Every June, the Government of Canada marks National Public Service week. On the occasion of this year’s National Public Service Week, the Union of Safety and Justice Employees (alongside other Components of the Public Service Alliance of Canada) are celebrating the invaluable work that federal public service employees undertake every day for the safety and security of Canadians.
On behalf of myself and all of USJE’s Regional Vice Presidents, we would like to take this opportunity to thank USJE’s 19,000 plus members across 18 departments and agencies for your contributions in providing valuable services to Canadians.
As we know, the past year has been a challenging one given the political and economic climate south of the border and our own recent federal election. In addition, we have witnessed the federal public service face significant budget reductions and much uncertainty around what the future will hold as it relates to even greater cuts in most federal departments.
Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that many of you may feel taken for granted or undervalued for your dedication and commitment to the federal public service. USJE wants you to know that we are very appreciative of your work and that your contributions matter.
Whether you are on the front lines, or in the background, we know you are showing up for Canadians every day, often at a cost to your own personal well-being.
We have developed a number of campaigns that are specifically designed to raise awareness about the positive impact USJE members have on public safety and their roles as federal public safety personnel.
This is why USJE has launched the following initiatives:
- USJE’s Presumptive Injury campaign to ensure better mental health supports for all federal public safety personnel (not just for traditional first responders);
- USJE’s Nationwide campaign to profile and protect the jobs of our members at the RCMP in every province and territory;
- Robust delivery of USJE’s second National Equity conference (led by USJE’s National Equity Committee) held in May 2025 in Halifax, Nova Scotia;
- A detailed mobilization plan to fight the budget cuts that are contributing to the increasing workloads and pressures on our membership;
- An energetic campaign to advocate for a nuanced and flexible approach to ‘on and off-site work’ that enables public service employees to do their best work while experiencing an improved work life balance.
- An ambitious and comprehensive approach by USJE’s Labour Relations team to tackle USJE’s Grievance Backlog;
- A plan on how to support and assist members in the future should they face a Workforce Adjustment situation.
We know that you may not hear thank you enough for your service, and that not everyone chooses the public service as their profession.
That’s why it’s important to USJE that we take this moment to express our appreciation for all that you do, seen or unseen, on behalf of Canadians everywhere.
We are delighted that you are part of our USJE family, and hope you are able to take a few moments to truly appreciate your contributions and that of your colleagues to Canada’s public safety network.
If you don’t already, we encourage you to stay connected by visiting our website, listening to USJE’s podcast or checking out our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and BlueSky.
Thank you again for all that you do!
Sincerely,
David Neufeld
National President