Now that PSAC and the employer have provided their respective submissions, we can expect to see a report with the commission’s recommendations for a settlement early in the new year. But we won’t wait for this report to secure an agreement. Between now and then we’ll continue to negotiate and mobilize for the fair contract PSAC members deserve.

We’re going to continue pushing for a deal that provides fair wage increases that cover the rising cost of living, improvements to work-life balance, and equitable compensation for the Phoenix pay disaster.

Water is crucial. But for Indigenous Quechua farmers who farm thousands of metres above sea level, in the high Andes of Bolivia, it’s in short supply much of the year. This makes it incredibly hard to grow enough healthy food for their families.

This Giving Tuesday, SeedChange is fundraising to make it possible for 400 Indigenous Quechua families to access water. With sustainable water harvesting methods, families can irrigate their plots reliably, year-round. The result is better harvests, healthier diets, and better livelihoods on their own land.

The government has also recently prepared a federal Accessibility Strategy that will apply to the federal public service.

Once again, this strategy is simply a foundation and the true commitment to accessibility will only be shown by ensuring that the strategy is implemented properly. There must be a culture change in the federal public service, where one in three workers with disabilities have said they experienced harassment, and one in four have said they experienced discrimination.

“Management is creating a toxic workplace culture through fear, intimidation and harassment,” said Jean-Pierre Fortin, National President of the Customs and Immigration Union. “The government must launch an independent, third party investigation to look into these serious abuses of power by managers.”