The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC; , AFPC) is one of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

's largest national

labour union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s. It is the largest union in the Canadian federal public sector. PSAC members work in every province and territory, and also work abroad in

embassies A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes a ...

and

consulates A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a h ...

. Many of PSAC's some 200,000 members work for the federal public service,

crown corporation Crown corporation () is the term used in Canada for organizations that are structured like private companies, but are directly and wholly owned by the government. Crown corporations have a long-standing presence in the country, and have a sign ...

s, or agencies as immigration officers, fisheries officers, food inspectors, customs officers, national defence civilian employees, and the like. However, an increasing number of PSAC members work in non-federal sectors: in women's shelters, universities, security agencies and

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

s. In Northern Canada, PSAC represents most unionized workers employed in the

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

and the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

. PSAC is headquartered in Ottawa with 23 regional offices across Canada. PSAC's Ottawa headquarters building, designed in 1968 by Paul Schoeler, is a notable example of

modernist architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural architectural movement, movement and architectural style, style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco Architectu ...

in Ottawa.

History

PSAC was formed when the Civil Service Association of Canada, led by Calbert Best, and Civil Service Federation of Canada, led by Claude Edwards, agreed to merge.

Bargaining

PSAC signed its first collective agreements with Treasury Board in 1968.

Strikes

PSAC's first strike came in November 1971 against Defence Construction Ltd. In 1980, the PSAC's large CR bargaining unit, made up largely of women clerical workers, went out. PSAC's 1991 general strike brought job security improvements. They held another strike in 2023.

Women in the union

Most founding convention delegates were men. In 1967, PSAC began organizing secretaries, stenographers and typists.

Equality rights

From 1981 onward, PSAC's Equal Opportunities Committee included all equity-seeking groups. In 1988, PSAC adopted a comprehensive human rights policy. Action committees for members with disabilities and racially visible members started in 1990. By 1999, the union started holding conferences for racially visible members, Aboriginal Peoples and workers with disabilities. In 2004, the first network of Aboriginal, Inuit and Metis members was formed to advance their rights within and beyond the union.

Executive

The National President, the National Executive Vice-President and the seven Regional Executive Vice-Presidents (REVPs) form the Alliance Executive Committee (AEC). The AEC is responsible for the day-to-day decisions of the union with respect to finances, overseeing campaigns, mobilizing the membership, advocating on behalf of the membership and advancing the union and its members' rights in the workplace. The AEC meets monthly and as needed. The current REVPs are: * Chris Di Liberatore, Regional Executive Vice-President, Atlantic * Yvon Barrière, Regional Executive Vice-President, Québec * Ruth Lau-MacDonald, Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region * Craig Reynolds, Regional Executive Vice-President, Ontario * Marianne Hladun, Regional Executive Vice-President, Prairies * Jamey Mills, Regional Executive Vice-President, British Columbia * Josée-Anne Spirito, Regional Executive Vice-President, North

Components

* Agriculture Union (AU/PSAC) formerly the Canada Agriculture National Employees Association (CANEA) charter union * Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU/PSAC) charter union * Customs and Immigration Union (CIU/PSAC) charter union * Government Services Union (GSU/PSAC) joined after the merger in 1999 with the former Union of Public Works Employees and Supply and Services Union * Nunavut Employees Union (NEU/PSAC) joined in 1999, previously members had belonged to the UNW * Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE/PSAC) charter union – merged with the Natural Resources Union in 2017 * Union of Health and Environment Workers (UHEW/PSAC) formed by a merger of the Union of Environment Workers and the National Health Union in 2016 * Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE/PSAC) charter union * Union of National Employees (NE/PSAC) (formerly the National Component) charter union * Union of Northern Workers (UNW/PSAC) joined in 1970 * Union of Postal Communications Employees (UPCE/PSAC) joined in 1967, successor to the former Canadian Railway Mail Clerks Federation * Union of Union of Safety and Justice Employees USJE/PSAC * Union of Taxation Employees (UTE/PSAC) charter union * Union of Veterans Employees (UVE/PSAC) charter union * Yukon Employees Union (YEU/PSAC) joined in 1990

Presidents

* ''Sharon'' DeSousa (CEIU) 2024-Present * Chris Aylward (UTE) 2018–2024 * Robyn Benson (UTE), 2012–2018 * John Gordon (GSU), 2006–2012 * Nycole Turmel (CEIU), 2000–2006 * Daryl Bean (PWU/GSU), 1985–2000 * Pierre Samson (CEIU), 1982–1985 * Andy Stewart (AU), 1976–1982 * Claude Edwards, Civil Service Federation of Canada (CSFC), 1966–1976

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1966 establishments in Canada Trade unions established in 1966 Organizations based in Ottawa Canadian Labour Congress affiliates Public Services International UNI Global Union