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The union representing Veterans Affairs Canada employees is fighting a return-to-office order issued by the federal Liberal government last week.
Last Thursday, the Treasury Board of Canada announced that every federal worker must return to office work for a minimum of four days a week starting July 6.
“For me, it’s not productive for anyone, and as of now it’s more productive for them to work from home,” said Toufic El-Daher, the national president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees.
“It’s a very, very sad and very wrong decision.”
The announcement led at least one Liberal MP to break ranks and criticize the decision, while the Public Service Alliance of Canada called it “a slap in the face to all federal public service workers across this country.”
In a news release, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada used Prime Minister Mark Carney’s own words against him, citing an excerpt from his 2021 book Values: “The transition from home to work involves only a few steps from bed to computer.… I prefer that.”
Toufic El-Daher, the national president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees, says the return-to-office order ‘doesn’t make sense.’ (Zoom)
El-Daher said workers are stressed — and they’re unsure where they’d be working.
“The major issue we’re facing is to see if there’s enough space for everyone in the current offices,” he said.
“Imposing such a mandate across the country benefits no one and I don’t think we’re going in the right direction.”
Daniel J. MacDonald Building under renovations
Veterans Affairs Canada’s national headquarters are located in the Daniel J. MacDonald building in Charlottetown, P.E.I., which is under major renovations. Work began three years ago, and was initially projected to cost at least $100 million.
Employees are either working from home or in the nearby Jean Canfield Building, which has been operating as the national headquarters during the renovation.
Experts questioning where public servants will work – and how they’ll get there – under new RTO order
CBC’s Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang spoke to experts from commercial real estate to transportation planning about the realities and logistics around public servants returning to the office more often.
Because of that, El-Dahar said there are going to be “issues” finding office space in Charlottetown.
“I don’t know how the employer will deal with that, but we’ll make sure that everyone is in a safe place,” he said. “I don’t know how the employer will present an action plan regarding the return to work of four days knowing that information.”
El-Dahar added that other federal departments elsewhere in the country are sharing offices as Ottawa moves to shrink its workforce along with the number of office space it owns.
In the context of government cutting spaces, El-Dahar said the return-to-office order “doesn’t make sense.”
Department says it has ‘sufficient space’
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Veterans Affairs Canada said it has nine worksites available in the Charlottetown area to accommodate employees returning to the office.
“Veterans Affairs Canada will have sufficient space to accommodate employees under the updated mandate in Charlottetown across our nine locations, including the Jean Canfield building until such time that the Daniel J. MacDonald Building is complete,” the statement reads.
“This ensures that VAC maintains a strong presence in Charlottetown during the renovation. VAC will continue to use these spaces until the Daniel J. MacDonald Building renovations are complete and an ease-back plan is implemented.”
It said those nine worksites include:
Jean Canfield Building.National Bank Tower.Homburg Building.Atlantic Technology Centre.125 Maple Hills Ave.3 Queen St.Sherwood Business Centre.65 Water St.CGI Building in Stratford.