PSAC Publishes and Funds Anti-Poilievre Campaign—Violating Public Servants' Code of Ethics and Commitment to Non-Partisanship During the Election
What you can do about it? Also, how much are Union paid by membership dues? Who pays the highest dues? Which union is the richest?
TL;DR:
PSAC and other unions are openly supporting the Liberal-NDP coalition while funding anti-Conservative campaigns during the election—violating public service non-partisanship rules and disregarding their obligation to fairly represent all members. Union leaders are using membership dues, without consulting members, to push political agendas that protect their own jobs and funding. This blatant misuse of power undermines democracy and must be challenged.
Original PSAC Post:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/public-service-alliance-of-canada_pierre-poilievre-is-not-for-you-canada-activity-7300552888823533569-PgTj
Public Service Alliance of Canada, Non-profit Organizations, Ottawa, Ontario, 10K followers, 201-500 employees
“Pierre Poilievre’s reckless cuts and political maneuvering would put vital services and our country at risk.”
Full Story, Analysis, and What You Can Do About It
Over the weekend, I logged into LinkedIn — something I don’t do often — and the first thing that caught my eye was a promoted message from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), boldly displayed at the top of my feed. What I saw shocked me. The union was openly promoting a campaign against a federal Conservative Party leader during an election period.
I was aware that unions align with the current Liberal-NDP coallition government. After all, their funding and influence are directly tied to membership dues, and it’s no secret that the current government has massively expanded the public service (from 257,034 in 2015 to 367,772 in 2023, marking an increase of 110,738 employees, or approximately 43%, according to TBS and Global News). But I never imagined that a union would so blatantly breach the basic principles of non-partisanship — principles that are clearly outlined in the Public Service Values and Ethics Code, which requires that public servants remain non-partisan during elections.
This post didn’t just cross the line — it erased it. It openly violated the union’s own constitutional obligation to represent all members, regardless of their political, religious, or cultural beliefs.
The individuals who approved, and published this message clearly do not speak for all union members. In fact, they never even bothered to ask. No survey was conducted to gauge members’ opinions on the current government's policies or actions, such as the impact of vaccination mandates or censorship policies, for example. Instead, the union leadership unilaterally used its social platforms and official branding to promote anti-Conservative messaging during the election.
This should be a massive red flag — an urgent warning about the misuse of union resources and social capital for partisan political gain. I call on all union members to speak up. Raise your voices. Demand accountability. I certainly will, in my capacity as a candidate for Vice President of my union.
Below is the response I wrote to the PSAC post. I encourage all concerned Canadians and union members to also voice their concerns publicly — on LinkedIn, Facebook, and wherever else our voices can be heard. Because this is not just inappropriate. It is unacceptable.
🧨What a shame that Union management is using membership dues to advance their own political interests. Have they consulted with members before making this post? Have they surveyed the impact of the Liberal-NDP coalition’s policies—such as the vaccination mandate or censorship policies—on union members' well-being? This clearly demonstrates that union management is serving its own political agenda rather than fairly representing all members. Doing this during an election directly contradicts the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, which requires all public servants (including union leadership) to remain non-partisan. This must stop. I urge PSAC members to file a complaint. If this were happening with PIPSC, I’d be the first to do so.
Broader Perspective
Now, you might think this is a problem limited to PSAC. It’s not. All major unions in Canada appear to openly support the current government while taking an aggressive stance against the Conservatives — without hesitation or consideration for the diversity of their own membership.
Let me give you another example.
When I attended the PIPSC National AGM last year, discussions centered around the need to increase membership dues. As you may recall, PIPSC raised dues by 24% from $72.56 to $90.06, far exceeding inflation or salary increases. One key justification for this hike was the fear that a Conservative government would cut numerous public service jobs, 43% of which, as mentioned above, were created under the current government. A reduction in public service jobs would directly reduce the union's revenue and the funding available for union staff and activities.
Let’s not forget that union staff salaries and activities are funded entirely by membership dues, which public servants have no option to refuse. Whether you approve of the union’s actions or not, you are still required to pay. These dues are substantial (see Appendix A)—$90.06 deducted from every biweekly paycheck amounts to $2,341 paid annually by each of over 80,000 PIPSC members, contributing to over $80 million in PIPSC revenue.
At the AGM, senior union representatives openly discussed how disastrous a Conservative victory would be for them. I was shocked at their blatant political advocacy from the conference stage, addressing an auditorium of over 800 delegates.
Now, it is clear that they are not just talking about it—some unions are actively funding campaigns against the Conservative Party and Pierre Poilievre. This is a direct violation of the Public Service Code of Values and Ethics, which states that the public service must remain non-partisan, in particular during elections.
However, the unions have found a loophole to bypass these rules: instead of posting politically charged messages under their own names—which would violate ethical codes—they simply sign them as the union. How convenient! But it should also be easy to trace who is behind these posts.
Such statements must be approved by the board of directors and the union president. Their names can be easily found (see Appendix B). It is these individuals—who are themselves public servants—who are now engaging in partisan political activity during an election campaign by approving and posting anti-Conservative messages, using the Union as a cover to hide their real names.
This is not the first time they are doing that. They did the same recently during the provincial elections in BC, as reported in the article below. But this time, they do it even more openly and on a broader scale—trying to influence federal elections.
Concern from PSAC Member on Using Union Funds to Advocate for NDP in Provincial Elections in BC
I have received a concern from a member of another federal union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), regarding the use of union funds to support a specific political party (NDP) in the upcoming British Columbia provincial elections. This situation highlights the need for all unions, including ours, to stay politically neutral when it comes to…
But now you know what you can do about it:
Don’t be silent and leave it like that—make a comment, repost it elsewhere.
Use this article and references below to articulate your concerns.
If you are a PSAC member, file a complaint against specific individuals in PSAC (those listed in Appendix B below).
Share your concerns and this article widely.
References:
Guidelines on the conduct of Ministers, Ministers of State, exempt staff and public servants during an election - 2025:
https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/services/publications/guidelines-conduct-ministers-state-exempt-staff-public-servants-election.htmlPublic Service Commission of Canada PSC Home -
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/political-activities.html
Political Activities Self-Assessment Tool:
https://www2.psc-cfp.gc.ca/pat-oap/intro.do
Canada.ca How government works Policies, directives, standards and guidelines
Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector:
https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=25049§ion=html
PS. Alternative title for this article
Here are a few alternative title versions for this article offered by ChatGPT
PSAC Uses Membership Dues to Fund Anti-Poilievre Campaign—A Clear Violation of Non-Partisanship Rules
Union Dues Misused? PSAC’s Anti-Conservative Campaign Raises Ethical Concerns
PSAC Breaches Code of Ethics with Anti-Poilievre Campaign on Portal and LinkedIn
Public Sector Union Engages in Partisan Politics—Contradicting Its Own Constitution
PSAC Crosses the Line: Funding Anti-Conservative Campaigns with Public Servants' Dues
Appendix A: How Much Do Public Servants Pay to Their Unions?
Union dues are a major financial component of public service employment — often deducted automatically from biweekly paychecks. Below is a snapshot of dues changes and current rates among Canada’s largest public sector unions. Source: CBSA Daily.
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC):
Biweekly dues increased from $72.56 to $90.06, an increase of $17.50 or 24.1% (January 2025)
Annual dues increased from $1,886.56 to $2,341.56
Revenue from dues 80 million
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC):
Dues are based on a percentage of salary
Example: In September 2022, dues increased from 0.9557% plus $1.00 to 0.9593% plus $1.00
Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO):
For CT group: dues increased from $69.54 to $71.90 (April 2024)
For FI group: dues increased from $62.00 to $62.42 (April 2021)
Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE):
Dues decreased from $57.10 to $48.00 (January 2024)
Then increased again from $48.00 to $57.10 (November 2023)
Membership Size of Major Public Service Unions in Canada
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) – Approximately 240,000 members
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) – Approximately 80,000 members
Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) – Over 25,000 members
Union of National Employees (UNE, a component of PSAC) – Around 18,000 members
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – Over 700,000 members, though many work outside the federal public service
Association of Justice Counsel (AJC) – Over 3,000 members
These unions collectively control hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, all funded by membership dues. Their financial resources allow them to exert considerable influence on political discourse, including election campaigns.
The dues are mandatory, regardless of whether you agree with your union's political positions or activities. It's time for transparency, fairness, and accountability in how union funds — your funds — are used.
Alternatively, you may wish to divert your membership dues away from the Union towards another non-profit organization, which I have heard is also possible.
Appendix B: Who is public service Alliance of Canada Union president and board of directors?
As of March 2025, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is led by National President Sharon DeSousa. [wikipedia.nucleos.com+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2Wikipedia+2]
The National Board of Directors (NBoD) serves as the steward of PSAC between conventions. It comprises the Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) and the presidents of the 15 components. The NBoD meets three times a year and as needed to make major program and policy decisions. [Public Service Alliance of Canada+1wikipedia.nucleos.com+1]
The Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) is responsible for the day-to-day decisions of the union, including finances, overseeing campaigns, mobilizing the membership, advocating on behalf of the membership, and advancing the union and its members' rights in the workplace. The AEC meets monthly and as needed. [Wikipedia+1wikipedia.nucleos.com+1]
The current members of the National Board of Directors and their roles are:Public Service Alliance of Canada
Sharon DeSousa: National President, Public Service Alliance of CanadaWikipedia+3stage.psacadmin.ca+3Public Service Alliance of Canada+3
Alex Silas: National Executive Vice-President, Public Service Alliance of Canadastage.psacadmin.ca+1Public Service Alliance of Canada+1
Chris Di Liberatore: Regional Executive Vice-President, AtlanticWikipedia+3Wikipedia+3wikipedia.nucleos.com+3
Yvon Barrière: Regional Executive Vice-President, QuebecWikipedia+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
Craig Reynolds: Regional Executive Vice-President, OntarioWikipedia+5Public Service Alliance of Canada+5wikipedia.nucleos.com+5
Ruth Lau MacDonald: Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital RegionPublic Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2Wikipedia+2
Marianne Hladun: Regional Executive Vice-President, PrairiesPublic Service Alliance of Canada
Jamey Mills: Regional Executive Vice-President, British ColumbiaWikipedia+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
Josée-Anne Spirito: Regional Executive Vice-President, North
Milton Dyck: National President, Agriculture Unionwikipedia.nucleos.com+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2Wikipedia+2
Rubina Boucher: National President, Canada Employment and Immigration UnionWikipedia+3Public Service Alliance of Canada+3Wikipedia+3
Mark Weber: National President, Customs and Immigration UnionWikipedia+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
Bruce Roy: National President, Government Services UnionWikipedia+4Wikipedia+4Public Service Alliance of Canada+4
Jason Rochon: President, Nunavut Employees UnionPublic Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2Wikipedia+2
Teresa Eschuk: National President, Union of Canadian Transportation EmployeesPublic Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2Wikipedia+2
Shimen Fayad: National President, Union of Health and Environment WorkersWikipedia+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
June Winger: National President, Union of National Defence EmployeesWikipedia+3wikipedia.nucleos.com+3Public Service Alliance of Canada+3
Alisha Kang: National President, Union of National EmployeesWikipedia
Gayla Thunstrom: President, Union of Northern WorkersPublic Service Alliance of Canada+1wikipedia.nucleos.com+1
Claudia Labonté: National President, Union of Postal Communications EmployeesWikipedia+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
David Neufeld: National President, Union of Safety and Justice EmployeesWikipedia+2Public Service Alliance of Canada+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
Marc Brière: National President, Union of Taxation Employeeswikipedia.nucleos.com
Toufic El-Daher: National President, Union of Veterans' Affairs Employeeswikipedia.nucleos.com+1Public Service Alliance of Canada+1
Justin Lemphers: President, Yukon Employees’ UnionWikipedia+2wikipedia.nucleos.com+2
Why is PSAC engaging in election interference?
Whose funds are they using to do so?
Another page out of the Liberal election play book.
These people have absolutely zero integrity.
Go Pierre Poilievre...
I am part of a union for the third time and I agree…. unions have been captured and are as corrupt as the things they are pretending to defend…. I have had enough… thanks for writing this.