The Union of Safety and Justice Employees is expressing its significant concern regarding the recent decision by the Correctional Service of (CSC) to cut 144 positions that USJE members occupy as part of its Workforce Adjustment (WFA) process.
While USJE understands CSC’s mandate under the Comprehensive Expenditure Review is to find operational savings, the reality is without meaningful consultation in advance of these decisions, USJE is fully opposed to these cuts and the process by which these decisions were made.
Despite months of discussions regarding budget reductions and organizational changes, at no point was USJE given the benefit of providing any feedback or insight into the decisions made under the Comprehensive Expenditure Review to cut positions that are vital to the effective operations of the federal Correctional system.
Given the strong rehabilitative mandate within federal Corrections, USJE is analyzing the impacts of Workforce Adjustment through the lens of public safety and workplace wellness for both those working in and being served by the Correctional system. These job cuts target the human resource management sector, including recruitment, training and development, corporate services, health services and Correctional programs for federal offenders.
From the beginning, USJE’s National Executive has been unequivocally clear with CSC’s senior management team. USJE has invaluable insight into the frontline challenges and opportunities to strengthen the Correctional system, not weaken it.
In particular, USJE is extremely concerned about the unintended impacts of this latest round of reductions. USJE believes that they will have a negative effect on the workplace well-being of USJE members, overall employee morale, and add to already untenably high workloads. Inevitably, the cumulative impact will be significant and have an impact on public safety personnel.
USJE remains committed to ensuring members are informed as additional information becomes available from the Correctional Service of Canada.
In total, 405 USJE members have been affected in wave 2 of CSC’s WFA exercise. Of those 405 positions, 144 are slated to be eliminated. CSC has stated that these most recent cuts represent the final wave of WFA exercises under the 2025 Comprehensive Expenditure Review.
Most USJE members affected in wave 2 will be eligible for a Voluntary Departure Program. Eligible employees will have 30 days to determine whether they wish to avail themselves of the provisions set out in the program. For most eligible employees, the deadline to consider VDP is July 24, 2026.
More information on VDP can be found here.
An overview of the cuts affecting USJE members has been provided by the Correctional Service of Canada for this second wave, and the details are below.
Human Resources
CSC has stated that in alignment with the department’s efforts to “Optimize Internal Services,” Human Resources will be continuing its efforts to identify inefficiencies, simplify and streamline processes and services, as well as meet organizational priorities.
- This means that in total, 148 employees across the sector represented by USJE will receive affected status letters, for an overall reduction of 46 positions.
Corporate Services
In January, CSC announced several changes related to the centralization of financial operations, which impacted the CT-FIN community and some resources completing Phoenix-related finance functions.
As part of its ongoing efforts to move to a centralized financial operations model, CSC has announced that it will be reducing the number of CR-05 positions across the regions to “increase streamlining and standardization of processes, integrate greater use of automation and digital tools, and eliminate duplicative or manual transactional work.” CSC says this will reduce the overall workload requirements and “enable work to be delivered more efficiently within a smaller, more centralized operational footprint.”
- Consequently, 62 employees will receive affected status letters, for an overall reduction of 10 positions. Additionally, two administrative positions across Corporate Services, an AS-02 and AS-03, will be eliminated.
Health Services
CSC has advised USJE that it will be taking action to “streamline health governance to reduce duplication and improve efficiency across both internal services and the health management structure at NHQ and in all regions. HS will also be reducing management layers at the national, regional, and site levels.”
USJE is concerned about efforts to streamlining health governance and is eager to hear from members who may be affected or work in this area.
- Regardless, 22 UJSE members will receive affected status notices, for an overall reduction of 13 positions.
Correctional Programs Modernization
CSC has highlighted that it is “looking to reduce red tape in [their] operational procedures and policies. Program management will become more efficient and less administratively burdensome.”
CSC has advised USJE that “streamlining these processes will allow program staff to focus more of their time and professional expertise what they do best: delivering high-quality, evidence-based interventions.”
CSC has also shared with USJE that it will also examine the certification process for Correctional Program Officers to ensure the process is as efficient as possible, something that USJE has been highlighting as a major stressor for some time now.
As a result of these changes, CSC has stated that:
- 94 program officers will have received Affected status letters, for a reduction of 44 positions
- 24 program managers/regional program managers will have received letters, for a reduction of 10 positions
- 35 program assistants will have received letters, for a reduction of 14 positions
Resources for Those Affected
As the federal government continues with its Comprehensive Expenditure Review, PSAC’s Workforce Adjustment Guide for members is crucial for understanding the WFA process.
In addition, USJE has prepared additional supports for its members:
USJE Town Hall
All USJE members who received an affected notice from the Correctional Service of Canada during the week of June 22 are invited to an important Virtual Town Hall. USJE’s National President David Neufeld, your respective USJE Regional Vice President, and a PSAC expert on Workforce Adjustment will also be on the call.
These town halls will enable USJE elected officials and staff to provide information on how USJE is advocating for you throughout the WFA process. This overview will be followed by breakout sessions specific to your role (HR, Corporate Services, Health Services and Programs).
Registration is required – French and English interpretation will be provided:
USJE Podcast: Union Safety Net
USJE’s Podcast, the Union Safety Net, released two episodes related to WFA. Featuring guests from PSAC, they give a clear, practical overview of WFA, and are a helpful starting point for employees navigating workforce adjustment.
Safety in Jeopardy Website
In March of 2026, USJE released its own dedicated Budget Cuts website, featuring WFA-related resources, relevant articles and other information. USJE has also published several articles with additional WFA-related details.
Summary
These cuts are part of CSC’s mandate to achieve $132.2 million dollars in cost reductions by 2028/2029. The total planned spending for the current fiscal year by the federal Correctional Service is $4,000,574,185.
USJE has consistently raised concerns about the growing workload pressures faced by its members. The earlier wave of WFA led to the reductions of key roles within CSC. With each new cut, there is a conscious choice being made to place essential responsibilities onto fewer workers, many of whom are already stretched beyond reasonable limits.
Persistent staffing shortages have also led CSC to rely increasingly on external service providers, raising concerns about job security and consistency of service delivery.
USJE members deserve respect, stability, and adequate resources to do their jobs effectively. The safety of our institutions and the communities they serve, depends on it.