CAPE Union Halts Treasury Board Consultations Over Expanded Office Return Mandate
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), representing the third-largest federal public service union, has taken a firm stance against the Treasury Board Secretariat's expanded return-to-office directive by cancelling all consultation meetings and refusing future engagement on the matter outside formal bargaining processes.
Union President Declares Consultations 'Fake'
CAPE President Nathan Prier announced the union cancelled a scheduled February 12 meeting and will not attend any future consultation or engagement sessions with Treasury Board regarding new return-to-office orders. Prier characterized these meetings as "fake consultations" and stated unequivocally that any discussions about remote work policies must "happen at the table" during formal bargaining negotiations.
"There's no point of us sitting at these fake consultations," Prier told the Ottawa Citizen, emphasizing the union's position that the Treasury Board's engagement efforts lack genuine intent to incorporate union input.
Expanded Office Return Timeline Announced
The conflict stems from the Treasury Board Secretariat's February 5 announcement that federal public servants would be required to return to offices four days per week starting in July, with executives facing a full-time office return beginning in May. This represents a significant expansion from the three-day return-to-office orders implemented in fall 2024.
In communications to deputy heads, Treasury Board officials stated they were "engaging with bargaining agents to seek their input" on implementation details, including potential assigned seating arrangements and occupational safety considerations.
Union Concerns About Remote Work Benefits
Public service unions have consistently argued that remote work rights enhance productivity, improve work-life balance for employees, and generate taxpayer savings by reducing the federal government's office footprint. Since the initial three-day office return mandate took effect, unions have highlighted additional concerns including the disrepair of government office buildings and the problematic practice of "hotel desking"—a system Prier previously characterized as resembling "the Hunger Games."
Broader Labor Implications Emerging
CAPE's rebuff of Treasury Board consultations could potentially influence other, larger public service unions to adopt similar positions. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), representing the largest federal public service union, recently declared an impasse at the bargaining table—a step toward conducting a strike vote—with remote work cited as a contributing factor to the deadlock.
Unions are simultaneously supporting thousands of members who have received workforce adjustment letters indicating potential job losses through federal government restructuring processes.
Bargaining Context and Union Strategy
Prier emphasized that CAPE, with several bargaining units entering negotiations this summer, remains "thoroughly committed" to securing remote work rights through formal bargaining channels. The union's refusal to engage outside this framework represents an increasingly aggressive position as contract negotiations progress across the public service sector.
A spokesperson for Treasury Board President Ali Shafqat could not be reached for comment ahead of Friday's deadline, leaving the government's response to CAPE's position unclear as tensions escalate between federal officials and public service unions over workplace flexibility policies.
