DM/CDS Message: Return to work following the strike

May 1, 2023 - Defence Stories

Colleagues,

As you all know, the Treasury Board of Canada and several groups within the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have reached a tentative agreement (subject to ratification). With this tentative agreement, we now turn our focus to the important task of fully resuming our operations and bringing our Defence Team members back together.  We know that each and every one of you will join us in welcoming our valued colleagues back to our workplace.

We understand that the last few weeks have been challenging for everyone. We also recognize that many of you had to make difficult personal and professional choices in consideration of your own situation. Everyone’s mental health and well-being remains a top priority as we resume working together. We all have a role to play in creating and maintaining a healthy, respectful, safe, and inclusive workplace. As we transition back to full operations, respect must be one of our guiding principles.

We will rely on your professionalism as we resume business as usual. We expect that all managers and supervisors, military and civilian, will meet with you to check-in and to foster continued collaboration.

We encourage anyone who needs support to reach out to their chain of command, the Employee Assistance Program for public service employees, or the Canadian Forces Member Assistance Program for military members.

As we resume operations, we are reminded that the Defence Team cannot function without the diverse people within it, civilian and military, who offer their very best each and every day for Canada.

Our Defence Team is unmatched, and we look forward to moving forward together.

Bill Matthews
Deputy Minister of National Defence

General Wayne Eyre
Chief of the Defence Staff