Public Service Alliance of Canada

What Public Service Alliance of Canada does

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), founded in 1966 through the merger of the Civil Service Federation of Canada and the Civil Service Association of Canada, is Canada's largest federal public sector union, representing 245,000 workers across every province and territory. PSAC's core service is collective bargaining representation and workplace advocacy on behalf of federal public service employees, Crown Corporation workers (including Canada Post, NAV CANADA, and the Royal Canadian Mint), Canada Revenue Agency staff, RCMP civilian members, university sector workers (30,000 at 25 post-secondary institutions), and workers covered by 70 Directly Chartered Locals outside the federal public service. The union is structured into 15 Component unions organized by department/agency, supported by 23 regional offices across 7 regions and an Alliance Executive Committee led by National President Sharon DeSousa and National Executive Vice-President Alex Silas.

PSAC generates revenue almost entirely through membership dues set at 0.9617% of salary (applied against first-step classification salary, as of January 2025), collected via employer payroll deduction, plus a CAD 2.20/month per-member strike fund contribution that maintains a reserve exceeding CAD 25M. Member services include the Public Service Health Care Plan and Public Service Dental Care Plan negotiated through the National Joint Council, grievance and arbitration support, pay equity enforcement, anti-racism and human rights programs, the Social Justice Fund for international solidarity work, and a recently launched online job-matching platform for workforce adjustment situations. PSAC operates without proprietary AI/ML technology; its technology footprint is limited to its website (psacunion.ca), member portal, and the job-matching service. The union is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress and Public Services International, embedding it within the broader Canadian and global labour movement, and is governed democratically through triennial conventions and elected leadership rather than external ownership.

Name

Public Service Alliance of Canada

Legal name

Public Service Alliance of Canada

Website

https://psacunion.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is Canada's largest federal public sector union, representing 245,000 workers across federal departments, Crown corporations, the university sector, and Directly Chartered Locals through 15 Components and 23 regional offices, funded by membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: PSAC generates revenue through membership dues calculated as a percentage of salary. Members pay union dues based on the union's democratic structure where dues rates are adopted at National Triennial Conventions. Dues are collected by employers through payroll deduction.
2. Strike Fund Contributions: Monthly contributions from members to the PSAC Strike Fund provide financial support during work stoppages. Members contribute $2.20 per month, with the fund maintaining over $25 million for strike pay, benefits, and expenses when members are on strike or locked out.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is a national labour union representing 245,000 workers across federal government departments, agencies, Crown Corporations, universities, and various private and community sector workplaces. Its core offering is union membership and collective representation, including collective bargaining, grievance handling, workplace rights advocacy, and negotiated health and dental benefits. The union is funded through member dues and operates through 23 regional offices, 15 component unions, and 70 Directly Chartered Locals.

Product overview

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is a union organization offering a portfolio of membership services rather than a unified technology product. The core offering centers on union representation, collective bargaining for 245,000 federal public service workers, and member advocacy. Related services include the Public Service Health Care Plan and Public Service Dental Care Plan negotiated through the National Joint Council. The organization also runs advocacy campaigns including For You Canada, Remote Works, Phoenix Pay System support, Red Dress Campaign, Still Thirsty for Justice, and Uncover the Costs. Additional offerings include the Social Justice Fund for international solidarity work, union education programs, and a job matching platform for workforce adjustment situations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PSAC Union Membership and Collective Representation Core union membership service providing collective bargaining representation, grievance and arbitration services, workplace rights advocacy, and union governance for 245,000 federal public service workers across federal government departments, agencies, Crown Corporations, universities, and various private and community sector workplaces.
• Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) Health insurance benefit plan providing coverage for a wide variety of health-related products and services for federal public service workers, negotiated by PSAC directly with Treasury Board together with other bargaining agents of the National Joint Council.
• Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) Mandatory dental services plan for federal public service employees and their eligible dependents covering specific dental services and supplies not covered under provincial/territorial health plans.
• Union Education Program Comprehensive union education courses including leadership development, anti-racism training, stewards' resources, and health and safety training delivered through regional committees and the Joint Learning Program in partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress.
• Job Matching Platform Online platform developed by PSAC to help workers affected by federal budget cuts and workforce adjustments find new positions within the public service, with approximately 2,000 registered users.
• Member Benefits Portal Platform providing access to member benefits including discounted insurance programs (Orbit Insurance Services, Coughlin Group Life Insurance) and Union Savings discounts.
• Social Justice Fund Program promoting human rights, decent work, and quality public services through education, mobilization, and international solidarity initiatives including anti-poverty projects, humanitarian assistance, and worker-to-worker exchanges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 320,000 workers received retroactive pay through pay equity victory
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canada LifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023The Government of Canada transitioned health insurance benefits for over 1.7 million current and former federal public service workers to Canada Life. PSAC is advocating for members affected by this transition and has filed policy grievances regarding service issues.
• Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSAC is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress, the largest labour organization in Canada representing more than 3 million workers. This affiliation connects PSAC to the larger Canadian labour movement through local affiliations to provincial and territorial federations of labour and district labour councils.
• Public Services International (PSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSAC is part of Public Services International, which serves as a link to other public service unions around the world. This international affiliation enables global solidarity and knowledge sharing among public sector unions.
• APSAR (Association of Public Service Alliance Retirees)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSAC works closely with APSAR, the Association of Public Service Alliance Retirees, to bring about social change and pursue broader issues affecting members including retirees.
• Provincial and Territorial Federations of LabourcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSAC connects to the larger Canadian labour movement through local affiliations to provincial and territorial federations of labour and district labour councils, enabling coordinated advocacy and solidarity actions.
• National Joint Council (NJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSAC negotiates the Public Service Health Care Plan directly with Treasury Board together with other bargaining agents of the National Joint Council and the National Association of Federal Retirees, representing retired members.
• Joint Learning ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSAC promotes opportunities for education through the Joint Learning Program, a collaborative initiative with the Canadian Labour Congress for union education and professional development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Unifor: Unifor is one of Canada's largest private-sector unions, formed in 2013 through merger of CAW and CEP, representing approximately 315,000 workers across manufacturing, hospitality, and public services. It is comparable to PSAC as a major Canadian union with diversified sector representation and a national bargaining footprint.
• United Steelworkers (USW): USW represents approximately 850,000 workers across North America in steel, manufacturing, public services, and beyond. It is comparable to PSAC as a major cross-border union with public-sector bargaining units (including some Canadian representation through USW Canada) and similar dues-funded revenue model.
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters: The Teamsters represent over 1.4 million workers across the U.S. and Canada in transportation, logistics, and public services. It is comparable to PSAC as a major North American union with cross-border operations, large strike fund reserves, and significant public-sector membership.
• United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW Canada): UFCW Canada represents over 250,000 workers across food retail, hospitality, and other sectors, including some public-service-adjacent roles. It is comparable to PSAC as another major Canadian private-sector union with overlapping political mobilization and bargaining structures within the CLC ecosystem.
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): CUPE is Canada's largest union by membership (~750,000 workers) and represents a broad swath of public and private sector workers, including many municipal, health, and education workers. It is the most direct comparable to PSAC as a fellow large Canadian union operating in overlapping bargaining environments.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): The NEA is the largest U.S. labour union with approximately 3 million members concentrated in public education. It is comparable to PSAC as a large public-sector union with similar functions in collective bargaining, member advocacy, and political mobilization.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): SEIU is one of North America's largest unions, representing over 2 million workers across public services, healthcare, and property services. It is comparable to PSAC as a major North American public-sector union with similar collective bargaining functions and political advocacy scale.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): The AFT represents approximately 1.7 million members across U.S. K-12, higher education, and public services. It is comparable to PSAC given that PSAC represents 30,000 university workers across 25 Canadian institutions, a function parallel to AFT's higher education bargaining.
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME): AFSCME represents approximately 1.4 million public service workers across U.S. state, county, and municipal governments. It is a close functional peer to PSAC given its exclusive focus on public-sector collective bargaining, grievance handling, and political advocacy for government employees.

Others

• Canadian Labour Congress (CLC): The CLC is the umbrella labour organization representing more than 3 million Canadian workers through its affiliated unions, including PSAC itself. It is comparable as the central coordinating body for the broader labour movement in which PSAC participates, though it operates as an affiliation network rather than a direct bargaining agent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoFoscofcn-mysgl_bU95nQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/psac.national
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-service-alliance-of-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/psacafpc/?hl=en
• Xx.com/psac_afpc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Service Alliance of Canada