In a deeply disappointing move - and to avoid good faith bargaining - the Premier of Alberta has used the notwithstanding clause to force Alberta's 51,000 teachers back to work. This is a dangerous precedent that will impact workers across the country. 

Collective bargaining rights are under attack. 

The notwithstanding clause is part of our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and in Alberta the Alberta Bill of Rights and Alberta Human Rights Act. This clause is intended for emergency situations. The notwithstanding clause allows governments to circumvent the legal framework of the Charter's rights, primarily fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality rights.

In this case, the notwithstanding clause was utilized to strip the Alberta Teachers Association of their bargaining rights.

Premier Smith has weaponized legislation that is intended to protect citizens. Legislating teachers back to work, stripping them of their bargaining rights is a direct attack on students, families and the teachers who keep the education system functioning. 

This legislation means Alberta Teachers have zero bargaining power for a period of at least five years and are subject to a contract they strongly rejected.This action has a chilling effect on labour rights and is widely seen as a significant overreach of power. 

While the strike is over - classrooms in Alberta remain overcrowded, under supported and without the critical funds needed. Teachers’ wages have lagged behind inflation rates for far too long and they are asked to do more with less on a daily basis. Worse still - teachers have been silenced and democracy has been challenged. 

ATA President Jason Schilling noted that  “Teachers will comply with the law, but make no mistake—compliance is not consent. The Association will fight this abuse of power with every tool the law provides and every ounce of conviction we possess.”

PIPSC proudly stands in solidarity with the Alberta Teachers’ Associate, the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress. As a labour movement we must stand up for our right to bargain, strike and organize. 

We encourage you to show your solidarity too. Visit the ATA’s website and take action today. 

Support Alberta’s Teachers

All Canadians must push back against this devastating overstep. 

We recognize that future job actions could further impact parents, including our members, across the province. PIPSC will ensure members are aware of their rights and how to show support. Employers are required to consider accommodation requests on a case by case basis. 

If you require support, please reach out to your local stewards.

The federal government is expected to table its next budget on November 4, against the backdrop of a comprehensive expenditure review proposing the deepest cuts to the federal public service in generations.

These reductions – expected to be announced or deepened in this budget – come on top of hiring freezes, delayed replacements, and program slowdowns already underway across departments. Framed as “discipline” and “efficiency,” the cuts risk hollowing out the very systems Canadians rely on: from food safety to emergency response to digital security.

Here are five red flags to watch for in Budget 2025 – and why they matter for Canada’s future.

1. “Efficiency” language that hides real cuts

When governments talk about “program reviews,” “attrition,” or “streamlining,” they want Canadians to picture cutting red tape – not fewer food inspections, slower responses to wildfires, or weaker disease monitoring. 

The truth is, when government cuts go too deep, it’s not inefficiency that’s eliminated – it’s the people and services that Canadians rely on, often without realizing it.

Reducing the size of the public service workforce won’t magically create operational efficiencies, just like replacing the Phoenix pay system with different software didn't magically fix the government’s inability to pay its employees correctly or on time.

Public service professionals know where the issues are – poor planning, outdated systems, costly outsourcing, and layers of management that make it hard to get anything done – and are ready to be part of the solution.  

2. Artificial Intelligence as a “quick fix” with long-term consequences 

We all want the government to innovate. But when “AI-driven efficiency” becomes code for replacing people instead of enhancing services and jobs, Canadians lose out: broken systems, wasted money, and public harm. 

Automating decisions about benefits, inspections, or compliance without proper oversight risks errors and inequities. Responsible AI means publicly built, transparent AI systems guided by professionals, not privatized tools developed by multinational vendors with no accountability.

If the government wants to make technology work for Canadians, it must invest in public capacity to design, test, and govern these tools. It cannot use AI as a “quick fix” cover to justify cuts that damage the quality of public services Canadians rely on.

3. An increase in costly outsourcing 

While the government speaks about efficiency and discipline, it has become overly dependent on wasteful and unnecessary outsourcing. Outsourcing on professional services is projected to hit a record $26 billion this fiscal year – the highest on record. That’s money flowing to private consultants instead of building the in-house capacity Canadians actually need.

This unchecked growth carries a big cost, exposing taxpayers to runaway budgets and minimal accountability. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has shown that contractors cost 22–25.7% more compared to equivalent in-house professionals. This practice is unacceptable for a government that’s trying to find savings and reduce inefficiency while cutting full-time public sector jobs. If the federal government wants real savings, reducing outsourcing is the place to start.

4. Neglecting science and evidence

From tracking wildfires to testing clean water, public scientists are essential to keeping Canadians safe. But after years of under-investment, many departments are already stretched to the breaking point.

Any further cuts could jeopardize Canada’s readiness for health emergencies, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Persistent issues – like political interference, inadequate staffing, and barriers to open communication – remain unaddressed in many departments.

Protecting science means stable funding, modern labs, and freedom to share research findings — not another round of restrictions or silence.

For more, see our latest report on the state of federal science and why renewed investment is critical to Canada’s resilience.

5. Forgetting the bigger picture

As economist Jim Stanford of the Centre for Future Work reminds us, this is “not an ordinary federal budget.” This is the moment to defend what keeps Canada strong and independent – not dismantle it. 

Public servants are Canada’s first line of defence against risk – tracking wildfires, ensuring safe food and medicine, securing our digital systems, and keeping the economy steady when crisis hits. Investing in them means investing in a safer, more self-reliant Canada.

What Canadians actually need

• Strengthen the public service without deep cuts
• Rein in wasteful outsourcing and rebuild internal expertise
• Adopt AI responsibly
• Reinvest in evidence-based decision making and scientific integrity
• Focus on long-term problem solving, not band-aid solutions

Public servants are part of the solution: they know where improvements can be made. What they need is support to do their jobs, not slogans about doing “more with less.”

Cutting won’t build resilience. Strengthening public services will.

The Auditor General’s report on CRA call centres, released October 22, is a clear warning sign. 

• 10,000 CRA jobs eliminated since 2024
• Call centre agents cut from 7,800 to 3,500
• Only 5% of June calls answered within standard
• Less than 30 minutes of training per agent per year
• 17% accuracy rate on basic tax questions 
• Complaints up 145%

This report makes it clear: cuts compromise the quality of services Canadians count on – resulting in longer wait times, reduced access to vital information, and growing frustration for those who need help.

CRA agents are professionals who want to help Canadians, but they’re being set up to fail by political decisions beyond their control. When professional capacity is slashed, training is eliminated, and expertise is replaced with algorithms, services break down, and the public pays the price.

In response, the government has pointed to more AI and general commitments to improve, rather than committing to the report’s main takeaway: align staffing levels with demand.

Canadians want to speak with a real person – someone who understands their situation and can offer trusted information. The solution isn’t more AI or automated bots that leave people feeling frustrated and disconnected.

This is a reminder that today’s service failures are the result of previous rounds of cuts. And now, the federal government is asking Canadians to brace for more – with its 15% reductions planned in the upcoming budget, the deepest public service cuts in generations.

Cuts already made are slowing services and making it harder for Canadians to get the support they need. The government faces a clear choice: strengthen public services by investing in them, or compromise them even further. 

OTTAWA, October 20, 2025 — A new report released today by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), the union representing the scientists, researchers and engineers working for the federal government, highlights significant warning signs in Canada’s federal public science system – and urges renewed investment to ensure long-term resilience, not more cuts.

A Science Roadmap for Canada’s Future: Lessons from a Decade of Federal Scientists’ Voices, draws on 12 years of data from thousands of federal scientists and reveals a sector losing funding, capacity, and confidence – just when Canadians need it most.

“Federal science plays a quiet but essential role in everything from food safety to water quality to environmental monitoring to public health,” said PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly. “This report is a clear warning: our federal scientific capacity is fragile, already under pressure, and can’t take another hit.” 

Among the report’s findings:

• Just 6.5% believe their department has adequate research funding
• Confidence in evidence-based policy has declined to 44%
• 36% of federal laboratories and science facilities are in poor or critical condition
• Interference (requests to alter or omit findings for non-scientific reasons) is on the rise

PIPSC warns that early gains in science integrity and transparency made in the aftermath of a decade of muzzling and mismanagement, are now stalling or reversing. At the same time, the government is floating plans for sweeping public service cuts, threatening what little resilience remains in Canada’s scientific infrastructure. PIPSC is urging the government to reflect carefully.

“Cuts mean consequences that won’t just be felt in labs – they’ll be felt in communities,” continued O’Reilly. “Defunding federal science means slower responses to wildfires, fewer food inspections, weaker disease monitoring, and delayed action on environmental threats. These cuts hit the systems Canadians rely on every day, often without even realizing it.”

The report outlines a 10-point plan focused on strengthening scientific integrity, rebuilding capacity, and ensuring transparency and accountability in how scientific evidence is used in policymaking.

“Fixing inefficiencies means tackling what’s really holding public science back — unstable funding, political interference, inconsistent priorities, costly outsourcing, and outdated infrastructure,” said O’Reilly. “Public science takes decades to build and seconds to cut. In a time of global instability, we should be strengthening the institutions that make Canada strong, safe, and independent — not weakening them.”

PIPSC is calling on the federal government to reverse course on public service cuts and commit to long-term, sustainable funding for federal science.

PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile)

Canada’s federal science system is losing capacity and credibility, and needs urgent, sustainable investment to stay resilient – not more cuts. 

PIPSC’s report, A Science Roadmap for Canada's Future: Lessons from a Decade of Federal Scientists' Voices draws on 12 years of surveys with thousands of federal scientists to get to the bottom line. Early gains in funding, transparency, and science integrity have stalled or reversed, threatening Canada's ability to respond to future crises. 

At the same time, the federal government is floating plans for sweeping public service cuts, threatening what little resilience remains in Canada’s scientific infrastructure. PIPSC is urging the government to reflect carefully.

The report flags declining scientific integrity and systemic risks, and lays out a 10-point plan to stabilize funding, fill vacant positions, modernize labs, restore fieldwork budgets, and re-establish independent oversight so scientists can share evidence freely. 

Scientific capacity takes decades to build but can vanish in a single budget cycle. Without swift action, Canada risks entering the next crisis underprepared and underpowered. 

Read the Science Roadmap

Read the Science Roadmap (HTML)

The revival of the Bargaining Conference after several years was a great success. From September 9 to 11, 2025, bargaining team members from the Core Federal Public Service and selected agencies took part in an informative and collaborative training experience. The conference provided an opportunity to deepen understanding of the bargaining process and strengthen solidarity across groups.

Participants engaged in a dynamic program featuring presentations, interactive panel discussions on real-world experiences, and hands-on activities aimed at building practical bargaining skills. In a post-event survey, nearly 62% of participants rated the training as “Excellent,” highlighting the interactive panels, real-life bargaining simulations, and collaborative learning atmosphere as key strengths.

One participant noted that the training “brought the bargaining process to life,” while another shared that it “built confidence and connection among groups that don’t often work together.”

These results confirm that the conference not only met its learning goals but also reinforced a strong sense of solidarity and readiness across the Institute’s bargaining teams.

Katherine Kenny, one of the negotiators who helped organize the event, reflected on its success:

“I am so pleased that this training achieved our pedagogical goals, but also that members from different groups were able to connect, share their experiences, and support one another.”

She added:

“Although this project began in our department, it was the combined knowledge and talent of teams and individuals across the Institute that made this unique training possible. It truly showed our bargaining team members that the entire Institute stands behind them when they get to the table.”

While this session focused on the Core Public Administration groups, the Negotiations Team is exploring similar sessions for other groups in the near future. The training modules developed for this conference will serve as a lasting resource for future learning and development across the Institute.

The return of the Bargaining Conference underscores the Institute’s ongoing commitment to supporting members and equipping bargaining teams with the tools and confidence needed to negotiate the best possible agreements on their behalf.

PIPSC members, like all members of the federal public service, are the quiet force behind Canada’s strength: dedicated professionals who protect the health, safety, and economic security of Canadians by building the programs and systems we all rely on – especially when times get tough.

Earlier this year, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne launched a directive for 7.5%, 10%, and 15% spending cuts – the most devastating attack on federal public services in a generation. Both jobs and entire programs could be on the chopping block.

These cuts are on top of the work force adjustments already being rolled out across departments as part of the government’s Budget Refocusing Exercise. It’s cuts on top of cuts.

PIPSC members make a difference in shaping a stronger and better Canada. These cuts will hurt Canadians. 

This is your opportunity to share your story about how these cuts will hurt.

How does your work make a difference in Canadians’ lives?

Together, we’re taking a stand for strong public services and a stable, more resilient Canada.

Tell us about your important work.