| Federal Public Sector Bargaining Agents — Dispute Resolution Method & Membership | ||||||
| Source: PSLREB Bargaining Agents Registry (December 2025) and TBS Collective bargaining update (March 2026) | Member counts approximate based on TBS data as of March, 2024 | ||||||
| Bargaining Agent | Bargaining Unit / Group | Approx. Members | DR Method (Last round) | Current DR method | Employer | Notes |
| PSAC | Program & Administrative Services (PA) [AS, CM, CR, DA, IS, OE, PM, ST, WP] | 130,000 | Conciliation | Conciliation | Treasury Board | Struck April 2023. Pre-strike employer offer: 9% over 4 years + $500 non-pensionable lump sum. Post-strike deal: 12.6% over 4 years + $2,500 pensionable lump sum — strike action moved the employer from 9% to 12.6%, adding ~$8,473 to an average annual base salary of $67,300 by 2024 above what the pre-strike offer would have delivered. Also won: vacation threshold dropped from 8 to 7 years, Indigenous Practice Leave, remote work LOA. Zero gains on remote work before strike — employer wouldn't move until strike action. |
| PSAC | Technical Services (TC) [DD, EG, GT, PI, PY, TI] | 12,000 | Conciliation | Conciliation | Treasury Board | Struck April 2023 alongside PA. Same pre/post wage outcome: 9% pre-strike offer → 12.6% compounded + $2,500 pensionable lump sum. Won same package as PA including vacation threshold dropped from 8 to 7 years, Indigenous Practice Leave, and remote work LOA. |
| PSAC | Border Services (FB) | 11,000 | Conciliation | Conciliation | Treasury Board | 2021: work-to-rule strike action (members kept regular pay) brought borders to a standstill — won gains without concessions. 2024: strike mandate + mediation settled at 15.73% compounded vs employer's PIC position of ~12.5%. No walkout needed. Leverage worked. |
| PSAC | Operational Services (SV) [FR, GL, GS, HP, HS, LI, PR(S), SC] | 11,000 | Conciliation | Arbitration | Treasury Board | Struck April 2023 alongside PA/TC/EB — won same deal: 9% pre-strike offer → 12.6% compounded + $2,500 pensionable lump sum. Has since switched to arbitration for the current round. Telework not a priority for SVs. |
| PSAC | Education & Library Science (EB) [ED, EU, LS] | 1,200 | Conciliation | Conciliation | Treasury Board | Struck April 2023 alongside PA/TC. Same pre/post wage outcome: 9% pre-strike offer → 12.6% compounded + $2,500 pensionable lump sum. Won same package as PA including vacation threshold dropped from 8 to 7 years, Indigenous Practice Leave, and remote work LOA. |
| PIPSC | Information Technology (IT) | 22,000 | Arbitration | Conciliation | Treasury Board | Telework win followed PSAC's Letter of Agreement — not a contractual right, terminable by employer at any time. Settled at 14.28% compounded via arbitration, with a one-time parity adjustment benchmarked against PSAC's CRA rates — not guaranteed this round. Switched to conciliation. |
| PIPSC | Commerce & Purchasing (CP) : CO and PG | 8,200 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| PIPSC | Health Services (SH) [DE, MD, ND, NU, OP, PH, PS, SW, VM] | 4,100 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| PIPSC | Research (RE) [DS, HR, MA, SE] | 3,300 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| PIPSC | Architecture, Engineering & Land Survey (NR)[AR, EN] | 5,000 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| PIPSC | Applied Science & Patent Examination (SP) [AC, AG, BI, CH, FO, MT, PC, SG-PAT, SG-SRE] | 11,500 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| CAPE | Economics & Social Science Services (EC) | 27,379 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | ⬅ JUNE 2026 VOTE: Members deciding whether to switch to conciliation or remain with arbitration. 2021: Employer opened at 1.65%/year (6.6% over 4 years). PSAC struck and won 12.6% compounded + $2,500 pensionable lump sum. EC then settled at 13.14% compounded + $2,500 — employer moved from 6.6% to 13.14% due to PSAC's strike. EC also followed PSAC on vacation threshold (8→7 yrs), Indigenous Practice Leave, bereavement, right to disconnect, and telework LOA (PSAC's version has slightly more substance). EC followed the pattern. This round, PSAC may not strike — and the government has signalled arbitrators must weigh fiscal circumstances, meaning the pattern isn't guaranteed. |
| CAPE | Translation (TR) | 780 | Arbitration | Conciliation | Treasury Board | Voted to switch to Conciliation — April 2026. Like EC, TR gains last round followed PSAC's pattern. |
| National Police Federation | RCMP Members & Reservists (RM) | 18,000 | Arbitration | Arbitration | Treasury Board | No-strike designation; arbitration is mandatory for essential services. |
| CUPE | Law enforcement Support and POlice Operations Support (LES-PO) | 412 | Arbitration | Treasury Board | ||
| UCCO-SACC-CSN | Correctional Services (CX) | 8,200 | Conciliation | TBD | Treasury Board | Chose conciliation despite operational constraints. |
| Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) | Comptrollership (CT) | 7,400 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| Association of Justice Counsel (AJC) | Law (LP) | 3,900 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) | Foreign Service (FS) | 2,000 | Arbitration | Arbitration | Treasury Board | |
| Unifor | Air Traffic Control (AI) | 10 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | Safety-critical designation influences method choice. |
| Unifor Local 2182 | Radio Operations (RO) | 310 | Conciliation | Conciliation | Treasury Board | |
| Canadian Merchant Service Guild (CMSG) | Ships' Officers (SO) | 1,400 | Arbitration | Arbitration | Treasury Board | |
| Canadian Federal Pilots Association (CFPA) | Aircraft Operations (AO) | 400 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | Safety-critical designation. |
| IBEW Local 2228 | Electronics (EL) | 1,100 | Arbitration | TBD | Treasury Board | |
| Canadian Military Colleges Faculty Association | University Teaching (UT) | 260 | Arbitration | Arbitration | Treasury Board | |
| SUMMARY: Members by Dispute Resolution Method (Treasury Board — Major Groups) in 2021-2023 | ||||||
| Method | Key Groups | Estimated Members | Share of TB Workforce | |||
| Conciliation | PSAC PA/TC/EB/FB; UCCO-SACC CX; Unifor RO | 162,710 | 56% | |||
| Arbitration | PIPSC NR/SP/RE/HS/CP (TB); CAPE EC and TR; NPF; ACFO; AJC; PAFSO; Unifor AI; CMSG; CFPA; IBEW | 127,729 | 44% | |||
| CURRENT ROUND (2026) — DR Method by Confirmed Status | ||||||
| Source: TBS Collective bargaining | ||||||
| Method / Status | Groups | Members | Notes | |||
| ✅ CONFIRMED CONCILIATION | PA · TC · FB · EB · PIPSC IT (NEW) · CAPE TR (NEW) · RO | 177,290 | PIPSC IT switching to conciliation is significant — 22,000 members | |||
| ✅ CONFIRMED ARBITRATION | PSAC SV (switched) · NPF RM · CUPE LES-PO · PAFSO FS · CMCFA UT · SR(W) | 33,072 | SV switched from conciliation — 10,000 members | |||
| ⏳ TBD — AWAITING DECISION | PIPSC CP · SH · RE · NR · SP · UCCO CX · ACFO CT · AJC LP · Unifor AI · CFPA AO · IBEW EL · CMSG SO | 53,110 | These groups have not yet declared their DR method for this round. | |||
| ⏳ TBD — JUNE 2026 VOTE | CAPE EC | 27,379 | ⬅ THE KEY VOTE. EC's decision alone shifts the current-round picture significantly. | |||
| CURRENT ROUND SCENARIOS — IF EC VOTES YES vs NO | ||||||
| Scenario | Confirmed Conciliation | Confirmed Arbitration | TBD Members | Notes | ||
| EC votes YES ✅ | 203,048 (175,669 confirmed + 27,379 EC) | 33,072 | 53,110 still TBD | |||
| EC votes NO ❌ | 175,669 (confirmed only) | 60,451 (33,072 + 27,379 EC) | 53,110 still TBD | |||
| Even with most groups still TBD, confirmed conciliation already leads confirmed arbitration by more than 5:1. PIPSC IT switching to conciliation this round (22,000 members) further shifts the picture. EC's 27,379 members are the single largest undecided group remaining — the June vote is the decisive factor in this round of bargaining in the core federal public service. | ||||||
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