Updates

PSAC activists from all around the province gathered in March at PSAC BC's 2012 Union School. This year's School, held under the theme “Our Strength: Mobilizing and Fighting Back!” provided participants with the opportinity to learn, practice and take back strategies and skills to mobilize and in the fight back against federal government cuts and privatization.

Young workers prepare to re-shape unions for the 21st century.

They sign up new members, they organize picket lines and demonstrations, they conduct high school classes in labour rights and workplace safety, and they cook meals for fundraising events to send young workers on solidarity trips to Cuba, South Africa and Central America. One even came back from a vacation in Las Vegas with a tattoo declaring their commitment to the cause. (You'll find out where in a minute.)

With the Harper government promising to slash 19,200 federal public service jobs, there is one group of people who stand to lose the most -- the students and graduates working to become the next generation of civil servants.

It’s a reality Sean O’Brady is acutely aware of as federal layoff notices go out this week, with some public service employees expected to learn their fate Wednesday.

Ottawa – Canada's largest federal public sector union is calling on the  government to give Canadians a department by department accounting of exactly what services are going to be cut – where, when and how.

“Without that information Canadians won't know what services they are losing until they are gone,” said Patty Ducharme, PSAC's National Executive Vice-President.

The call came in an analysis of Budget 2012 released at a news conference in Ottawa today. That analysis emphasizes the connection between “back office” functions and the services Canadians rely on.

From March 26- 28, the FB Bargaining Team met with Treasury Board/CBSA to continue negotiations for a new collective agreement.

Over the course of the three days, management indicated no willingness to address any of our key concerns in the context of parity with other federal workers, including:

  A retirement regime that is consistent with other federal enforcement workers to