Unions for federal workers promise ‘summer of discontent’ of hybrid work rules

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Unions representing tens of thousands of federal workers warn they are planning a “summer of discontent” to force the federal government to back off plans to compel workers to come to their offices for a minimum three days a week.

The four unions say they were angry when the new hybrid work rules were announced last week, but have since started to mobilize and fight. They are asking the government to keep the status quo, with workers coming to the office for a minimum of two days a week.

They told a press conference in Ottawa Wednesday that they will fight the new rules through legal actions, as well as through a tide of grievances from workers, but did not offer details. They promised more measures will be announced later.

“The Trudeau Liberal government better prepare itself for a summer of discontent,” said Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “That’s what this government is forcing us into.”

Hybrid work rules have been a contentious issue in both the public and private sectors, as workers seek to keep the flexibility to work at home that they gained during the pandemic, and employers move to bring them back, citing the importance of in-person engagement.

In the case of Ottawa, where almost half of the country’s federal workers are employed, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have stressed the importance of the return to work for the economy, particularly downtown businesses, and the increased use of its transit system.

At a recent news conference in Ottawa, Mr. Ford said three days a week in the office was a good start. “It’s always nice to see everyone go to work five days a week,” he said.

Mr. Aylward said, however, that workers disagree. About 53,000 workers have completed a survey since last Friday, he said, with 84 per cent of respondents saying they are prepared to take action against the new government policy.

The result, he said, will be “concerted, co-ordinated actions across the country” by workers.

He noted that strike votes are under way for members who work for the Canada Border Services Agency. “This is certainly an issue for them,” he said.

Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, told the news conference that Ottawa is asking workers to spend more time in federal workplaces that are a mess.

“Nobody can find a desk. Nobody has a locker. We’re talking about offices that aren’t safer or cleaner than they were before telework. Bedbugs. Bats. Mice. Cockroaches. Mould. Odours. Poor air quality. Missing or broken equipment. Trash littering workstations. These aren’t conditions fit for federal employees,” he said.

Sean O’Reilly, vice-president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, said workers face challenges even accessing these problematic workspaces.

“Attempting to book a seat for a week is now like trying to get tickets to a Taylor Swift concert, staying up late on a Sunday night to ensure you can secure the best seat,” he said.

Treasury Board President Anita Anand said the hybrid work model will continue, and there will be a four-month transition period to engineer the change.

In a later statement, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said it recognizes “the benefit of hybrid work and hear the preferences of employees to maintain some flexibility.”

However, spokesperson Alain Belle-Isle said, “We also believe in the value of human interaction in the workplace at many levels, including during onboarding of new public servants. Moving from two to three days to a minimum of three days, as well as an increase of senior management presence to four days, is a calibration exercise. The objective is to maximize the benefit of presence in the workplace while maintaining flexibility.”

Ms. Anand told journalists ahead of the weekly Liberal caucus meeting that, “A hybrid work environment is not within the collective agreements.

“It is something that, at the time of the negotiations, the Government of Canada retained prerogative over to determine the scope of the hybrid environment.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party will put pressure on the government to help federal workers, citing the agreement his party has with the Liberals to support them in the Commons in exchange for progress on key NDP policies.

“I am going to use that pressure. I am going to use those tools to stand up for working people.”

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.