🗓 Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 ⏰ Time: 7:00 – 8:00p.m. EST 💻 Hosted by: Alisha Kang, National President, Union of National Employees, PSAC
Topic:Mid-Mandate Update
Join UNE National President, Alisha Kang and National Executive Vice-President, Hayley Millington next Wednesday. It’s been almost eighteen months since Convention and this will be an opportunity for members to hear from the elected leadership on the progress made at UNE.
Your voice matters—this townhall is your chance to engage with leadership, gain insights, and ask questions that matter to you.
We dream of a world where differences are valued and celebrated Not because of gender, or race, or class, or challenges But for our uniqueness, integrity, and qualities contributed Where people can thrive and meet their full potentials.
On March 8th, International Women’s Day is over a century old. Still too many things we can’t do, stigmas weighing us down A mountain of barriers, challenges and stories to be told. And as the fight continues, one by one we become unbound.
We see freedoms taken away in the world’s most “democratic” countries. Women slain, and children orphaned because of outdated beliefs and values. Or forced on their knees pleading: Remember Please! That this day is not only for us but for all those who celebrate women and their virtues.
We are speaking of our mothers, sisters, aunts and daughters Our aunts, teachers, friends and mentors, We speak of all those women who truly matters. Together we can tear the barriers down, and finally enjoy this word’s splendours.
Mireille Jaillet is the UNE’s National Equity Representative for Women
PSAC has filed a policy grievance against Treasury Board over Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) failure to follow the Workforce Adjustment Appendix when implementing its Voluntary Departure Program.
PSAC and component unions representing workers at IRCC — the Canada Employment and Immigration Union and Union of National Employees — have serious concerns about the department’s mishandling of workforce reductions as the department pushes ahead with its plan to cut 3,300 jobs.
Some affected employees were misled to believe a Voluntary Departure Program was in place, yet IRCC failed to properly establish it through the required consultation process. The department also refused to provide staff reduction targets before launching the program, as required under the collective agreement, preventing the union from ensuring it is applied fairly and preventing our members from having access to information that may inform their decision about whether to participate in the program.
Making matters worse, IRCC is limiting eligibility to the program to workers impacted by workforce adjustment in the first year and excluding those slated for layoffs in years two and three of the plan. This directly violates the Workforce Adjustment Appendix, which requires all affected employees in units of five or more at the same group and level to be given the option to participate.
PSAC calls for IRCC to temporarily suspend workforce adjustment
In response, PSAC has filed a grievance demanding that workforce adjustment be suspended until IRCC provides the required reduction targets. The union is also calling for the Voluntary Departure Program to be made available to all affected employees, not just those facing immediate cuts.
IRCC workers are essential to the processing of Canada’s immigration and citizenship programs, including permanent and temporary residency applications, issuing passports, and ensuring Canada can attract the talent needed to strengthen our economy.
Our union will continue to fight back against these reckless job cuts and hold the employer accountable for its failure to respect our members’ collective agreement rights.
Step into a role where every effort counts, and every contribution is celebrated. At the Union of National Employees (UNE), our diverse community is powered by committed and dedicated employees who provide exceptional service to our 27,000 members across 73 dynamic workplaces. Together, we champion workers’ rights, human rights, and social justice with unwavering passion. Since 1967, UNE has stood as a beacon for empowering voices and embracing unique perspectives across public, private, and non-profit sectors. We believe that our strength lies in our diversity, and we foster an inclusive environment where every idea is valued and every individual can thrive.
By joining our team, you’ll enjoy:
Generous Time Off: Kickstart your journey with three weeks’ vacation, plus extra paid leave to support your wellness.
Flexible Work Arrangements: Experience a dynamic hybrid model with a minimum of two days per week at the office.
Outstanding Benefits: Benefit from competitive group plans—including Health, Dental, Life, and Disability Insurance—fully paid by UNE.
Financial Security: Secure your future with our Defined Benefit Pension Plan featuring balanced (50/50) contributions.
Continuous Growth: Receive robust support for professional development and a wellness allowance of $1,600 per year.
If you’re driven by a commitment to service and ready to contribute to a legacy of positive change, UNE is the perfect place for you. Join us and be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of 27,000 members and beyond.
Discover your next career chapter with UNE – where your passion meets purpose!
📢 Join Us for a Virtual Townhall Celebrating Women in the Union!
🗓 Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 ⏰ Time: 2:00 – 3:00p.m. EST 💻 Hosted by: Alisha Kang, National President, Union of National Employees, PSAC
Topic:Celebrating Women in the Union
Join Us for a Virtual Townhall next Tuesday! As we kick off Women’s History month in March, UNE National President Alisha Kang and Ontario Regional Vice-President Phyllis Allen will have a conversation about Celebrating Women in the Union.
Your voice matters—this townhall is your chance to engage with leadership, gain insights, and ask questions that matter to you.
The 2025 UNE Local Presidents’ Conference is just a few short weeks away!
This three-day event will be packed with presentations, workshops and training that will enhance your leadership skills, give you the knowledge and tools to help you and your members. It is also an opportunity for all Local Presidents, or their designates, to come together, engage in activism, and gain a deeper understanding of our Union’s structure and operations.
📅 When: April 10-13, 2025 📍 Where: Hotel Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan
Each UNE Local is invited to send a Local President or designate to attend.
Apply online by Friday, March 7, 2025!
All Expenses Covered!
UNE is proud to fully cover the costs of your participation, including:
✅ Flights and transportation ✅ Accommodation and meals ✅ Loss of salary reimbursement ✅ Childcare support
Travel & Expense Details:
✈️ Your travel to the airport is covered! If you drive, track your kilometers and provide a google map of your trip. If you take a taxi, keep your receipt. (Please note: Unionized taxi companies are preferred over services like Uber.) 🚗 If you plan to drive to the Conference, pre-approval from UNE Events is required.
💰 Upon registration, an advance cheque will be provided to cover your per diem covering meals that are not provided. 👶 On-site childcare is available, or UNE will cover childcare expenses at home while you attend the conference.
PSAC is getting ready for the next round of bargaining for over 4,000 members working at Parks Canada. As the first step in this process, we need to hear from you.
What would you like to see in your next collective agreement? This is your opportunity to share your ideas with us. Your participation is crucial to our strength as a union.
The proposals will be reviewed and brought to the next bargaining conference to be held May 7-9, 2025, where delegates from locals across the country will prioritize them for negotiations. Talks for the next contract are expected to begin soon afterwards.
The current collective agreement expires August 4, 2025.
Please keep your contact information up to date to receive more updates as we prepare to negotiate your next contract.
PSAC Parks members work in architecture, commerce, engineering, finance, forestry, general labour and trades, historical research and program administration. From seasonal workers to office staff, from park wardens to canal workers, members working for Parks Canada help preserve our rich natural heritage.
Members are united and mobilized heading into this round of bargaining on the heels of PSAC’s historic national strike in 2023. Over the past week, more than 200 Treasury Board members gathered at the national bargaining conference in Montreal to discuss members’ priorities and elect bargaining teams for the next round of negotiations.
This marks the first step toward securing new collective agreements that recognize the critical services federal public service workers deliver for Canada.
The current collective agreements expire on the following dates:
PA: June 20, 2025
TC: June 21, 2025
EB: June 30, 2025
SV: August 4, 2025
Federal public service workers deliver essential public services that keep our country running — delivering vital programs like Employment Insurance and child care benefits, protecting our coasts and waterways, supporting our veterans, and keeping our communities safe.
“O’Siyo ᎣᏏᏲ “o-si-yo,” (Cherokee: I see you) Hello and Bonjour Union Sibling,
The Union of National Employees (UNE) elected leadership would like to thank all UNE local and regional representatives who have taken the time to represent UNE members during the grievance procedure.
Please remain diligent of your duty of fair representation while representing members during the grievance procedure and understand that you must never act in a manner that arbitrary, discriminatory or in bad faith.
Representatives of UNE’s belief in the member should never be a factor in the quality of representation we provide to members as even guilty members are entitled to the best representation, we are capable of offering them.
To prevent any misunderstanding or confusion moving forward when it comes to termination grievances, all termination grievances shall be automatically referred to the appropriate level (i.e., final level) of the grievance procedure in the timely manner prescribed in the respective collective agreement.
UNE National Labour Relations Officer will do the assessment of the merits at the final level to determine a referral to adjudication or a non-referral of the termination grievance.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and collaboration regarding termination and all grievances.
Merci, thank you, ᏙᎾᏓᎪᎲᎢ « di-da-yo-li-hv-dv-ga-le-ni-s-gv », ce qui veut dire « à la prochaine ».
Attending the Canadian Black Summit was a truly empowering experience that offered me a new perspective on what it means to occupy space authentically. As a racialized woman, I’ve often felt the pressure to adjust my behavior, language, and even demeanor when navigating predominantly white environments. In many settings, there’s an unspoken expectation that I will code-switch — that I will mold myself to fit a norm that wasn’t built with me in mind. But at the summit, something remarkable happened: I didn’t feel the need to do so. For the first time, I was in a space where I could simply be myself, without feeling the weight of modifying my identity to meet someone else’s expectations.
As a racialized woman, the act of code-switching can be an exhausting survival strategy. Whether it’s adjusting my speech to sound “more professional” or toning down aspects of my culture and personality that might be seen as “too much” or “too different,” it takes a mental and emotional toll. Yet, at the Canadian Black Summit, there was a shared understanding that allowed me to relax. I was surrounded by people who shared similar experiences and histories, and in that shared space, I didn’t have to shrink or adjust in any way. I was free to express myself authentically, without fear of being judged or misunderstood.
Another observation stood out to me during the summit — the absence of the usual “scent-free zone” policy that is often enforced in many union and work spaces. While these policies are typically put in place to accommodate individuals with sensitivities to fragrances, they can also unintentionally create an atmosphere where cultural practices are subtly policed. For many racialized communities, including mine, certain scents — from oils to perfumes to traditional remedies — are a part of our identity and cultural expression. In other spaces, these elements are often seen as a disruption, as if our choices are something that must be contained or altered to fit within a Euro-dominated standard.
At the summit, there was no scent-free zone, and no one complained about it; even though there were over 2000 attendees. The absence of such a policy was a quiet yet powerful statement about what it means to create a truly inclusive environment. It was a space where the focus wasn’t on regulating the behaviors of others to make them fit into a specific mold, but on creating an environment that allowed us to express ourselves in the fullness of our identities. For once, I didn’t feel the need to apologize for the way my cultural practices or identity might be perceived by others. It was a space that allowed me to breathe and exist as I am.
But again, what shocked me, was the lack of complaints about the absence of the scent-free zone. I myself have a severe scent sensitivity and this has only doubled since I have became pregnant. But the moderation of scents did not harm me in the least. In many unions and work spaces, this kind of policy is often framed as a necessary accommodation for “sensitive” individuals, but it can feel like an underlying attempt to control the presence of racialized and marginalized people. It is as if our very existence — the foods we cook, the scents we wear, the way we speak — is something that needs to be adjusted or erased to avoid discomfort. At the summit, I didn’t experience this pressure. Instead, I witnessed a collective understanding that it was okay to occupy space as we were, without constantly making ourselves palatable for others.
This experience reaffirmed the power of creating spaces where marginalized people, especially racialized individuals, can exist without the need for constant modification. The summit was a place where cultural diversity was not just tolerated, but celebrated. It made me realize that true inclusivity isn’t about making everyone conform to a set of rules or norms; it’s about allowing people to bring their full selves into the space — to be seen, heard, and respected without needing to filter or alter who they are.
As we move forward in the conversation about inclusivity, it’s important to examine policies and norms that may disproportionately affect marginalized groups. The lack of a scent-free zone wasn’t just about fragrance or feeling the need to code-switch; it was about a broader principle of respect and understanding. It was a reminder that we don’t have to hide or change ourselves to fit into someone else’s idea of comfort or respectability. It is in these kinds of spaces — where the focus is on mutual respect, cultural expression, and authentic presence — that real change can begin. The summit showed me that when we allow people to exist fully in who they are, we not only uplift individuals, but we also create communities that are more whole, inclusive, and transformative.
The Canadian Black Summit was not only a powerful and affirming experience but also a great start to Black History Month. It served as a reminder of the importance of creating spaces where racialized individuals can be their authentic selves without fear of judgment or the need to conform. I truly hope that those who attended from the Union of National Employees were inspired by the experience — to reflect on how they can create more inclusive environments in their own spaces and organizations. This summit wasn’t just about celebrating our identity; it was about empowering each other to be bold, to be unapologetically ourselves, and to continue pushing for a world where we all belong.
Noha Haydari is the UNE Regional Human Rights Representative for Outside Canada.
“I want to thank Noha for sharing her experience with us and for highlighting such important topics. Her words offer us all a valuable opportunity to reflect on how we coexist in shared spaces. As we know, our spaces are designated scent-free to accommodate those who may be affected for health reasons. At the same time, I encourage everyone to continue deepening our understanding of how dominant cultural norms shape our interactions and environments.”
– Alisha Kang, National President, Union of National Employees
