Downtown business owners await federal workers as unions fight return-to-office plans

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Federal public workers will be required to return to the office part-time in two weeks, but one of the unions fighting the hybrid work model has backed away from bargaining and is talking about a strike.

The holiday rush has ended at Le Casablanca restaurant in Ottawa’s ByWard Market. This is now the time of year when owner Mohamed El Griene would rely on government workers for revenue.

Marc Brière, national president for the Union of Taxation Employees, which represents some 37,000 workers with Canada Revenue Agency, says it is unnecessary for the majority of employees to return to the office. "We still have no wage offer on the table from the employer, which I find very insulting and unacceptable," says Brière, adding there has been little movement as well on a refusal to budge on another key issue, a remote work proposal.

 

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But the supermarket & LCBO folks have been working throughout for you... But somehow this is wrong Beyond insulting!!

This “back to work two days/week” “order” is in direct violation of Treasury Board’s existing directive on Telework. Unless they are re-writing that directive to say minimum two days in the office, I’m not sure how they can do this.

This union should realize that there are people and businesses that can’t do hybrid and those people have been lucky to work from home second the business downtown are hurting with people to buy stuff and transit should i continue with the fall out

How about downtown doesn’t have to run on us wasting our money while we’re working for our money and the govt repurpose those disgusting buildings and make some space for people to live in and make those people make downtown thrives like it should.

As a taxpayer who has to drive to work, I'd rather they stay off the roads & the govt get rid of the big office buildings or convert them to shelters/housing.

Seems like the city could have planned downtown development instead of listening to shortsighted business people who love to beg for handouts, or in this case demanding workers put their health at risk for work that most can accomplish remotely with increased productivity

I can’t understand why Canadians want their roads congested w more traffic. Gov workers going back to office means congested roads for everyone. It also means MILLIONS tax $$ spent on leases and other costs.

All small businesses are important in every neighborhood, not just in the downtown core, where there has been a bounty of business for decades. Why should one be placed higher than others?

If this were the private sector, it wouldn't even be a discussion, you go back or no job. I find it funny how malls are busy Tuesday at 1pm, yet aren't you all supposed to be at work? You can't tell me you are working when there are so many distractions in a home. Go back!

Zero accountability working from home, getting drunk and stoned all day in their pj's, who is controlling that, who monitors all the afternoon naps. 🙄 I know first hand it's happening daily. Substance abuse will be on the rise,poor health from zero exercise,no social interaction

They were hired to work in an office, they don't return to work they should be terminated. Union wants a strike, give me a break, what a joke.

What

Working from home is often more efficient and better for the environment.

So these fed workers draw the line at working in person. But having an experimental jab as a requirement to work is ok... Someone please explain

The government complains about the environment, yet they don't mind putting thousands of more cars back on the roads. What a joke.

And what about the publictransit/publichealth/maskprotection needs of the workers?

They should insist on monitored air quality minimums like schools in France

So how much money did the government give these employees to set themselves up at a home office? If you weren't working remote before Covid you shouldn't be working remotely after Covid pretty simple . God forbid we disrupt the delicate geniuses Starbucks routine in their PJ's🙄

They were hired to work in an office. If they don’t return— Terminate Them.

Do not rely on the return of office workers to bail out struggling businesses. That $15 that used to be spent on lunches out is now needed for daily parking. The current rates at my office are $13 per day, with no monthly option and I work on the outskirts of downtown.

I am sick and tired of these damn unions!!

There are many benefits from working from home including less transportation and pollution, better and easier family life, etc. What exactly are the problems? Productivity? Surely that can be fixed. I don't think supporting downtown businesses should be the ee's responsibilty.

ALL EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE RETURNING TO THE OFFICE FULLTIME! Why is this now a foreign concept and somehow immoral to expect? It's a simple concept. In Office means higher production and efficiency. If you want to work from home then you should be forced to take massive pay cuts.

Unfortunately management has the ability and the right to send you back to the office, i m not sure what their argument is for not going back . And I think the gov t are being reasonable. Good luck.

Go back to work. Be grateful you have a job to go to each day.

Go back to pay for a $20 salad or maybe $25 since there is a shortage of lettuce lol

Good for them. They should defend their rights

Downtown business owner. Not once called for a return of office workers rather have streets opened up parking restrictions lessened to invite encourage locals to come downtown. Please don’t punish small business owners based on this.

What is their problem? Go to work and stop complaining.

Not sure why the board of trade has influence over other people's jobs. why not turn the offices into affordable housing? nah why would they want to help people? Now get back to work peasants and spend all your money!

As much as I feel for the business owners downtown, I am not about to risk my continued health to satisfy their bottom line. The city is too dependent on public servants being downtown, but that's on the city, not the federal public service. Not my circus, not my monkey.

What is the problem? Before COVID PS workers went to work. Those that want to stay home can do so, but not to work at home unless they were doing it before COVID.

Just another business to add to the do not shop at list.

If an Ottawa tourist zone depends on local gov't workers to survive, maybe gov't workers aren't the problem? There's a whole city outside the ByWard. If its residents aren't patronizing your business, maybe it's time for a rethink.

I will not spend a penny on downtown business

Don’t want to go to work then be fired … if you worked in a hospital you would have no choice or don’t be paid wokeidiots

If they don’t want to work fire them. Let’s face it they have not been working very successfully from home for the last three years. Maybe some of the back log in government offices will reduce when they all go back to work!!

Its not so much the gov wants people to return except for optics but are pressured by business's in the downtown core losing money by workers being at home. Review which jobs are best done where ignore pressures/optics think best value for my $ not votes.

Go the fuck back to work. Everyone else has to, stop being lazy and trying to hide from work. You are public servants and need to be in public, not hiding in your homes on Zoom calls. Be the example, not the dictator.

The argument that civil servants are less productive at home so we’ll send them to the office to shop and go to restaurants is laughably hollow. They are there to work. They are not ATM machines. And what about businesses losing customers not in the core?

Get back to the office like the rest of the world ffs

That’s bull$hit as I know of public workers not slated until April as there is going to be push back.

What a thin article - no discussion of real state, helping businesses to adapt to changing conditions, productivity of workers and so on - it’s not like hybrid and widespread transformation is exclusive to Ottawa; you want to help taxpayers - look to new trends and productivity

Where are all the woke people screaming to support downtown business owner during the pandemic and the trucker convoy that 'allegedly' caused the businesses to 'close'?

There are countless number of stories every day explaining how Canadians are unable to acquire adequate government services. A lot of the problems stem from an inefficiency of people working from home.

Is the work getting done ? Yes seems so. Are they going to offices to pay for parking, use buses, buy lunch and clog roads, sit in meetings ? Yes seems so. Canada Ottawa Trudeau grahamctv CBC CTV brianlilley

What has this world come to? People actually striking because they think they have the right not to actually go to work like the majority of the rest of the population does. The pandemic is over if you haven’t heard so go back to the office.

I am happy to work anywhere they ask but even your article is stating this is just about giving business a boon. I personally and many others will happily go downtown but not spend a single cent. It’s just welfare for unprofitable downtown business, which already were predatory

This is ridiculous and everyone knows it. Covid has given us an opportunity to rethink the whole commute to office and sit in a cubicle mode of operation. Certainly some should return but it shouldn't be mandated for all. Businesses will adjust accordingly.

Boycott downtown businesses. Adapt with the times or go bankrupt.

You have got to be kidding me. Shut up and go to work.

But they can go to concerts, Costco and Jamaica 🙄

Fire them.

First world problems

🤦‍♀️ losers

Then let them stay home but lower pay as it was location based when given.

Omg these laaaaaaaaaazy useless 🤡s !!!! GO BACK TO WORK

Why do people think “supporting local business” is in anyone’s job description? It’s not. Times have changed, adapt.

Contract signed you do not come back your fired like ronald ragan with the air trafic controlers ilegal strike

That’s the only reason for the decision, optics. Justin should have understood the consequences to his decisions. Lockdowns weren’t necessary. Mandates criminal. Makes no sense at this point to have the return. Sell properties 4 affordable housing. Actually be “ Progressive” 🙄

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