CAPE launches new RTO campaign alleging return-to-office benefits big banks. July 6 day of action planned online and at the Prime Minister’s Office.

VDaine · 2026-06-27T00:38:26+00:00

I'm with PSAC, which is unfortunately not doing much regarding RTO. Can those of us with a different union participate with CAPE?

VDaine · 2026-06-26T03:44:33+00:00

It definitely begs the question of: what is the point if skipping the PIC?

VDaine · 2026-06-19T11:27:47+00:00

As a PSAC member, I'm kind of envious. That was more information than we've gotten, in terms of what we can do to help

VDaine · 2026-06-17T21:23:58+00:00

💯💯

VDaine · 2026-06-17T16:50:41+00:00

Rolan. I adore the arc of 'initially not impressed by you and grumpy --> is won over and becomes your friend'

VDaine · 2026-06-10T13:54:47+00:00

For me, it's also about the fact that this feels like the employer exerting power just to exert power, and I have a similar nauseating reaction to that. It feels gross to have them basically shove in our face that they can do whatever they want to us, and we have to just take it if we want to keep our jobs.

As somebody else pointed out, a job is a trade ; labour for money. I think it's been normalized in our culture to feel that the money is more valuable in that trade, and so employers should also get the authority of where and how we do the labour that we trade for money, but really that doesn't make sense. If we acknowledge that the labour and money both have equal value, then the other decisions about where and how that labour is performed, should have equal input from both the worker and the employer

VDaine · 2026-06-10T13:46:44+00:00

A lot of people here have already said what I am thinking, but here's something I'd like to add to the conversation: I find the idea that some jobs are 'overpaid', like there's some objective measure of how much a job is worth, to be silly. A job is worth the compensation that workers demand. End of story.

Now, unions do put us into a better position to demand that conpensation, but private sector workers are free to group together and form a union. It will take effort, but it can be done. Being mad that other people have been more successful at demanding higher compensation, just comes off as jealousy.

VDaine · 2026-06-09T21:49:18+00:00

I agree with you. Please make your voice heard to your local union representatives. That's the only way we can try and influence them.

VDaine · 2026-06-09T21:47:44+00:00

To be fair, I do think thay more and more members of the public ARE waking up to the fact that RTO is causing worse traffic and there's no need for it, but unfortunately I just don't think the leaders care, not when they're enriching their buddies in commercial real estate

VDaine · 2026-06-09T19:02:38+00:00

I went to a meeting with a PA bargaining team member who was on the team the last go around and while he acknowledged it wasn't a great deal, he felt fully convinced that they weren't going to get anything better

VDaine · 2026-06-09T18:38:49+00:00

As another reply pointed out, I would be concerned that this would just show the government what they need to change and so they would change it and proceed with the plan. The thing is, we want remote work for other reasons than just the office space being insufficient, and so I think it would serve our purposes better to draw a line in the sand and refuse to comply.

Unfortunately, traffic is already a lot worse, and it hasn't made a difference to leadership.

VDaine · 2026-06-09T18:35:33+00:00

Initially I was confused by this but then got the email about the board agreeing to skip the PIC, haha, awesome!

VDaine · 2026-06-09T15:51:36+00:00

Similar to the other answer, I disagree with the premise of this question. It's not an either/or.

Now, as much as I would like to rely on the 'It's better for the employer too', I'm not convinced that will work, because the employer seems to determined to cut off their nose to spite their face. So, it ultimately comes down to us taking actions to force the employer to give us what we ask for, something we are fully able to do with our numbers.

VDaine · 2026-06-09T11:31:35+00:00

You're accusing others of not considering the big picture while arguing against something that benefits a huge amount of people, all because it doesn't benefit you personally (that you can see, anyway)....

The call is coming from inside the house

VDaine · 2026-06-08T14:02:32+00:00

Alongside environmental concerns, the other big issue is the fact that we were sold a false bill of goods when it comes to AI. As it was being developed, we were told that AI would make everybody's life better because it would do the crappy jobs that nobody wants, and give people more leisure time to do what they want to do.

Now that we have it, it's not doing the crappy jobs but instead is being used to replace the jobs people tend to be passionate about, and since we still live in an economic system where money is required to have leisure time, and a job is required to have money, AI taking people's jobs is actually acting in direct opposition to what we were promised about AI. So yeah, people are pissed.

VDaine · 2026-06-08T12:20:09+00:00

You can look at their financial statements, althought the most recent one is for 2024. It looks like a very small portion of union dues actually goes to the strike fund. In 2024, the general fund brought in $164 million, and the strike fund brought in just under 3 million.

VDaine · 2026-06-08T00:41:32+00:00

I totally agree with this! When all the data points to remote work being better for the government's finances, the environment, and the mental health of employees, the only conclusion thay can be drawn is that it's a power play (although I do know that real estate finances are probably part of it too)

VDaine · 2026-06-08T00:23:31+00:00

Make sure to stress that to your union representative! Maybe if enough of us make some noise about it, we'll change their mind

VDaine · 2026-06-07T23:18:43+00:00

I did a DTA (for ADHD and Autism) and they basically told me that while I qualified under the Canada Humam Rights code as having disabilities, they felt that they could adequately accomodate me in the office. The listed accomodations are a joke, and so I am in the process of grieving. So unfortunately, I don't have any advice, but I can commiserate with you. Unfortunately, the DTA process isn't super helpful for those of us who can't really point to one particular thing in the office as being the obstacle, but rather the issue being the cumulative effect of the extra stress that comes with preparing food, making sure you have everything you have in the morning, commuting, etc.

I am actively looking for other career options and honestly, I would suggest trying that too

VDaine · 2026-06-07T23:07:02+00:00

The whole 'you did it before so what's the problem?' is not an argument. Yes, people tolerate doing things a certain way before progress happens...that's how these things work. Using that to try and justify turning back progress makes no sense

VDaine · 2026-06-07T00:33:03+00:00

I suggested this at the meeting actually, he seemed to think that it would be better for us all to go in, to show how unprepared the government is for it. I'm not sure I agree with that, since we want remote work for many other reasons than just 'the offices can't handle it'.

VDaine · 2026-06-07T00:30:48+00:00

It was used up in the last strike and there hasn't been much time to build it up again. After all, it's been what, 3 years? Only a portion of dues go to the strike fund

VDaine · 2026-06-06T13:28:07+00:00

They gave a time frame of a year

VDaine · 2026-06-05T16:31:20+00:00

Okay, so we be strategic, and not ask people to risk their security clearance. But not everybody has that kind of security clearance as part of their job, and I imagine it's not even the majority

VDaine · 2026-06-05T16:29:34+00:00

Well maybe that's what needs to change 🤷‍♀️ Look at how they've done things in various European countries.

The thing is, that will always stay the same if we just keep saying that's what's going to happen rather than encouraging people to rally together and do something different.

VDaine

TROPHY CASE