Environment Canada scientists forced to meet off-site, says union

Scientists at an Environment Canada facility in Gatineau, Quebec, have been prevented from holding a union meeting on-site during their lunch hour, according to the union, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

The longstanding practice of allowing employees to meet with their union on government premises was recently ended at the Gatineau site and several other government science sites, the PIPSC says. The union suggests that the chill is in retaliation for its recent campaign to include scientific integrity in its collective bargaining agreements, to counter perceived muzzling of federal scientists.

“This is a very worrying development,” said Debi Daviau, president of PIPSC, which represents around 15,000 government scientists. “Given the government’s recent, overly restrictive communications policies that have led to the muzzling of federal scientists, it’s hard not to see this as anything but another example of the government shutting down communication among scientists.”