July 16–18, 2024. National President David Neufeld and Regional Vice President JP Surette visited USJE members at the Courts Administration Service, Public Safety, and the Office of the Privacy Commission in Winnipeg and Toronto. They were able to tour the offices and speak directly with USJE members about their work.
On July 16, President Neufeld and RVP Surette spoke at length with members at the Public Safety office in Manitoba about top-of-mind issues. Concerns were raised about the Treasury Board’s three-day telework mandate, and the administrative and technological challenges members face as regional employees. It was clear these members are dealing with high workload challenges and more staffing resources are required to manage the number of crucial Public Safety priorities they help deliver. Despite these real challenges, it was impressive to witness the pride and commitment USJE members demonstrate in helping to keep Canadians safe.

Before leaving Winnipeg, President Neufeld and RVP Surette visited Turning Leaf Support Services, a non-profit community organization providing crisis intervention, treatment and support to those living with mental illness and intellectual challenges. Turning Leaf is a 2022 recipient of USJE’s Community Investment Initiative, receiving $20,000 to help purchase a truck for small moves and their property management enterprise.

On July 18, the delegation visited USJE members at the Toronto office of the Privacy Commission of Canada. USJE has five members at the Privacy Commission’s Toronto office, and they were gracious and welcoming to President Neufeld and RVP Surette. USJE members reported they enjoy their work — which is more business-facing than their Ottawa office counterparts — and identified their relationship with management as favourable. When discussing the Treasury Board three-day mandate on telework, it was evident the issue of hybrid work was very important to this group of members. All members agreed that greater flexibility allows for improved work/life balance and greater productivity. The quote of the week came from a USJE member at the Privacy Commision who noted, “It’s takes an hour to get to Toronto, from Toronto.”
Next, President Neufeld and RVP Surette met with members at the federal courts in Toronto, where the local union hosted a pizza lunch. The meeting had 20 members in attendance. USJE representatives spoke about union priorities, including USJE’s Presumptive Injury Campaign, member mobilization and the fight back against Treasury Board’s three-day mandate on telework. PSAC’s call for all members to submit collective bargaining demands was also discussed. President Neufeld and RVP Surette wish to thank Local President, Jena Russell, for her ongoing leadership and development in her local.

The issue of a long and expensive commute to the office took on a whole new meaning when President Neufeld and RVP Surette met USJE members at the Public Safety offices in Toronto. These committed members help coordinate the government response when disasters or emergencies strike in Canada, and it’s not uncommon for several employees to spend 4-5 hours daily on their commute to-and-from the workplace. The Public Safety employees in Toronto are a clear example why the government’s telework mandate needs scrapping. Instead, let managers and employees work together to create tailored and effective hybrid work arrangements that best serve Canadians.
President Neufeld and RVP Surette want to thank all USJE members at each site in Winnipeg and Toronto for the warm welcome and candid conversations. It was rewarding to meet the dedicated public service employees keeping Canadians safe and get a better sense of the concerns and challenges facing USJE members. USJE is committed to highlighting these challenges to senior management representatives in Ottawa immediately.