Major public service union asks members not to shop downtown

A major union representing Ottawa-Gatineau’s largest employer urged its members on Wednesday to avoid spending money at downtown businesses.

As of Monday, federal public servants are required to work in the office at least three days a week, or four for executives, though space limitations have led to some exceptions. Government leaders argue that employees perform better and learn more in an office setting.

Public service unions, including the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which made the initial appeal on social media, have long and vocally opposed these changes. PSAC's National Capital Region chapter initially called on its members to “buy nothing” downtown when in the office, criticizing the idea that changes to their routines support downtown businesses serving office workers.

"The needs of the downtown core shouldn’t fall on the backs of workers and the federal public service," PSAC stated, adding, "How workers spend their money on in-office days will send a clear message to politicians."

The union encouraged members to bring their own lunches, shop in their local neighborhoods, and support businesses outside the downtown area.

By Wednesday evening, the messaging shifted from “buy nothing” to “buy local.” The following day, PSAC regional executive vice-president Ruth Lau MacDonald clarified that the original message was misguided, stating, “Our intention has never been to pit federal workers against small downtown businesses.”

"We recognize the many challenges small business owners downtown have faced since the pandemic," the statement said, while also highlighting how remote work has helped small businesses outside the downtown core thrive.

Before altering its approach, Lau MacDonald explained that the initial message was intended to encourage workers to “spend thoughtfully” at businesses near their homes in areas like Hintonburg or Barrhaven, rather than “boycotting” those downtown, where transit struggles and parking costs are higher. She referred to a 2022 open letter from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce urging the federal government to bring public servants back to the office to restore “normal economic activity,” with the Ottawa Board of Trade as one of the signatories.

Public servants are a key customer base in the region, representing over 130,000 people as of March 2023, accounting for nearly 10 per cent of the population.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe partly attributed a significant gap in the city’s long-term transit budget to fewer public servants commuting via OC Transpo, calling on the federal government to consider the impact of its decisions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also pressed the federal government to require public servants to return to the office to support downtown businesses.

Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnete had previously expressed that making the downtown area more appealing should not solely depend on workers. She reiterated this view at a recent press conference.

"We see that the mayor of Gatineau has a very different vision of what the return to the office means for businesses on that side of the river," Lau MacDonald told Radio-Canada in French. "In Ottawa, we saw political pressure from Mark Sutcliffe. So, we really wanted to get his attention."

Sutcliffe responded to PSAC’s original message on social media and later at a press conference, stating, “Downtown businesses are not responsible for decisions about back-to-work policies. They’ve suffered significantly due to the pandemic. Let’s keep them out of the line of fire. Let’s support them and a thriving downtown.”

Lau MacDonald suggested that Sutcliffe’s side is struggling, referring to the city’s budget issues. Meanwhile, Martin A. Roy of Vision Centre-Ville, a business improvement group for downtown Gatineau, stated that businesses are “the wrong target,” adding, “We did not ask for civil servants to return three days a week. It’s nice they’re here for an extra day, but that’s not what will revive the downtown.”