Expressing political opinions on social media: Your rights

Members, particularly those who work for the Government of Canada, have asked us if they can share PSAC’s Vote to Stop the Cuts advertising material through social media.
Freedom of expression
Union members and all employees have a right to freedom of expression protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, even if they work for the federal government. Expressing political opinions or sharing political content on social media is a form of political expression and is protected by the Charter. Online political expression does not benefit from any greater or any less protection than other forms of political expression. As a public service worker, you have the right to share content from our campaign on Facebook, Twitter or other social media accounts as long as you do so outside your hours of work and you don’t use the employer’s equipment.
However, these rights are not absolute, so please consider the following carefully before you post, share, or tweet.
Things to consider

• Don’t identify yourself as a government employee or include information or comments that suggest you are a government employee

It is important not to give the impression that you are speaking on behalf of the employer when communicating political opinions or posting political content on social media. We recommend that if you are going to engage in communications that are critical of the employer, make it clear that you are speaking on your own behalf. One way to do this is to remove any information in your social media profile that identifies you as a government employee or that may lead the public to believe you are a government employee. Usually, this information is in the in the “About” section of your Facebook or Twitter profile, which you can edit.

• Be careful not to criticize government policies that are directly related to your job or department

Public service workers who criticize government policies directly related to their work are more likely to fall under scrutiny for potentially breaching their duty of loyalty to their employer. However, public service workers who are criticizing government policies that are not connected with the nature of their work or that of their department benefit from a greater scope of freedom of expression.

• Consider your level of visibility and influence

Before engaging in a specific political activity, consider the following:

• Your visibility: Do you hold a highly visible and public position? Are you a senior public service employee or a public service worker with little to no public visibility?
• Your duties and responsibilities: Do you intend to criticize a government policy that is directly related to your work or the work of your department? Or, is your criticism limited to government policies that are not linked to your work?
• Your level of influence: Do you have a significant degree of authority and influence?
• Your tone and how long you intend to sustain the criticism: Do you intend to use a measured and reasonable tone or will you use derogatory language and a vitriolic tone over a sustained period of time?
• If you hold office in a union at a local, regional or national level.

Federal public employees holding jobs with a higher level of responsibility, influence and visibility may be more easily perceived as being politically partisan and more limited in what they can say publicly. For example, a senior public service worker who is a spokesperson for a government department might want to think twice about sharing political content about government policies on social media as it could be considered a breach of the government’s “conflict of interest”, “code of conduct” or values and ethics policies.
The tone and frequency of your political expression are also important factors. Employees should be cautious in engaging in a sustained media campaign against the government. Avoid comments that could be construed as being malicious, vitriolic or false. Keep in mind that although you have the right to political expression, you cannot conduct yourself in a way that adversely affects your ability or the public’s perception of your ability to do your job in an impartial and professional manner.


For more information
For more information, see psacunion.ca/elections-you-have-political-rights
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local union representative, your component office or your nearest PSAC regional office.

August 18, 2015

Nous avons besoin d’un changement MAINTENANT!

Le président national du SEN, Doug Marshall : Nous avons besoin d’un changement MAINTENANT!

Consœurs et confrères,

Je vous écris, membres du SEN, maintenant que Stephen Harper a officiellement déclenché l’élection fédérale fixée au 19 octobre.

Pour nous tous, il s’agit de l’élection la plus importante de notre vie. Les enjeux n’ont jamais été aussi grands. Jamais auparavant avons-nous été confrontés à la fin du Canada que nous connaissons.

Sous un gouvernement majoritaire Harper, plus de 5 000 membres du SEN ont perdu leur emploi tandis que des milliers d’autres ont subi une réduction de salaire en raison d’une diminution de leurs heures de travail. Et on a sacrifié ce qui compte pour nous tous : les services que nous offrons fièrement aux Canadiennes et aux Canadiens. Parallèlement, les droits des travailleurs, les droits de la personne, les droits syndicaux et même notre démocratie ont été soumis à des attaques constantes pendant les neuf années du règne Harper.

Nous devons travailler ensemble pour arrêter Harper et élire plutôt un gouvernement qui représente mieux les valeurs que nous partageons. Je vous invite à participer activement à cette élection; parlez-en à vos voisins et amis, prenez part aux activités électorales de votre bureau régional de l’AFPC ou travaillez directement pour un candidat progressiste dans votre circonscription. Notre avenir en dépend!

Doug Marshall
Président national
Syndicat des employées et employés nationaux

* Connectez-vous avec les autres membres du SEN sur Facebook, Twitter et sur notre site web à http://www.une-sen.org/

We need change NOW!

UNE National President Doug Marshall: We need change NOW!

Sisters and Brothers,

I am writing to you, members of the UNE, now that Stephen Harper has officially called a federal election for October 19.

For all of us, this is the most important election in our lifetime. Never before has so much been at stake. Never before have we been faced with the end of the Canada that we have known.

Under a Harper majority government, over 5,000 UNE members have lost their jobs while thousands of others have had their pay cut because their hours of work were reduced. And what matters to all of us – the services we proudly provide to Canadians – have been slashed. At the same time, worker rights, human rights, union rights, and our very democracy have been under constant attack during the nine years of Harper rule.

We need to work together to stop Harper and instead elect a government that better represents the values we share. I urge you to get actively involved in this election; talk to your neighbours and friends, take part in your regional PSAC election activities, or work directly for a progressive candidate in your riding. Our future depends on it.

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees

*Connect with other UNE members on Facebook, Twitter and on our website at http://www.une-sen.org/

Your Political Rights as a Government Employee

One of the hallmarks of a healthy democracy is the ability of citizens to participate freely and actively in determining who they elect to govern and make decisions on their behalf.

PSAC members are encouraged to take an active role in exercising their democratic political rights by:

Signing a candidate’s nomination papers.
Wearing a party or candidate button in public.
Placing an election sign on your property.
Giving political opinions in public or elsewhere.
Working as a canvasser for a political party or candidate.
Working in a campaign office.
Participating in the formation of party or candidate policies.
Taking part in election-day activities on behalf of a party or candidate.
Attending peaceful demonstrations on political topics.
Soliciting funds from the public for political campaigns and parties.
Attending a political convention as a delegate.
Writing letters to the editor endorsing a candidate or party.

For some PSAC members — those covered by the Public Service Employment Act — some restrictions apply. None of the activities listed above should be carried out during your working hours.

There are also separate and special rules that apply if you wish to be a candidate in a federal, territorial, municipal or provincial election. When determining how you want to exercise your democratic rights, follow some guiding principles:

Don’t conduct any political activity on the job.
Don’t identify yourself as a federal public sector worker when working on a campaign, e.g. canvassing, making phone calls, etc.
Don’t identify yourself as a federal public sector worker when communicating opinions about election issues, political parties and politicians through blogs, Facebook, Twitter or other social media.
Don’t wear your uniform if you are required to wear one at work, or your government identification, at public meetings such as candidates’ meetings.
Don’t drive a government identified vehicle when participating in election activities.
If you are disciplined in any way for participation in a political activity, this can be grieved. If you are disciplined, contact your Local/Branch or your Component for representation and advise your PSAC regional office. Any attempts by management to restrict your political rights should also be brought to the attention of the PSAC regional office.

http://psacunion.ca/elections-you-have-political-rights