A full decade later, federal public servants remain caught in the web of the Phoenix debacle – the most expensive government IT blunder in Canadian history. So far, the system has cost Canadians nearly $5 billion with the price tag continuing to rise every day. But for public servants, it has cost much more.
Thousands of employees continue to be underpaid, overpaid, or not paid at all with significant impacts on their finances, mental health and wellbeing. For some, it has cost them their homes, their marriages – and for every federal worker, it has cost them their trust and peace of mind.
Despite ongoing pushes by CAPE and other federal public sector unions, the government has still not committed to a new damages agreement for the hundreds of thousands of public servants who have been impacted by Phoenix failures since 2020, leaving too many workers without redress for such a plain violation of their rights.
Phoenix problems are still one of the biggest issues facing CAPE members. The government’s backlog to address these cases is well over 230,000 – with more than 100,000 still unresolved after more than a year.
And while the federal government continues to flounder with Phoenix, it is still forging ahead full throttle on introducing untested artificial intelligence systems across government departments. Another rushed technology deployment, filled with very familiar hype and hubris about its capacity to deliver with no proof of product or clear safeguards in place, should make Canadian taxpayers as nervous as it makes federal public servants.
With every decision, this government continues to show how little it values its employees, Canadian taxpayers, and the programs and services we all rely on.
Following massive job cuts and wildly inefficient and wasteful return-to-office mandates, the Carney government has zero credibility left with its employees. Addressing the ongoing harms caused by Phoenix and fairly compensating every public servant who has suffered would be a step in the right direction to repair that trust.
CAPE will continue to push this government for damages for its members who are still dealing with Phoenix-related issues. Public servants deserve much better from their employer because they're hardworking Canadians who just want taxpayer dollars used responsibly, a workplace that encourages productivity, and to be paid correctly and on time.
