‘Buy Nothing’: Union Tells Federal Workers to Protest Forced Office Return by Boycotting Ottawa Businesses

The union for public workers has called on federal employees to boycott downtown Ottawa businesses as a way to protest their forced return to government offices.
By evening, the post no longer appeared to be online.
“Members of Canada’s business community have been calling on the federal government to bring employees back to the office for years,” the PSAC post said.
“The needs of the downtown core shouldn’t fall on the backs of workers and the federal public service. How workers spend their money on in-office days will send a clear message to politicians.”
PSAC advised members to pack a lunch, buy from small local businesses, and support neighbourhood businesses.
“Our members cannot be responsible for revitalizing the downtown core,” the social media post said.
The union said the move should show politicians they cannot leverage public servants’ working conditions “to appease commercial interests.”
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was disappointed in the union.
“Downtown businesses are not responsible for decisions about back to work. They’ve suffered significantly as a result of the pandemic,” he said.
Sutcliffe said businesses should be kept “out of the line of fire.” He encouraged support for business and a thriving downtown.
The Ottawa Board of Trade (OBOT) also called the boycott campaign “disappointing.”
PSAC’s move comes after a decision by the Federal Court to hold a full court hearing on the union’s application to overturn Ottawa’s back-to-office mandate.
No hearing date has been scheduled.
In June, PSAC said that 91 percent of its members were opposed to the government mandate.
Ottawa said having public workers return to the office for at least three days a week will restore confidence in government services and establish a consistent approach to hybrid work.