'Buy Local': PSAC changes shopping message amid backlash for asking workers to boycott downtown Ottawa businesses

A federal public service union is now encouraging its members to "buy local" and support neighbourhood businesses, one day after a social media post suggested federal workers boycott downtown Ottawa businesses in an apparent retaliation for the return-to-office mandate.

"The confusion and controversy that the post stirred is regrettable," PSAC national executive vice president Alex Silas told Newstalk 580 CFRA in an email, adding PSAC did not call for a "boycott."

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On Wednesday, a post by the Public Service Alliance of Canada's (PSAC) Ottawa Area Council said, "Buy Nothing."

"The needs of the downtown core shouldn't fall on the back of workers and the federal public service. How workers spend their money on in-office days will send a clear message to politicians."

In a new post Wednesday night, PSAC NCR said, "Buy Local," adding it's encouraging members to pack a lunch and "minimize spending on in-office days, make a decision to buy local as much as possible" and "promote your favourite neighbourhood businesses."

"Pack your lunch, buy local or support your neighbourhood businesses (if you can)!" the union said.

"We recognize a lot of our members don’t have extra spending money with the extra cost of commuting to the office over three days a week. What money left is being spent on additional childcare and commuting. The burden to revitalize the downtown core cannot be placed on federal public service workers."

The Public Service Alliance of Canada's Ottawa Area Council posted a new image on Instagram Thursday night, urging its members to 'Buy Local.' (PSAC NRC/Instagra0

Silas tells Newstalk 580 CFRA's Katherine Colbert that "PSAC is not calling for a boycott of downtown businesses."

"The social media post was from PSAC_NCR and has since been taken down and corrected after PSAC National became aware of it."

The PSAC-NCR says it is not calling for a boycott of downtown businesses.

"I apologize for the impact and confusion this miscommunication has caused," Ruth Lau MacDonald, regional executive vice-president of the PSAC-NCR, said.

"After speaking to local business leaders and our members, I acknowledge that this approach was misguided, and our intention has never been to pit federal workers against small downtown businesses," MacDonald said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa Thursday.

"We recognize the many challenges small business owners downtown have faced since the pandemic. At the same time, it's important to remember that remote work has allowed small businesses outside the downtown core to thrive by giving workers the opportunity to support businesses in the neighbourhoods where they live and raise their families."

The social media post sparked backlash from Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, the Ottawa Board of Trade, some downtown business owners and social media users.

"I'm very disappointed to see PSAC NCR targeting small businesses in their dispute with the federal government," Sutcliffe said in a social media post.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, the mayor added, "Downtown businesses have been struggling through the pandemic and they've been suffering."

"Our downtown core needs to be vibrant and I don't think that we should be discouraging people from shopping at downtown businesses because PSAC has a dispute with the federal government."

The Public Service Alliance of Canada and other federal unions have been protesting the federal government's new return-to-office mandate. Starting this week, all federal employees in the core public service are required to be in the office a minimum of three days a week, while executives must be in the office at least four days a week.

In April, Premier Doug Ford called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring federal workers back to the office in Ottawa "like three days" a week to provide a boost to the downtown core and transit service.

Sutcliffe did not specifically address the issue of a federal work plan, but said the city needs support from the upper levels of government to boost the downtown and support OC Transpo.

MacDonald says PSAC is asking the federal government to work together with municipalities and the business community to revitalize downtown areas, "without putting the burden on federal workers.

"That means transitioning aging federal buildings into affordable housing and multi-use spaces, improving public transit, and making Ottawa a truly livable and walkable city for everyone."

WIth files from CTV News Ottawa's Toula Mazloum