Public Service Week: words are not enough

Our important work in the service of Canadians deserves recognition, but the government’s Public Service Week falls well short of what we merit. Public Service Week offers kind words, but words are just not enough. A fair contract would go a great distance to recognizing our contribution to Canadians, but the government’s performance at the bargaining table reveals what they really think of us.

The theme for this year’s Public Service Week is “Recognizing our history while building our tomorrow”. In itself, it’s a worthy enough theme. But many members think about it in terms of collective bargaining and it’s easy to see why. The history of collective bargaining in the public service is the story of delays and foot-dragging on the part of government along with, at best, mediocre settlements. We recognize that history, but the government certainly does not.

As for “building our tomorrow”, the government’s record in this round of bargaining shows the only tomorrow it wants is one that looks a lot like yesterday. Today, just as in the past, we are working without a contract. The PA agreement expired June 20, 2007 and a new one is nowhere in sight. And true to form, the government has tabled an insulting pay offer (1.5% in each of the first two years and 1.2% in each of the next two) that is far below settlements elsewhere. As members face increasing costs for gasoline and food, the government continues to recognize our value to Canadians in the same old way.

In 2008, CEIU is offering locals the same two suggestions around Public Service Week as it has before:

There are two ways your local can approach National Public Service Week. The first is to boycott it altogether. Many locals reject NPSW as a thin veneer that tries to cover over the way the government really treats us. They want nothing to do with it.

The second approach is to participate in NPSW, but in a way that makes our views known. Locals following this path make it clear that they expect more than the kind words offered by NPSW. "Recognize our work in ways that count" is the message that locals can send at NPSW activities.

In improved circumstances we would welcome other ways to mark Public Service Week, but the government has to change how it treats us. “If the government committed to ensuring there was a fair contract in place during each year’s celebration of Public Service Week,” said National President Jeannette Meunier-McKay, “our participation could be very, very different.”