‘They simply ran out the clock,’ says PSAC, as feds, union fail to reach deal before election
After six continuous days of last minute bargaining beginning Labour Day weekend, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat were unable to reach a new contract agreement. Talks between the country’s largest public sector union and the government, which included discussions around monetary compensation for the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system, are […]
Feds to finalize 100 Wellington’s future by 2021—Algonquin, Indigenous groups continue dispute over vacant site
Long-term plans for the building at 100 Wellington St. are to be finalized by the fall of 2021, but it remains unclear how much longer the site costing Ottawa an average of $200,000 per year will sit vacant. Once home to the U.S. Embassy, Ottawa said it would dedicate the space to Indigenous groups in […]
From where she stands: Jody Wilson-Raybould to launch new book at the Ottawa Writers Festival
Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould will be chatting about her new book at the Ottawa Writers Festival on Sept. 20. The former justice minister and attorney general’s new book, From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada, details how Canada can overcome its colonial system by moving past denial of its treatment of […]
Grits, Tories back addition of third shipyard to Canadian plan, but questions abound over future boom-bust cycle return
As the Canadian government moves forward with the addition of a third shipyard to its National Shipbuilding Strategy, defence procurement experts are raising questions over whether or not the addition could lead to a return to a boom-and-bust shipbuilding cycle. Under the shipbuilding strategy, Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax and Seapsan in British Columbia were the […]
PSAC head says avoiding Conservative government ‘No. 1’ election issue
The head of Canada’s largest federal public service union says the number one issue for the Public Service Alliance of Canada is “not to end up with another Conservative government” and to “get the NDP elected wherever we can.” “There’s no way we can have more of Stephen Harper, and that’s exactly what Andrew Scheer will […]
Ottawa Lawn Summer Nights raises $97,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada; McGuire, Sarazin, MacEachern top fundraisers
The annual Ottawa Lawn Summer Nights lawn bowling fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Canada wanted to raise $90,000, but raised $97,000 last month, says Amanda Ruddy who’s in charge of the Ottawa chapter. She said she hopes teams will still raise more until the end of August. The Lawn Summer Nights also runs teams across Canada, […]
Build new fighter jets in Canada, says NDP MP Garrison, as feds look for economically attractive bids
After Public Services and Procurement Canada launched its request for bids for 88 advanced fighter jets on July 23, the NDP defence critic says he’d like to see the winning bidder build the jets here in Canada. “We’re going to spend $19-billion, we should get the jets we need for the Canadian Air Force, but […]
Enforce the Veterans Hiring Act, says MP McCauley as committee finds former soldiers still underhired
Despite laws in place to ensure that military veterans get the first crack at federal public service jobs, a recent House committee report says there’s a lack of recognition by managers in the value of hiring vets and a need for clear targets to implement the Veterans Hiring Act, with a Conservative MP calling the federal […]
Approved public service mental health claims pass 50 per cent threshold for first time
Claims involving mental health conditions represented 52 per cent of disability insurance claims approved for federal public service employees in 2018, according to data contained in a Public Service Alliance of Canada presentation on federal public service disability trends. This information was provided to The Hill Times and was based on the contents of a Sun […]
Public servants handcuffed by unreasonable expectations of political neutrality
OTTAWA—On June 25, Blacklock’s Reporter broke a story that a prominent quasi-partisan Twitter personality, Neil Waytowich (a.k.a. “Neil Before Zod” on Twitter), was actually a former public service worker by day and anonymous Twitter political commentator and podcaster by night. Hot on the trail were MPs who quoted the public service code of conduct on […]
