Below is an info bulletin on a large event planned tomorrow in Ottawa to protest federal government cuts, the PSAC will be out in force along with other public service unions.

May Day 2012

International Workers' Day (May Day) is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour workday, after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public meeting. Several demonstrators and several police officers were killed. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event in 1891.

Since then, May Day has evolved into a day of commemoration and active civic engagement that takes place on International Labour Day, when we remember the struggles of workers across the world who have fought and continue to fight for fairer wages, better working conditions, and equal economic opportunities.

This year, an Ottawa-based group called "Solidarity Against Austerity" is organizing a rally to protest the federal government cuts at 12:00 p.m. on May 1 at the Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa. Follow their efforts on Twitter at @MayDayOttawa and join the Facebook page: Solidarity Against Austerity.

Updated PSAC WFA Guide

The PSAC has updated its guide to Workforce Adjustment.

The latest version can be found here, and ici en français.

This week, and going forward

This week has been a difficult one in our offices, with a great deal of anxiety surrounding the announcement of positions that will be eliminated, some effective this week.

It's important for all of our members to know that there are resources in place to help them during this post-budget period, including a great deal of information posted to the PSAC website.

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is another invaluable resource available to all employees, which I would encourage everyone to inform themselves about.

As always, if you are concerned about what's happening, or have any questions related to the on-going WFA processes please talk with any of your local executive members (Andrew, Frances or Paula).

The local executive is working closely with the regional managers to make sure all decisions are made in the best interest of our members, and that once we know if retention processes will be required we are able to communicate how those will proceed in a fair and transparent fashion.

If you have specific concerns or comments you'd like us to forward (anonymously) to management at any time, please email us at local00303@gmail.com.

I also encourage you to post comments to this site if you have them, but with the understanding that anything that appears on this site is potentially accessible by the general public as this is not a private or intranet blog.

Once again, for all sensitive feedback please email local00303@gmail.com.

Checking In (post by Local President)

By this point in time it's become clear that public service job cuts will be a big and on-going story in the media.  Here's a typical report from today's round of articles.

If you find yourself upset or alarmed by these daily news items, please remember that every employee who may be affected by the upcoming cuts will receive the full support of their union, and that our Regional management team is working hard to minimize the negative impacts on all staff during this difficult time. 

I recently attended a day-long training session offered by the PSAC Ontario Regional Office which included the latest information about Workforce Adjustment (WFA) from the union's perspective.

The most import take-away from this session was that we are all in this together, and your union is here to inform you of your options and to protect your rights.  No employee will have to face this time of change alone.

I strongly encourage all members to visit the PSAC WFA resource page for in-depth information and resources to help you understand the WFA process and to learn what kinds of questions we all need to ask to ensure our rights as dedicated and hard working public servants are respected during the weeks and months ahead.

As always, if you have any specific questions or concerns please email me, or the rest of your Local Executive at local00303@gmail.com.