Federal scientists prepare to fight for public science as bargaining begins

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) (CNW Group/Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC))

OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2026 /CNW/ - Federal scientists are entering a new round of bargaining, warning that continued cuts to public science are weakening Canada's scientific capacity and increasing risks for Canadians.

The Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP) Group, represented by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), has formally launched bargaining with the Treasury Board and opted to proceed through the conciliation/strike process. Members say this round of negotiations comes at a critical moment for federal science, amid growing concern over Work Force Adjustment notices, the Comprehensive Expenditure Review and the erosion of in-house scientific expertise across government.

"Federal scientists tend to be careful and introverted. It takes a lot to pull them away from their work," said Bryan Van Wilgenburg, president of the SP group. "It should give the government pause that some of the most conflict-averse people in society are willing to speak out. We are worried about the long-term damage to public health, the environment and the economy by undervaluing public science and hollowing out its capacity."

SP members work across the federal government in fields that protect Canadians and support evidence-based decision-making, including food and drug safety, emergency preparedness, environmental monitoring, fisheries and oceans, climate science, public health, intellectual property and impact assessment.

Members say the upcoming negotiations are about more than wages or a collective agreement. They are about protecting the public science capacity Canadians rely on every day.

"When a government cuts public science, we lose more than jobs," said Van Wilgenburg. "We lose confidence in the safety of our food, pesticides, medicines, rail and aircraft safety. We lose the ability to detect risks early, respond to problems effectively, and make decisions grounded in evidence. Once this public expertise is lost, rebuilding it can take years – if it is possible at all."

The SP Group notified the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board of its decision to proceed under the conciliation/strike route on May 27 and served notice to bargain to the Treasury Board on June 1. The exchange of bargaining proposals is expected later this summer, and with negotiations set to begin before the current collective agreement expires in September.

"A strike path is not a step our members take lightly," said Van Wilgenburg. "The government may see cuts to public science as short-term savings, but Canadians will pay the real price through higher outsourcing costs, weaker protections, economic damage, and greater risk when emergencies hit.

"PIPSC represents over 80,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on Bluesky and on Instagram.

SOURCE Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)

For more information: PIPSC Media Relations, 613-883-4900 (mobile), [email protected]