Union pushes DND to hire more public servants instead of relying on private contractors

UNDE national president June Winger has called for DND to hire more public servants instead of contractors. Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /ERROL MCGIHON

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The Liberal government should use its upcoming budget to make a clear commitment to end contracting out at the defence department and invest in more federal jobs, says the top union official at National Defence.

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June Winger, national president of the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE), said she has written to Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne urging him to pledge in next week’s budget to hire more public servants at DND instead of private contractors.

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“We can build up our trades in the public service, build up our communities and build up support for the defence department,” Winger said on Oct. 29 in an interview. “There is no reason not to do this.”

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She said decades of privatization has “eroded workplace safety, cost taxpayers more, and undermined transparency, safety, and operational readiness.”

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Winger said the department’s decision to rely more on private contractors while it has cut its public service workforce is clearly illustrated by the poor state of military buildings on bases across the country. “It is so gob smacking to see the decrepit state of the buildings,” she said. “That’s because they are relying more and more on private contractors for facilities maintenance.”

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Champagne’s office did not respond to a request for comment. But in an email, Benoit Mayrand, a Finance Department spokesperson noted, “that the Department of Finance will not comment on what may, or may not, be under consideration for the upcoming 2025 budget.”

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Winger said she has not received a reply from Champagne. The federal budget is set to be released on Nov. 4.

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In a report released Oct. 21, Auditor General Karen Hogan noted that many of DND’s buildings are not only old but have significant issues. “Some of the issues we observed included quarters buildings that lacked potable water, had malfunctioning sanitary waste systems, or had deteriorating exterior walls,” the report pointed out.

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The report determined that 25 per cent of Canadian Forces living quarters needed “major repairs” or did not meet the operational needs of the department or the military personnel staying in them.

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Winger said by using funds to hire additional public servants, the Liberal government would be contributing to not only its NATO defence spending goals but ensure the money is kept in Canada. A number of the firms providing contracted services to the DND and Canadian Forces are foreign owned. That, in itself, also presents a potential security issue, Winger said.