Council (CIC) National Capital Branch or the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO). If you are not currently a CIC member, you can join the CIC here.
I have been a mentor for the past two cycles and can confirm that mentors play an important role in helping emerging professionals navigate career choices, build their networks, and gain a deeper understanding of opportunities in international affairs. I hope you will consider sharing your experience and expertise with this year’s cohort.
To volunteer as a mentor, please complete the 2026–2027 CIC National Capital Branch Mentorship Program Mentor Application Form. The deadline to apply is Friday, September 18, 2026.
PAFSO Breakfasts: we’re still taking your ideas
PAFSO Breakfasts are back this fall, and the schedule is coming together. Thank you to those of you who have already written in. There’s still room, so if something has occurred to you since — a topic, a speaker, a question you’d like put to someone who knows the answer — send it to info@pafso-apase.com. Some of our best sessions have started exactly this way.
Two more weeks for the Randy Orr Memorial Award
We’ve extended the nomination deadline for the Randy Orr Memorial Award by two weeks: you now have until Friday, September 11, at 1700, Ottawa time.
The award recognizes exceptional volunteer service to the foreign service community — the people who, outside the framework of their paid employment, have made life better for those who serve Canada abroad. Two weeks is plenty of time to write a short email about someone who deserves it.
The “how” hasn’t changed: email info@pafso-apase.com with who they are, what they’ve done and why it made a difference, plus the written support of three people, at least one of whom must be a current regular PAFSO member. The award will be presented at a virtual ceremony immediately following our Annual General Meeting.
Annual General Meeting
And on that note, a reminder that our 61st AGM is on Monday, October 19, at 1600, Ottawa time, and will be held virtually. To register, email agm-aga@pafso-apase.com with your name and department. Registered participants receive the formal invitation, the agenda and all related documents closer to the date, so it’s worth doing now even if you aren’t yet sure you can attend.
Celebration of life for Susan Cartwright on October 11
On a sad note, I learned recently of the passing of Susan Cartwright on August 11. Susan had a long foreign service career that included several postings abroad, including as Ambassador to Hungary. Many of us remember her time as Assistant Deputy Minister for Human Resources, and are grateful for her kindness, professionalism, and profound understanding of foreign service life. You can offer condolences and read more about her life, including her second career as an artist, on her Ottawa Citizen obituary.
The family is holding a celebration of her life at 1500 on Sunday, October 11, in the Canada Room at the National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa. They are hoping that friends and colleagues will attend and are asking for RSVPs by September 8 to help them with planning. If you think you will be able to attend, email Joanne Hamilton-Gero. Please also pass on this information to anyone else who might be interested.
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-apase.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
My next message to you will arrive on September 18. Until then, please take care of yourselves and each other.
Pamela Isfeld
President of PAFSO