For the first time in its history, CAPE’s 27,000 federal government workers across Canada will collectively bargain for stronger layoff provisions in their next Collective Agreement. CAPE has chosen to opt out of the National Joint Council (NJC) Cyclical Review Process of the Workforce Adjustment (WFA) Directive. This joint union/employee consultation process previously shaped our WFA provisions, which we never collectively bargained. This round of negotiations, for our EC and TR groups, we will collectively bargain these provisions for stronger rights, better protections and increased job security.
For the first time in our union’s history, Workforce Adjustment (WFA) will be on the bargaining table.
As Mark Carney slashes the federal public sector and the programs and services Canadians rely on, federal workers are demoralized, overworked, and facing uncertain futures. Many of us are being denied the right to union representation while being laid off and are pushed into degrading competitions with their coworkers to keep our own jobs.
People who have dedicated their lives to public service deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in the face of ideologically-driven cuts. It’s the first thing members say when I ask them how they are doing. They talk about being treated as disposable – you know as well as I do that we are not. That’s why we will build real worker power and make real gains at the bargaining table in this coming round.
We will also be holding a webinar on this topic. Stay tuned for the event invite email in the coming weeks.
We’re finally taking our place in the fight for job security alongside the two largest federal public sector unions, PIPSC and PSAC. PSAC and PIPSC have already bargained and locked WFA provisions into their different collective agreements. This year, the employer is already trying to force concessions from PSAC on their hard-won gains on WFA: a clear sign of how consultation would go if we remained at the NJC table. CAPE will stand in solidarity with PSAC and PIPSC members as we hold the line on our right to collectively bargain for stronger, more human layoff protections.
CAPE will be holding a WFA & Bargaining Webinar so you can hear what this means for you, what we’re fighting for, and how you can help strengthen our mandate to secure real WFA protections (and more of our issues). Stay tuned for the RSVP email.
Carney can’t expect labour peace as he blames public servants for a deficit we didn’t cause, and destroys the programs and services Canadians rely on. We will keep building our collective strength to push for better rights, and there’s no better way to do that than at the bargaining table.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPTING OUT OF THE NATIONAL JOINT COUNCIL REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE DIRECTIVE ON WORK FORCE ADJUSTMENT
What is the NJC?
The National Joint Council of the Public Service of Canada is a joint table for co-development, consultation and information sharing between the government as employer and public service bargaining agents (of which there are 19).
The intention of the NJC is to have a joint TBS and labour table to resolve problems and establish terms of employment that apply across the public service, which include a variety of directives that are included in our collective agreements. NJC directives include government travel, relocation, commuting assistance, isolated posts and government housing, foreign service directives, work force adjustment, safety and health, the bilingual bonus and public service health plans.
What is the NJC cyclical review?
The NJC has a cyclical review process for its directives where bargaining agents try to win improvements through discussions with the Employer. These discussions are not covered by the collective bargaining process so employees cannot use the full power of collective bargaining to win improvements. However, bargaining agents can choose to opt out of the cyclical review process and bring these issues to the table, which is what CAPE did.
PSAC and PIPSC have workforce adjustment language in their collective agreements, which they obtained through the collective bargaining process. This gives their members direct control over what their workforce adjustment provisions are, rather than consultations on an outcome they cannot control.
What led to this decision?
CAPE’s leadership decided they needed to pursue WFA language in the collective agreement separate from the NJC. This is in response to thousands of members voicing concerns and worries over major layoffs and job loss currently sweeping across all government departments, and potential concessions that could be demanded by the employer in the NJC process.
What does this mean for the WFA processes underway right now?
The current collective agreement will remain in place during the 2026-2027 bargaining process. Negotiations haven’t started yet and will likely be underway for several months. This round of WFA will continue under the current process, but CAPE members will, through Open Bargaining, debate and determine what kind of WFA language they want to see in their collective agreements.
