CANADA

 Federal workers to strike Wednesday if union, government don't reach deal by Tuesday

Cindy Tran, The Canadian Press

The country's largest federal public service union says if a deal isn't reached with the federal government by 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, it will launch a strike this Wednesday.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says some 155,000 employees are prepared to walk off the job, including 35,000 workers from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Mediated contract negotiations between the union and the Treasury Board continued over the weekend in what the union described as the government's final chance to reach a deal.

Chris Aylward, the union's national president, said at a news conference Monday morning that some progress has been made — but not enough to call off a strike.

He said CRA workers are also back at the bargaining table Monday and Tuesday after announcing their own separate strike mandate on Apr. 7.

Unless they reach their own deal by Tuesday evening, those workers will strike, too, he said.

"Despite some progress at the bargaining table, our members are frustrated that while negotiations drag on, they continue to fall behind," said Aylward.

"We've already been at the table for nearly two years and these workers can't wait any longer. That's why we're setting a clock on this round of bargaining."

The biggest sticking point in the talks appears to be pay, with the union calling for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living and historic inflation.

The government offered a roughly two per cent average wage increase each year over a five-year period, while the union has pushed for annual raises of 4.5 per cent for the next three years.

The union also wants to put on the table greater limits on contract work, more anti-racism training and provisions for remote work.

Should the union strike on Wednesday, many federal services, from tax processing to passport renewal, could be affected — with departments and agencies signalling which essential services will continue during a strike and which may be disrupted.

"We want to have an impact on the government. We will try to have as least impact on Canadians as possible," said Aylward.

Aylward said if they go on strike, federal public servants will be picketing at strategic locations across the country.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2023.

Members of public service union vote in favour of federal strike mandate

The Canadian Press

Members of the public service's largest union, which represents more than 120,000 federal workers, have voted in favour of a strike mandate.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada can now launch a strike anytime in the next 60 days — with national president Chris Aylward saying workers were prepared to strike as soon as Wednesday. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that the government believes in collective bargaining and is looking closely to ensure that it can still deliver important services. 

Trudeau acknowledged that some federal workers are hurting.

"We know they are challenged with the rising cost of living as so many people are, we see inflation starting to come down and those conversations will continue to happen at the bargaining table," he said. 

Aylward said at a press conference Wednesday morning that bargaining for fair wages is top of mind, and members are prepared to strike for as long as it takes. 

"The majority of our members are women making between $40,000 to $65,000 a year — not the kind of salaries that could withstand being rolled back," he said. 

"Our members' wages have been stuck in neutral while the cost of living continues to soar."  

Roughly 35,000 federal public servants within the union are deemed essential workers. If the union decides to strike, it may take a staggered approach such that some workers remain on the job at all times.

Still, some reacted to the news on Wednesday with concern about the provision of government services that are already backlogged, including the processing of immigration and employment insurance applications.  

"Our goal is to not go on strike. Our goal is to reach a tentative agreement," said Aylward. 

The alliance called the strike vote in January following an impasse in negotiations with the federal government, and members had until Tuesday to cast their votes. 

Sharon DeSousa, the union's national executive vice president, said that in addition to wages, ending contract work and implementing more anti-racism training for all federal workers and managers are among the issues on the table. 

The contentious issue of remote work has also been on the list, with the union saying that members have proven working remotely is just as productive as in-person work. 

"It's time to look to the future by enshrining remote work and the right to disconnect in our collective agreements," said DeSousa. 

Still, the union said it will not compromise on its wage demands for movement on the hybrid workplace.

The union and the government began mediated negotiations in early April, and both parties are back at the bargaining table this week. 

But Aylward said the talks have not been going well. 

The parties have yet to address wages in their most recent talks, and he said that how that conversation goes will affect the strike decision.

The Treasury Board of Canada said in a statement Wednesday that the government is committed to reaching an agreement with the union as soon as possible. 

Its statement said there is a "realistic path" ahead that includes "wage increase proposals that align with an agreement already reached with one bargaining agent and that were recently approved for over 90,000 Canadian Forces members."

Negotiations over a new contract had first begun in June 2021, with the union declaring an impasse in May 2022. Both parties have filed labour complaints since then. 

The announcement of the vote result comes after workers at the Canada Revenue Agency voted for their own strike mandate last Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2023.

———

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.