The following op-ed by PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly was published in the Hill Times on March 5, 2026.

The assumption appears to be that fewer experts can somehow do more with less—an impossibility in a system already stretched past its limits.

Canada is entering a defining trade moment.

With relations with the United States increasingly volatile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been clear about the path forward: reduce Canada’s dependence on the U.S., and grow non-American exports by 50 per cent over the next decade.

That goal is ambitious and necessary. But it rests on a critical assumption: that Canada has the public infrastructure needed to earn and maintain the trust of global markets. Right now, that foundation is being weakened.

Cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) threaten one of this country’s most valuable trade assets: confidence in our food safety, and animal and plant health systems. At the precise moment when credibility and speed matter most, Canada is stripping capacity from the system that underpins access to hundreds of international markets.

Canada’s food and agriculture economy is worth $100-billion annually. CFIA’s $839-million budget protects that entire ecosystem of trade—an extraordinary return on investment. Yet, these cuts put it at risk by eliminating over a million hours of inspection, surveillance, and scientific expertise each year. This is not trimming bureaucracy; it is removing the experts who stop disease before it shuts borders down.

Trading partners do not take a country’s word that its animals, plants, or food are safe. Veterinary epidemiologists, disease and insect vector surveillance, and risk analysis are core trade requirements. Cutting this expertise increases the risk of undetected diseases entering Canada, and jeopardizes access to export markets by laying off the very experts who help keep them open.

Imagine an outbreak of a disease such as bluetongue, African swine fever, or even a single case of foot-and-mouth disease without adequate domestic surveillance in place. Canada would lose its export status overnight, devastating entire sectors. Without veterinarians to investigate, contain, and certify disease status, outbreaks spread faster, markets stay closed longer, and losses compound. The risk of zoonotic disease spilling into the human population also grows.

There is no plan for managing these risks under the proposed cuts.

The assumption appears to be that fewer experts can somehow do more with less—an impossibility in a system already stretched past its limits. Workload has surged in the last decade, but staffing hasn’t kept up. Already, this country lacks sufficient veterinary capacity to inspect export trucks before they leave the country. The system is operating without redundancy; further cuts risk removing the safety margin entirely.

The expertise required is neither abundant, nor replaceable. There are only a handful of veterinary epidemiologists in Canada, and only dozens globally. We cannot afford to lose them. Universities and the private sector do not maintain national surveillance systems, nor should they. If CFIA were to lose capacity, the work does not get “streamlined.” It stops.

Diversifying trade to non-U.S. markets will only increase the pressure CFIA faces. Canada’s trade negotiators cannot secure new market access without the surveillance, data, and controls provided by CFIA. Every trading partner imposes commodity-specific requirements that CFIA regulates for export.

To trade, Canada must be able to demonstrate compliance. If a large partner requires expanded monitoring—for example, for insects that may carry bluetongue—and this country lacks the capacity to deliver it, market access is lost and industry suffers the loss. Expanding market access is not achievable if importing countries do not maintain confidence in CFIA’s inspection systems. This makes the Canadian economy more reliant on the U.S., not less.

Strong surveillance is not a luxury; it is the lowest-cost alternative to export bans and preventable public-health emergencies. At a time when Canada is trying to build resilience, economic sovereignty, and independence from a single hegemonic market, weakening the CFIA is reckless and entirely unnecessary, putting billions of dollars in trade at risk.

Sean O’Reilly is the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

For 15 consecutive years, Iceland has ranked number one in the world for gender equality. Canada ranks 36th.

That gap represents more than a number. It reflects who advances into leadership, who carries unpaid caregiving work, and whose economic contributions are undervalued.

In Canada, women make up nearly half the workforce but hold just 29% of senior leadership roles. Women earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by men and report spending 4 to 8 additional hours each week on unpaid care for children and adults.

We know advancing gender equity could add $150 billion to Canada’s GDP. The case for change is not abstract. It is economic, social, and urgent.

Iceland shows what’s possible when equality is treated as a national priority, backed by policy, cultural expectation, and sustained public commitment.

On International Women’s Day, join us for a conversation with Eliza Reid – bestselling author, former First Lady of Iceland, and leading advocate for gender equality – as we explore how Iceland achieved measurable progress and what it would take for Canada to do the same.

When: Tuesday, March 10 at 1:00 PM ET

Where: Zoom

Register now

All webinar attendees will be entered to win one of 25 copies of Eliza Reid’s newest book, The First Lady Next Door.

If you have questions, please contact bettertogether@pipsc.ca.

Let’s move beyond acknowledging the gap – and start discussing how to close it.

As union members and public service professionals, we’re facing several serious threats. Thousands of public service professionals have already received WFA letters, including those who work in critical services that will directly impact Canadians. These cuts threaten the stability of our communities, the quality of life we work hard to protect, and the very future of the public service. 

We are pushing back against these shortsighted decisions. Recently, we organized an event to highlight the dangerous cuts happening to food inspectors at the CFIA – and the impacts those cuts could have on all Canadians. But we have to keep up the pressure on multiple fronts, and we need your help.

To add insult to injury, we’ve been ordered back into the office 4 days per week. This is happening despite years of demonstrated productivity, and despite clear evidence that remote work supports recruitment, retention, and service delivery. This mandate is not about performance, collaboration or better service to Canadians. 

Here’s the truth: these actions are being justified because far too many – MPs included – don’t fully understand the work we do. That’s why it’s time to make our work visible. 

We are pushing back against these shortsighted decisions. This March, PIPSC is launching our next Regional Lobby Week, so members like you can connect with your MP, share your experiences, and help build understanding of the vital work we do.

We’re looking for members across Canada who are willing to volunteer to meet their MPs and share the stories of how these cuts are putting Canadians at risk and how RTO mandates will make things worse. Can you help us?

Lobby Dates: March 30 to April 2

 Sign Up Here

You don’t need prior lobbying or advocacy experience – we’ve got your back with all the training and support you’ll need.

Once you’re signed up, we’ll follow up with details and an invitation to one of our mandatory virtual lobby training sessions. Questions? Contact us anytime at gov_relations@pipsc.ca.

Public service workers are the backbone of this country. We’ve always shown up for Canadians – now, we need to show up for each other. 

Let’s raise our voices, together in solidarity, because when experts are cut, the risk increases. Cuts today, crisis tomorrow.

Ottawa, February 23, 2026 – Ten years after the launch of the Phoenix pay system, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is warning that the crisis is not over and that similar failures could occur again if the federal government does not rebuild internal expertise.

Today, PIPSC released its report Phoenix: 10 Years of Failure, examining why the system failed, why serious problems persist, and what the experience reveals about how complex government systems are delivered.

“Ten years after the launch of Phoenix, it is still failing on a regular basis to deliver public servants' paycheques correctly,” said Sean O’Reilly, President of PIPSC. “This means taxpayers are funding stabilization efforts while also paying to build a replacement.”

The report also warns that work force adjustment (WFA) measures, including early retirement, alternation, and layoffs, are expected to significantly increase the volume and complexity of pay transactions.

“Without additional stabilization and resourcing, the surge of WFAs risks generating new errors and expanding the backlog exponentially” said O’Reilly.

Since 2017, the federal government has spent nearly $5 billion responding to Phoenix-related failures. As of December 2025, approximately 238,000 pay errors or changes remain outstanding, nearly half more than one year old. The system continues to receive roughly 117,000 new transactions per month, more than three-quarters requiring manual processing.

IBM, the system’s original developer, has received more than $650 million in total payments, stemming from an initial $5.7 million contract that was repeatedly amended and expanded.

Concerns about staffing capacity, system readiness, and implementation pace were raised before Phoenix went live. The Auditor General later confirmed those warnings were not heeded.

“Before Phoenix was launched, more than 1,200 experienced pay advisors were eliminated, services were centralized, oversight was weakened, and documented risks were ignored,” said O’Reilly. “When the system began to fail, the expertise needed to fix it was no longer there.”

PIPSC is raising similar concerns about broader trends across government. As departments reduce internal staffing through work force adjustment, reliance on external contractors continues to grow. Government spending on professional services is expected to reach $26.1 billion this year, nearly double pre-pandemic levels. The shift from in-house expertise to outsourcing mirrors the conditions that contributed to the Phoenix failure.

“Phoenix showed what happens when internal capacity is weakened and complex systems are delivered without sufficient in-house expertise,” said O’Reilly. “When payroll failed, the damage was largely contained within the public service. If similar failures occur in systems that deliver pensions or benefits, the consequences would affect millions of Canadians.”

PIPSC is calling on the federal government to:

• Sign a renewed damages agreement for employees affected since March 31, 2020
• Fully resource the Miramichi Pay Centre before work force adjustment pressures intensify
• Retain internal pay and IT expertise until replacement systems demonstrate sustained stability
• Reduce reliance on outsourcing and rebuild in-house capacity

“Modernization requires expertise,” O’Reilly said. “You cannot hollow out the people who understand the system and expect it to function. It takes experts to run a country.”

PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

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For more information:

Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca

Justin Vossenberg, 613-612-8313 (mobile), jvossenberg@pipsc.ca

Ten years ago, the federal government launched the Phoenix pay system. It was presented as a modernization effort that would save money and make the government more efficient.

Instead, it became one of the most damaging administrative failures in recent Canadian history.

PIPSC’s new report, Phoenix: 10 Years of Failure, examines how this happened, why the crisis continues, and what it tells us about the way complex government systems are being delivered today.

Since 2017, the federal government has spent nearly $5 billion responding to Phoenix-related failures. Nearly $350 million has already been spent developing its replacement. As of late 2025, approximately 238,000 pay transactions remain outstanding. For thousands of public servants, the consequences have meant financial stress, uncertainty, and years of disruption.

Phoenix did not fail because payroll is inherently unmanageable. It failed because internal expertise was cut before the system was ready. Roughly 1,200 experienced pay advisor positions were eliminated prior to launch. Services were centralized. Oversight was reduced. Documented risks were not addressed.

When problems emerged, the internal capacity to correct them had already been dismantled.

Concerns about staffing capacity, system readiness, and implementation pace were raised before Phoenix went live. The Auditor General later confirmed that these warnings were not heeded.

The lesson of Phoenix is not just about payroll. It is about capacity.

It is about what happens when governments reduce the very expertise required to manage complexity at scale. It is about what happens when long-term institutional knowledge is replaced with short-term contracting and outsourcing. It is about what happens when cost-cutting is mistaken for efficiency.

Today, similar pressures are visible across the government. Internal capacity continues to shrink while reliance on external providers grows. At the same time, large-scale digital systems are being developed to deliver pensions, benefits, and other services that millions of Canadians rely on.

When payroll failed, the damage was largely contained within the public service. If similar failures occur in public-facing systems, the consequences would reach far beyond it.

It takes experts to run a country. It takes experienced public servants to design, oversee, and stabilize the systems that Canadians depend on every day.

Phoenix should not be treated as a closed chapter in administrative history.

It is a warning.

Read the full report here

Canada cannot afford to repeat this mistake.

Ottawa, February 19, 2026 — The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) has filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. The complaint responds to the federal government’s decision to impose a new in-office mandate while collective bargaining is underway.

The complaint challenges the government’s decision to change terms and conditions of employment in the middle of negotiations — a move that directly affects thousands of PIPSC members and undermines the bargaining process.

In addition to the unfair labour practice complaint, PIPSC has filed a policy grievance challenging the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer’s unilateral change to the Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace — increasing the requirement from 3 to 4 days per week by July 6, 2026.

“The government is required to bargain in good faith,” said PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly. “Imposing significant workplace changes in the middle of negotiations, without consultation, undermines that obligation and the rights of our members.”

Remote work and modern workplace practices are central bargaining priorities. 

PIPSC maintains that the announcement was made without proper consultation and is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of the existing Letter of Agreement between the Treasury Board of Canada and PIPSC regarding telework.

The return-to-office directive follows other recent unilateral decisions by the federal government, including failures to meaningfully consult on work force adjustment measures.

“Healthy labour relations depend on stability and respect for the bargaining process,” O’Reilly added. “Our members deserve to have their working conditions negotiated — not dictated.”

No evidence has been publicly presented to justify the expanded on-site requirement.

Negotiations are currently underway for the majority of PIPSC members affected by this decision, including proposals related to remote work and modern workplace practices.

“It takes experts to run a country,” said O’Reilly. “Policies that make it harder to attract and retain those experts ultimately weaken the services Canadians rely on.”

PIPSC will continue to defend its members’ bargaining rights before the Board and at the bargaining table. PIPSC will provide updates as proceedings progress.

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PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca

OTTAWA, February 13, 2026 — Against the backdrop of a Canadian dining table set with commonly recalled food products, food safety professionals warned today that federal cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are weakening Canada’s ability to prevent foodborne illness.

Scientists, veterinarians, and other specialists working in food safety and animal health are among the hardest hit by recent government cuts. The reductions represent nearly one million hours of inspection, laboratory, and surveillance work eliminated annually.

“CFIA experts inspect facilities, test products in laboratories, trace contamination across supply chains, and stop unsafe food before it reaches Canadian’s dining tables,” said PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly. “That work, though quiet, keeps Canadians safe and fed.”

These reductions come after years of chronic understaffing and mounting workload pressures at CFIA. Food safety professionals have been managing increasingly complex supply chains and disease threats with limited resources. PIPSC says the steady erosion of capacity makes the current cuts especially destabilizing.

Stéphanie Fréchette, a CFIA scientist with 30 years of experience, said prevention depends on experienced professionals who understand how food systems fail in practice.

“For 30 years, I’ve worked to prevent foodborne illness before it spreads,” said Fréchette. “We’ve seen what happens when surveillance fails or inspections are missed. Outbreaks grow, recalls widen, and the consequences are devastating. Weakening this system puts Canadians at real risk.”

Canada issues hundreds of food recalls every year. Most are detected early and contained quickly because trained inspectors and scientists identify risks before they spread widely. PIPSC says reducing that capacity shifts risk onto Canadians.

PIPSC is calling for:

• A halt to further workforce cuts
• Immediate public scrutiny of decisions hollowing out food safety capacity
• Prioritizing human expertise over algorithms

PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.c

The National Joint Council (NJC)  Travel Directive has been updated to reflect employees’ travel-related needs.

The updates are the result of an extensive, cyclical review of the NJC Travel Directive, which began in 2021 and involved several years of consultation, information sharing, and co-development between the Employer and the bargaining agents. 

Through this process, the parties reached agreements on a wide range of updates to modernize and clarify the Directive. Where agreement could not be reached, a limited number of outstanding issues were referred to interest arbitration and have now been resolved through an arbitration award. 

The changes outlined here reflect both items agreed to by the parties and those awarded through arbitration, updating the Travel Directive to better reflect employees’ travel needs.

For more information, see the changes on the NJC’s website. The full award is posted here.

Changes Awarded Through Arbitration

Headquarters Area 

• No change to the definition of the Headquarters Area
• This threshold is subject to further review between the parties

Dependant Care Allowance (Declaration-Based)

• The declaration-based dependant care allowance has increased:
  • From $35 to $50 per household

Dependant Care Allowance (Receipted – Professional Care)

• Where dependant care is provided by a person or organization in the business of providing care, and supported by receipts:
  • The allowance has increased from $75 a day per household to $100 a day per dependent
• Declarations will not be accepted for this allowance
• A standardized sample declaration form will be developed

Incidental Expense Allowance

• The incidental expense allowance has increased from $17.30 to $25.

Future Review of Allowance Indexing

• Rather than imposing a specific indexing model for incidentals and dependant care, the board has left it to the parties to discuss what indexing model makes sense

Effective Date (Arbitration Items)

• All changes awarded through arbitration take effect March 28, 2026

Changes Agreed to During the Cyclical Review (Pre-Arbitration)

Changes Throughout the Directive

• Streamlined terminology for private motor vehicle (PMV) to ensure consistency
• Updated references to include common-law partners
• Translation errors corrected
• References revised and duplicate language removed

General / Application

• Updated reference to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board in the grievance procedure
• Clarified the distinction between provisions applicable to travellers and employees
• Clarified that commuting to a permanent or regular workplace does not constitute government travel
• Revised the definition of temporary workplace to improve clarity
• Removed Veterans Affairs Canada hospitals from the definition of government and institutional accommodation

Administration (Part I)

• Where an employee has an aversion to air travel, management shall endeavour to schedule work using alternative travel methods
• Management may consider relocation as an option rather than long-term travel status
• Travel status may be extended in emergencies preventing timely return, with reasonable costs reimbursed when not covered by another authority
• Environmentally friendly suppliers added as preferential suppliers
• “Workplace Change” retitled Temporary Workplace Change (within the headquarters area), with clarified scope and entitlements

Insurance (Part II)

• Clarified employee responsibilities regarding vehicle insurance, and the circumstances under which insurance costs will be reimbursed by the Employer

Travel Modules (Part III)

• Wording updated for consistency across travel modules
• Updated guidance on the appropriate departments to consult for travel documents and medical services
• Clarified what types of water are reimbursable and in what circumstances
• Meals:
  • Reimbursement may exceed Appendix C or D amounts, in exceptional circumstances and with receipts
  • Clarified meal timing, sequencing, and provisions for shift workers
• Transportation:
  • Rental vehicles may be acquired the day before travel
  • Clarified authorization when business or executive class air travel is unavailable
• Incidental Expense Allowance:
  • Clarified that entitlement applies only where the employee is staying overnight in accommodation

Special Travel Circumstances (Part IV)

• Section retitled Travel Provisions for Specific Employees
• Special transportation needs provisions relocated to section 1.5.1.

Emergencies and Illness (Part V)

• Employees may return earlier or later due to personal illness, accidents, or emergency situations at home (e.g., serious illness, fire, flood, ice storm)