The St Lucia Civil Service Association was formed in the late 1940’s by a group of public officers who saw the need for an organized and structured approach to the problems confronting public officers.

After a few years of functioning as an informal grouping, the St Lucia civil service association was registered as a trade union on May 16, 1951. The first president was Mr. D. F. Mayers, an employee of the treasury department. 

During the period 1951 and 1980, the CSA worked with the St Lucia Teachers Union in making joint presentations before various salary review commissions appointed by government. It was not until 1980, that the CSA was granted the right to engage in collective bargaining on behalf of the public officers. The CSA, after several well – published disputes, with various government and statutory bodies, developed into one of the leading trade unions on the island.

Initially, the membership of the union was drawn mainly from the civil service and later was extended to the wider public service to include Statutory Authorities. However, following an amendment to its constitution, the CSA is the accredited bargaining agent for a wide range of workers. Unlike other unions, the CSA offers a number of benefits to its members, independent of what is negotiated with the employers