2019: A year of results

2019 saw new collective agreements for 14 groups, new scientific integrity policies, Phoenix compensation and progress on the new pay system. Together, we made this all happen.

Our collective bargaining strategy was successful – bringing home historic leave for survivors and victims of domestic violence, increases in family leave, first language on workplace harassment, and cost of living increases for all groups. Members in the Computer Systems (CS) group continue to work hard for a new collective agreement. We stand together with them and all groups working toward a new collective agreement!

We’ve had advances on Phoenix. We made the government understand that Phoenix must be replaced and that we must be consulted. Our calls for the government to commit funding to the Next Generation Human Resources and Pay System were successful. We won compensation for members paid through the failed Phoenix system. And we agreed to a settlement framework that will ensure individual members are compensated for financial losses and serious damages. You will get the money you are owed.

We built on our previous round of bargaining where we secured new language on contracting out. We’ve monitored government contracting practices, filed hundreds of policy grievances when we’ve seen public service work being contracted externally. We have seen progress in shifting the mentality of politicians and executives.

We ushered in the implementation of scientific integrity policies in all departments that have more than 10 scientists. We are protecting public scientists and science.

We made clear that Canadians and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) professionals want to see tax loopholes closed. Seventy-seven percent of Canadians and 87% of CRA professionals agree that e-commerce companies like Netflix, Google, Amazon and Uber should be subject to taxes for business carried out in Canada.

During the federal election, we let Canadians know that federal scientists think climate change is a crisis in need of immediate action. And that Canada is not currently doing enough.

We were present on Parliament Hill - lobbying, testifying at committees and providing our expert advice in written briefs and public consultations. We held discussions with Members of Parliament and Senators on our annual Lobby Day.

We worked hard to make our collective voice heard loud and clear by Canadians and our elected officials.

It has been a big year. So many important wins. Through our membership survey, we know that eighty-one percent of our members are pleased with the work of our union. And we are proud of all that we have accomplished together.

We are building progress in our union – we are leading progress in Canada.

Learn more about our work in 2019:


22 January 2018
The news that Canada’s largest private-sector union, Unifor, has decided to withdraw its membership from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has taken many by surprise.

12 January 2018
It has come to our attention that many of you who are trying to report overpayments by the January 19, 2018 deadline cannot get through to Contact Centre staff because of busy signals or being put on hold for extended periods.

20 December 2017
Predictions are rarely 100% accurate. But some offer better-educated guesses than others. Here then are my forecasts (and a few resolutions) for the coming year.

24 November 2017
Earlier this month, PSPC Minister Carla Qualtrough asked me if I would be willing to negotiate simplifying some of the pay rules bargained over decades that, some claim, contribute to the dysfunction of the federal pay system.

8 November 2017
Canadians should not have to worry about their retirement. But actions taken by the federal government raise questions about its commitment to enhancing retirement security for Canadians – a key promise in the last federal election.

7 November 2017
Medical Radiation Therapist (MRT) Week, which recognizes the essential role these professionals play in Canada’s healthcare system, runs from November 5 to 11, 2017.