Thursday, July 10, 2025

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Thursday, July 10, 2025 | Latest Paper

Union pans $2.6-billion public-private contract to modernize federal heating, cooling

Private-sector consortium Innovate Energy has been awarded a $2.6-billion, 35-year contract by the government of Canada to modernize and operate heating and cooling facilities in the National Capital Region. But the largest federal public service unions are crying foul, saying public-private partnerships “regularly fail.” The current system connects more than 80 buildings in Ottawa and […]

Public servants, feds inch closer to contracts with tentative agreements before election

A growing number of federal public service unions have made significant progress in their negotiations with the government, with many securing tentative agreements around wage increases and restitution from the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system. Bargaining units within the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, representing scientists and professionals, have reached tentative agreements with […]

Phoenix, defence procurement disasters have a lot in common

According to the CBC, there are now five companies vying for the contract to replace the failed Phoenix pay system. From where I sit, the renewed effort looks more and more like yet another disaster in the offing that will rank among the fiascos that have become the hallmark of Canada’s ‘ugly’ defence procurement systems. What’s the difference […]

Tentative Phoenix deal reached, but PSAC rejects feds’ offer

After two years of negotiations, the government and 16 federal public sector unions have reached a tentative deal to compensate bureaucrats for the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system. However, the government’s offer was rejected by the largest union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The Phoenix pay system was supposed to streamline pay, but instead, public […]

Tax changes in budget bill to alleviate Phoenix overpayment burden

Long-awaited tax changes to help federal employees saddled with the unusual problem of getting paid too much thanks to the problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system have made it into legislation—a year after the government first signalled help was on the way. Among the dozens of statutes affected by Bill C-97—the Liberals’ final budget implementation bill of […]

First female foreign affairs DM among several women promoted in latest civil service shuffle

The prime minister has appointed the first female deputy minister of foreign affairs, and is moving a top-level female Indigenous deputy minister as part of a number of recent executive-level public service staff changes promoting women. Marta Morgan is set to move from heading Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada to being Canada’s first female deputy […]