Following USJE’s National Triennial Convention in July 2026, USJE’s National President, National Vice President and Regional Vice Presidents gathered in late October to develop USJE’s next three-year strategic plan – which is designed to strengthen USJE’s ability to advance key priorities.
The framework for the plan was built on the five key priorities that President Neufeld shared at the 2026 National Triennial Convention, where he was acclaimed by the membership as National President for the next three-year term of office.
Coupled with the insights that were garnered through USJE’s recent comprehensive surveys seeking input from front line members and Local Executive members, the National Executive provided additional feedback on the identified priorities and brought forward ideas to strengthen the overall Strategic Plan.
USJE plans to advance the following initiatives under the rubric of this three-year Strategic Plan:
1) Continuation of USJE’s Budget Cuts Campaign (Protecting jobs, Public Safety and Working Conditions)
2) Development of a National Health & Safety Plan (Strengthening Rights, Knowledge, and Representation on Health and Safety; through the USJE National Health and Safety Advisory Committee)
3) Development of a National Strategy to Support Members and Representatives around Duty to Accommodate (through the USJE Equity Committee)
4) Support for Local & Regional Union Representatives – Development of a pilot project that will seek to provide greater support for local and regional union representatives to impact on the well-being, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability of the union’s representative structure.
5) “Keeping Canadians Safe; That is what we do!” – Development of a national visibility and public education strategy that showcases the work of USJE members and speaks to their valuable contributions to public safety.
1) Budget Cuts Campaign
Given the current political climate in Canada and the emphasis by the Carney government to reduce overall operational spending in the federal public service, the continuation of USJE’s Budget Cuts Campaign will remain a top priority. The campaign will focus on the protection of members’ jobs, working conditions, and public safety. USJE remains highly committed to ensuring that the impacts of budget decisions on employees and the services Canadians depend upon remain at the forefront of public and political discussions.
2) Health and Safety Plan
In regard to building a National Health and Safety plan, the USJE National Health and Safety Advisory Committee will be asked to examine, assess, create and implement tools to better support front line and regional union representatives on matters related to health and safety.
The underlying goal will be to ensure that when health and safety concerns need to be addressed in the workplace, union representatives will be clearer on what processes and supports are available to them to address these concerns.
Strategic health and safety training will be provided to the advisory committee members and to the USJE Labour Relations team. The plan will also include the creation of a series of short health and safety videos which will be shared with front line representatives to assist them in their responsibilities.
USJE also remains committed to the Presumptive Injury Campaign and to advocating for changes to the federal Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA) to facilitate improved access to Presumptive Injury coverage under Workers Compensation programs in every province and territory for occupational related psychological injuries.
3) Duty to Accommodate
In developing a National Strategy to support members and representatives around Duty to Accommodate (DTA), the USJE Equity Committee will be asked to identify key gaps and challenges that members and representatives face when dealing with management and DTA situations.
Members of the USJE Equity Committee will receive DTA training that will prepare them for the work ahead on this priority.
USJE’s Labour Relations team will also look at creating resources for our executive and members relating to DTA. The National Strategy will include a plan to consult and work with external experts on developing strategies and guidance materials for our membership.
All USJE members deserve to be treated with dignity and respect when seeking accommodation in the workplace, and this priority will seek to enhance the support offered to these members and to their union representatives in these processes.
4) Enhanced Support for Local and Regional Representation
Recognizing the increasing demands placed on union representatives, USJE’s efforts will focus on building capacity, strengthening networks of support, providing resources and offering training that help representatives carry out their important work while reducing the risk of burnout.
It is important that union representatives feel connected, informed, and supported, regardless of region or experience level.
A focus on enhanced support for local and regional representatives will endeavor to:
- Improve national consistency in representation
- Enhance leadership resilience
- Strengthen peer networks among representatives
- Promote psychological safety and reduce burnout
- Ensure representatives at all levels have the tools, training, and support they need
5) Keeping Canadians Safe
The fifth priority will focus on the expansion of the Keeping Canadians Safe initiative and the development of a national visibility and public education strategy.
Leveraging USJE’s pre-existing external facing website, which was launched in 2016, USJE will produce a series of videos and feature the voices of USJE members who play such a critical role in protecting Canadians and delivering important public services from coast to coast to coast.
There is still much work to do when it comes to educating Canadians and federal politicians about the work of USJE members and the value of this work. By showcasing and promoting the work of USJE members, it will help to strengthen our union’s political advocacy around issues that matter to our members, including defending the work of our members during times of budgetary cuts and fiscal financial restraint.
Conclusion
Through these priorities, USJE will prioritize:
USJE’s Political Action Committee will support several of these efforts through a renewed political engagement strategy. This includes the continuation of the annual USJE Public Safety Awards and the convening of two important Roundtables that will engage Members of Parliament in relation to the risks of Artificial Intelligence and the realities of working in the North as a USJE member.
Finally, the National Executive approved further investments in USJE’s award- winning podcast, promoting visibility of the Keep RCMP Campaign in Alberta and hosting an additional Roundtable focusing on Indigenous USJE members.
The total cost for this three-year plan Strategic Plan will be $1,684,674.01. The plan will be funded through USJE’s unrestricted reserves.