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PSAC Bargaining By The Numbers

How big are we?
PSAC in the Canadian Labour Movement

PSAC Bargaining Units

How big are we?

As of December 2004, PSAC had 159,954 members. This was significantly down from our peak in the early 1980s of about 182,000. We lost members after this point due to “downsizing” in the federal public service and hit a low of 141,500 in 1998. Our numbers are growing again, mainly because we've increase our membership in the territories, federal employment is on the rebound and we've organized new members in a variety of sectors.

PSAC in the Canadian Labour Movement

According to the most recent figures (March 2004) from HRSDC's Labour Directory, PSAC was the sixth largest union in Canada in 2004 and the third largest public sector union, after the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the National Union of Public and General Employees.

Canada's Ten Largest Unions, 2004

Union

No. of members

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)    
National Union of Public and General Employees NUPGE)  
Canadian Auto Workers (CAW)           
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)    
United Steelworkers of America (USWA)       
Public Service
Alliance of Canada         
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters       
Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS-CSN)   
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)       

534,000 337,000
260,000
220,000
187,500
153,000
150,000
110,000
101,000
84,300

Total

2,136,800

These 10 unions represent over half of the 4.1 million unionized workers in Canada, about 30.5% of the labour force. PSAC represents about 3.8% of all union members in Canada .

PSAC Bargaining Units

As of December 2004, PSAC holds certificates for 235 bargaining units. This generally means we are involved in bargaining for many units at the same time. Depending on the settlements reached in those agreements currently under negotiation, the following figures will change.

Bargaining Units by Expiry Date, December 2004

 Status of Collective Agreement

No. of agreements

In negotiations (expired or first agreement)  
Expiring in 2005     
Expiring in 2006     
Expiring in 2007     
Expiring in 2008     
Expiring in 2009   

77

47
63
35
11
2

Total

235


PSAC's 20 Largest Bargaining Units, December 2004

Rank

Bargaining Unit

No. of Members

% of Total

1.

Program and Administration Services (TB Table 1)

69,777

43.6

2.

Canada Revenue Agency   

31,624

19.8

3.

Operational Services (TB Table 2)

11,098

6.9

4.

Technical Services (TB Table 3)

10,013

6.3

5.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency   

3,626

2.3

6.

Northwest Territorial Government

3,581

2.2

7.

Parks Canada Agency         

3,189

2.0

8.

Government of the Yukon   

2,692

1.7

9.

Canada Post Corporation   

2,589

1.6

10.

Government of Nunavut     

2,191

1.4

11.

University of Western Ontario     

1,456

0.9

12.

Université du Québec à Montréal   

1,349

0.8

13.

Education and Library Science (TB Table 5)

1,166

0.7

14.

Communications Security Establishment

1,049

0.7

15.

Statistical Survey Operations (Field Survey Interviewer   

721

0.5

16.

Greater Toronto International Airport Authority

625

0.4

17.

Statistical Survey Operations (Regional Interviewers)   

525

0.3

18.

Deer Lodge Centre Inc.   

499

0.3

19.

BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc.

475

0.3

20.

Canadian Museum of Civilization

396

0.2

 

Total

148,641

92.9


PSAC Bargaining Units by Category, December 2004

Category of Bargaining Units

No. of members

No. of units

% of Total

Treasury Board   

92,054

4

57.6

Major Separate Employers (CRA , CFIA, Parks)

38,438

3

24.0

Staff of the Non-public Funds (Military Base units)

628

10

0.4

Other Separate Employers (e.g., CSIS, OAG, SSO)

3,445

11

2.2

Parliamentary Units         

601

8

0.4

Major National Units ( Canada Post, Mint, NAC Canada )

3,235

3

2.0

Ports and Pilotage Authorities       

424

12

0.3

Airports and Related         

2,470

45

1.5

Museums and Art Related         

1,213

8

0.8

First Nations             

563

8

0.4

Other Units under the Canada Labour Code   

722

13

0.5

Territorial Units under the Canada Labour Code

2,400

70

1.5

Units under Territorial Legislation       

8,734

5

5.5

Units under Provincial Legislation       

5,026

35

3.1

Total

159,954

235

100.0

Legal Jurisdiction

PSAC members are concentrated in certain jurisdictions in terms of labour legislation. As of December 2004, 84.5% of our members were covered by either the Public Service Labour Relations Act or the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act . We represent about three-quarters of all workers who fall under these acts.

About 7% of our membership falls under the Canada Labour Code , 5.5% under Territorial legislation and 3% under various pieces of provincial labour legislation.

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Page updated: 06/05/05