Federal workers are launching nationwide strike votes for more than 35,000 employees at Canada Revenue Agency after talks broke down over wages and remote work.

Votes will be held from Jan. 31 to April 7, and the union will be in a legal strike position if its members approve a strike mandate, according to a joint statement from the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of Taxation Employees. 

“Workers’ wages have stalled while the cost of living has continued to rise,” PSAC President Chris Aylward said. “We’ve been clear negotiating wages that keep up with inflation and a sensible remote work policy are critical to reach a deal, but the Agency has refused to respond to our wage offer.” 

The strike votes will occur ahead of Canada’s April 30 tax filing deadline. They highlight the persistence of union demands for bigger pay increases even as consumer price gains begin to retreat from a four-decade high.

High inflation has historically led to increased work stoppages as employees try to catch up with prices, and unions in Canada have been ramping up their demands over the past several months. The taxation workers, for example, demanded a 30 per cent wage increase over three years.

“A strong strike mandate is the best way to ramp up pressure to reach a fair contract for our members,” said Marc Brière, president of the tax workers union.