Remote Work – Again?!

Posted on 5/13/2026

Recently, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce shared a letter to Mayor Andrew Knack advocating again for municipal employees to return to full in-person work. Their stance continues to be that an end to hybrid work for City employees is critical for downtown revitalization.

There is a letter of understanding (LOU #13) in the City Collective Agreement with CSU 52 that recognizes a process for hybrid work. The LOU leaves considerable discretion to the City in administering hybrid work to accommodate different business areas and operational needs. Yet a broad return-to-office mandate would be against the spirit of the collective agreement. In that scenario, we would pursue all avenues available to us to protect the rights freely negotiated in bargaining.

I will be writing a letter to the Mayor and City Council to address the most recent advocacy by the Chamber, reaffirming CSU 52’s position.

We heard these same calls for a return to office in January, when provincial employees were directed to return to in-person work. In this CBC article ("No plans to end hybrid work for City of Edmonton staff, despite calls for return to office"), Mayor Knack says very clearly that a return to in-person work is not the right tool for revitalizing Edmonton’s downtown core. Especially as budget engagement is underway, I will reiterate the quote I gave to the reporter: “Usually the same business interests that are saying the city needs to get its budget under control…conversely, seem not to be looking at the other side of the argument, which is the city has found an efficiency.”

As the Chamber’s letter has not gained significant traction so far, we are choosing not to respond publicly in order to avoid directing attention towards it. However, we would like to ensure members are fully aware of the situation at hand.

In my phone discussion with City Manager Eddie Robar in January, he indicated that while the City does review how the hybrid work program is running on an annual basis, CSU 52 would be involved in any discussions about making organizational changes to it before any firm decisions are made. I also received a commitment that we could tell our members if any such discussions are happening in advance of any changes.

As we anticipated, pressure from business organizations is ongoing and we will likely see similar calls in the future. As always, CSU 52’s perspective is that sustaining downtown should focus on making it an appealing place to live and spend time, rather than relying on commuter patterns. We will continue actively monitoring the situation and update you on any important developments.

In Solidarity,

Bryce Jowett
President, CSU 52