Monday, May 27th – Today marked the first day of deliberations for PSAC’s 20th National Triennial Convention. 575 delegates from Coast to Coast to Coast accompanied by 27 guests and 172 observers gathered at the Shaw Center in Ottawa. USJE’s delegation consists of 41 delegates and 13 observers from across Canada.
For the next 5 days, these delegates from all 15 components and Directly Chartered Locals of PSAC will debate resolutions on the Convention floor. PSAC’s Triennial Convention is the first such gathering since the historical public service strike of April 2023. Delegates came to Ottawa energized by the memory of this recent large-scale union action.
The Convention officially kicked off on Sunday afternoon when outgoing PSAC National President Chris Aylward delivered his final opening address in the role. In his speech, President Aylward focused on the important lessons learned during the 2023 strike. President Aylward added an ominous note regarding the decision by current Treasury Board President Anita Anand to curtail telework rights. He also expressed grave concerns about the seemingly unsympathetic political forces poised to shape policies in Ottawa in the coming years.
The proceedings of this first full day of Convention centered on the tabling of the budget and the debates surrounding it. The following resolutions were adopted:
CS-029 PSAC RACIALLY VISIBLE NAME CHANGE TO RACIALIZED
CS-006 SECTION 5 OF THE PSAC CONSTITUTION
CS-011 SECTION 6 OF THE PSAC CONSTITUTION
CS-061 GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE PSAC