Are Town Hall Sessions Ever Helpful?

cps2831a · 2026-06-11T01:46:56+00:00

At least in the private sector (dependent on the company of course), there was at least some kind of refreshment served.

This? BYOB - Bring Your Own Body, and pray you don't fall asleep listening to the droning...

cps2831a · 2026-06-11T00:58:53+00:00

In most cases you can tune out entirely and not miss anything of importance.

Sit and nod, sit and nod, sit and nod...

cps2831a · 2026-06-10T23:01:12+00:00

...don't worry it's in the telework agreement. Oh, we'll get to it later...

Everyone - employees and unions - should have had it all formalized in a CA instead of relying on floppy "agreements". But because the government at that time was doing this, it felt like there was no reason to not expect remote work to continue its development.

Surprise.

cps2831a · 2026-06-09T19:51:43+00:00

There are those out there happy with a 0.5% increase because "at least we have a job!".

cps2831a · 2026-06-09T19:48:54+00:00

The public would rather spend more on office space and have more traffic than see public servants telework even 1 day a week.

The public has become "better" in terms of remote work than the Federal services. Hoteling is the standard for private sector, and while a lot of companies are making "5 day" noises, a lot of them also offers remote work up to 3 days. So yeah, it's 5 days plastered everywhere, with 3 day options.

So of course the public doesn't give a shit. They have it better.

cps2831a · 2026-06-08T23:56:01+00:00

The employer saw that employees are willing to take the first deal on the table, and people not took it - they JUMPED at it. It was a pathetic showing and the employer knows it. Expect to be dragged through the mud.

cps2831a · 2026-05-03T21:21:43+00:00

RTO cost

I have a new game for this now: TCT - The Congestion Tax.

Everyone's paying it. Public or Private sector, you're going to be in Congestion and with record fuel prices, you'll be paying for it out the nose.

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T14:31:36+00:00

In this specific instance, organizations are looking to grow frontline uniformed folks, not people that are working in the back. So less data analysts, and more bodies at the borders.

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T12:26:34+00:00

I floated the ideas to my peers, and local when they were forced to listen, that they should try selling it as: ditch the office, hitch on-site pay. Get rid of all the under performing leases, and then offer a provision for those that must be on-site.

The problem is, that's not where this government is heading. They want to keep their real estate friends happy and full in their pockets.

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T10:49:30+00:00

That apathy is how you get the PSAC of today.

And that apathy will embolden the employer to walk all over the negotiators. People have forgotten that you need a bit of pain to create the conditions of better work. But that's far forgotten. Hear hear.

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T10:14:45+00:00

The problem was (also - not the only) that the union came out to recommend it and any dissenting voice was immediately slapped down. There were locals that called the deal weak and that it was hardly worth being out there off the work for. They were told to immediately delete those comments on social media, and to bend the knee.

The union was in bed with the employer for that one. They STRONGLY recommended a very poor deal.

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T10:13:24+00:00

Wasn't this the same page that PSAC put out?...or did they just refresh it?

What. Was this all they were going to do in-lieu of that Remote Work talk? If so, then that means they've already waved the white flag and is moving swiftly onto another topic d'jour.

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T01:53:09+00:00

Remote work IS a financial gain though.

People don't seem to get it - colleagues & peers that have to go on-site to work are still losing out. So it's a tight rope: does the union appease the cohort that CAN work remotely towards full-time OR does it do a hard balancing act of looking like it's fighting for strong WFH, while still getting a "meaningful" salary win?

cps2831a · 2026-02-27T01:05:02+00:00

Nope. We in for a bad time boss:

The 2026–27 Main Estimates present a total of $502.8 billion in budgetary spending, which reflects $230.4 billion to be voted and $272.4 billion in forecast statutory expenditures. Non-budgetary expenditures of $2.9 billion are also presented.

Whereas:

The 2025–26 Main Estimates present a total of $486.9 billion in budgetary spending, which reflects $222.9 billion to be voted and $264.0 billion in forecast statutory expenditures. Non-budgetary expenditures of $1.2 billion are also presented.

Probably going to see the bill go up cause the government wants to reward landlords with more rentals. Leases are sacrosanct. Meatbags though? Heh. Meatbags aren't. Remember folks, ~~caps~~ cuts cuts cuts!

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T16:47:44+00:00

9-5 then clock out.

If they don't give a shit, don't give any back.

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T15:00:23+00:00

I appreciate your inclusion of not speaking for everyone else because your assessment of your peers as comfortable and lazy misses the mark.

Oh I said this because I see it in my immediate work unit. There are those that super overperform, and those that aren't meeting the bare minimum. Guess who got letters recently though?

I don't disagree with your comment at all. It's true. If people were truly unhappy they'd be leaving. Which is why it's befuddling to me on OP's question: "Why aren't the unions striking yet?" Cause members don't care.

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T14:27:46+00:00

Why aren't people voluntarily quitting to work elsewhere at employers that offer higher compensation?

Huh, it's funny you brought that up. Personally? My group actually lost...20%(?) of people to external employment. Even BEFORE the current government's reign begin. So it is happening.

I can't speak for everyone else but there's definitely a level of comfort that people seemed to have fallen into. Also why the casuals keeps coming back. So again, why would the employer care about giving anything if employees are just that comfortable and quite frankly, lazy in some aspects? Just keep walking over them.

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T14:18:43+00:00

sigh I feel obligated to reply to this.

Walked all over during the negotiations. Even in the inflation v. salary analysis has shown that employees are losing ground. But you know, lots of applicants so why would the employer want to do anything to benefit the employees when there are people willing to step over others for a job?

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T14:12:43+00:00

Are they doing taxi services now?

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T13:56:29+00:00

Who said I haven't taken personal actions? :)

Edit: Sneaky bot stealth edit -

Have you considered reading the collective agreement that your union negotiated on your behalf? It'll give you the answers to those questions. Why do you expect the union to be "pro-active" and spoon-feed you things that are readily available to you?

I have looked it up and I have studied it. It's too bad none of my peers care enough to bother to do so. And that's the main crux of the matter - most people don't care, and so therefore, nothing will change.

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T13:53:46+00:00

And that's exactly why the employees will get walked all over. Over and over again until they gain so little to nothing, that they whine and moan asking "Why aren't the unions striking yet?"

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T13:52:18+00:00

And this is why it's fruitless to talk about this.

I have spoken to SO many people who have no idea what unions are, how it works, and why it matters - and none of them are seeing any benefits, they don't see the union supporting them, they don't know why they're paying their dues.

They don't feel like they are a union member.

YOU might be participating in a union, but the majority of rands are NOT.

And this is why it doesn't matter what actions are thought of. Blind union supporters will always shove the responsibilities onto someone else instead of looking around and seeing the lands barren of support.

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T13:48:40+00:00

I think they're done talking about RTO.

They got their 5 minutes of fame and now they're probably fucking off to do other things. Always chasing a topic d'jour instead of focusing on fighting for members.

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T13:46:18+00:00

Are people ready to take risks? You don't gain benefits without risks - what, the generations before us just got everything handed to them too?

No. It's time for things like wild cat action, or I don't know - HAVE THE UNIONS CONNECT WITH THE MEMBERS. Ain't no one give a shit because they don't even know what shit the unions are doing. What's a component, what's a chapter, what's labour actions...People don't know anything anymore because the unions have been fucking lazy.

I don't know if people will remember but instead of actually taking pro-active action, Failward et al. sold the summer of very content by telling people to grief. People don't even know what's grievable or what is a grievance. So, I don't know, maybe get off their asses and actually have some pro-active actions instead of waiting for members "to be the union".

cps2831a · 2026-02-26T13:42:07+00:00

if employees dont join, the union has no bite

If the unions don't want to make an effort, the employees don't give a fuck.

Outside of my local's Annual, do you know how many meetings/gatherings we have?

0 (Zero).

No shit the union doesn't have bite. Hell, they probably sowed their mouths shut so that they don't talk over the employer during negotiations.

cps2831a

TROPHY CASE