Canadian federal workers get May Day deal to end strike
Story by By Ismail Shakil and Akriti Sharma •
Approximately 155,000 public sector union workers continue to strike in Ottawa
Federal government reaches agreement for a new wage deal with striking workers
Story by Reuters • 2h ago
Federal civil servants form a picket line as over 150,000 PSAC federal employees begin the sixth day of their strike across the country Monday, April 24, 2023 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz© Provided by National Post
Canada reached agreement for a new wage deal with a union representing 120,000 federal workers, the union said on Monday, bringing an end to the country’s largest public sector strike that had crippled services from tax returns to immigration.
While the 120,000 Treasury Board employees are set to return to work, more than 35,000 revenue agency workers striking since April 19 are expected to continue into Monday, the union, which represents both groups, said in a statement.
“Strike action continues across the country for 35,000 members at Canada Revenue Agency,” the union said, adding that talks would resume with a new mandate for a fair contract.
Their key outstanding concerns include fair wages, the right to work remotely, and the role of seniority in layoffs.
However, the Treasury workers’ deal exceeded “the employer’s original offer before the launch of strike action,” the union added.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union, which had been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021, ramped up pressure on the government last month by calling for the rare wide-ranging strike.
The resulting shortage of staff at about two dozen government agencies caused delays and disruptions in services such as passport renewals.
Story by By Ismail Shakil and Akriti Sharma •
Approximately 155,000 public sector union workers continue to strike in Ottawa
© Thomson Reuters
By Ismail Shakil and Akriti Sharma
OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's government struck an agreement with 120,000 federal workers on Monday, effectively ending the country's largest public sector strike in history, which had crippled services from passport renewals to immigration.
While most strikers are set to return to work after almost two weeks of deadlock, more than 35,000 revenue agency workers who also went on strike on April 19 are still negotiating, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said.
That will continue to slow down the processing of annual tax returns.
"This agreement delivers important gains for our members that will set the bar for all workers in Canada," PSAC President Chris Aylward said in a statement.
PSAC said it had secured a total wage increase of 12.6% over four years, having turned down an offer of 9% over three years when it called the strike. The deal includes a one-off payment of C$2,500 ($1,845).
PSAC fell short of getting work from home enshrined in the collective bargaining agreement as the Treasury Board - the federal employer - refused. But there is an deal to address remote work requests individually and in writing, which opens up the government to the employee grievance process.
This is the first new contract to be negotiated since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which forced millions to work remotely.
The deal "will have a ripple effect, quite frankly, for the rest of Canada," said Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske told Reuters before the agreement had been finalized.
"All large private sector employers and all the other provincial and territorial governments" are going to take note of the details of the deal, Bruske said.
On remote work, the Treasury Board said that up to three days a week from home would be allowed - as was the case already - and that departmental panels would be created to address employee concerns.
"These deals are fair, competitive, and reasonable, and bring stability to public servants and Canadians," Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said in a statement.
PSAC had been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021, causing delays and disruptions in services such as immigration and passport renewals.
(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Clarence Fernandez and Philippa Fletcher)
By Ismail Shakil and Akriti Sharma
OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's government struck an agreement with 120,000 federal workers on Monday, effectively ending the country's largest public sector strike in history, which had crippled services from passport renewals to immigration.
While most strikers are set to return to work after almost two weeks of deadlock, more than 35,000 revenue agency workers who also went on strike on April 19 are still negotiating, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said.
That will continue to slow down the processing of annual tax returns.
"This agreement delivers important gains for our members that will set the bar for all workers in Canada," PSAC President Chris Aylward said in a statement.
PSAC said it had secured a total wage increase of 12.6% over four years, having turned down an offer of 9% over three years when it called the strike. The deal includes a one-off payment of C$2,500 ($1,845).
PSAC fell short of getting work from home enshrined in the collective bargaining agreement as the Treasury Board - the federal employer - refused. But there is an deal to address remote work requests individually and in writing, which opens up the government to the employee grievance process.
This is the first new contract to be negotiated since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which forced millions to work remotely.
The deal "will have a ripple effect, quite frankly, for the rest of Canada," said Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske told Reuters before the agreement had been finalized.
"All large private sector employers and all the other provincial and territorial governments" are going to take note of the details of the deal, Bruske said.
On remote work, the Treasury Board said that up to three days a week from home would be allowed - as was the case already - and that departmental panels would be created to address employee concerns.
"These deals are fair, competitive, and reasonable, and bring stability to public servants and Canadians," Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said in a statement.
PSAC had been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021, causing delays and disruptions in services such as immigration and passport renewals.
(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Clarence Fernandez and Philippa Fletcher)
Strike over for 120,000 public servants as union inks tentative deal with feds
OTTAWA — The country's largest federal public-sector union reached a tentative contract agreement with the government overnight, covering more than 120,000 public servants across the country and bringing them back to work after a 12-day strike.
It meant that the majority of Public Service Alliance of Canada workers who had hit the picket lines since April 19 were expected to sign in for duty on Monday morning or at their next scheduled shift.
But some 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees were still on strike on the day of the federal tax filing deadline, as negotiations over a separate collective agreement continued.
"PSAC members held the line together and secured a fair contract that keeps up with the cost of living, increased protections around remote work and creates safer, more inclusive workplaces," Chris Aylward, the union's national president, said in a statement.
The union said that its Union of Taxation Employees bargaining team would enter a "blitz of negotiations" with the CRA on Monday.
The tentative agreement announced in the wee hours of Monday morning came after the Treasury Board, which oversees the administration of the federal government, tabled what it described as a "final offer" on Friday.
"The best deals are reached at the bargaining table," Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said in a statement.
"We respect the right to negotiate and appreciate Canadians' patience and understanding over the past two weeks."
The union said the new contract agreement secured wage increases totalling 12.6 per cent over four years, along with a one-time, pensionable $2,500 lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.7 per cent of salary for the average union member in Treasury Board bargaining units.
It said members will have access to additional protection when the employer makes arbitrary decisions about remote work, and managers will have to assess telework requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses.
The tentative agreement also includes protections against the contracting out of work. According to the union, in the event of a layoff, an employee who can carry out work that is being conducted by a hired contractor will not lose their job.
PSAC said the tentative deal also addresses its demands regarding seniority rights in the event of layoffs.
It said both parties have agreed to jointly submit a proposal to the Public Service Commission of Canada to include seniority rights in future "workplace adjustment" plans — or changes to the workforce to reflect the executive's priorities.
Fortier was slated to hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday.
Public servants had hit picket lines at locations across the country for a dozen days in what the union said was one of the biggest job actions in Canadian history.
Service disruptions loomed large during the strike, from slowdowns at the border to pauses on new employment insurance, immigration and passport applications.
Initial negotiations on a new collective agreement had initially begun in June 2021, and the union had declared an impasse in May 2022, with both parties filing labour complaints since then.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The country's largest federal public-sector union reached a tentative contract agreement with the government overnight, covering more than 120,000 public servants across the country and bringing them back to work after a 12-day strike.
It meant that the majority of Public Service Alliance of Canada workers who had hit the picket lines since April 19 were expected to sign in for duty on Monday morning or at their next scheduled shift.
But some 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees were still on strike on the day of the federal tax filing deadline, as negotiations over a separate collective agreement continued.
"PSAC members held the line together and secured a fair contract that keeps up with the cost of living, increased protections around remote work and creates safer, more inclusive workplaces," Chris Aylward, the union's national president, said in a statement.
The union said that its Union of Taxation Employees bargaining team would enter a "blitz of negotiations" with the CRA on Monday.
The tentative agreement announced in the wee hours of Monday morning came after the Treasury Board, which oversees the administration of the federal government, tabled what it described as a "final offer" on Friday.
"The best deals are reached at the bargaining table," Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said in a statement.
"We respect the right to negotiate and appreciate Canadians' patience and understanding over the past two weeks."
(Global News)
The union said the new contract agreement secured wage increases totalling 12.6 per cent over four years, along with a one-time, pensionable $2,500 lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.7 per cent of salary for the average union member in Treasury Board bargaining units.
It said members will have access to additional protection when the employer makes arbitrary decisions about remote work, and managers will have to assess telework requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses.
The tentative agreement also includes protections against the contracting out of work. According to the union, in the event of a layoff, an employee who can carry out work that is being conducted by a hired contractor will not lose their job.
PSAC said the tentative deal also addresses its demands regarding seniority rights in the event of layoffs.
It said both parties have agreed to jointly submit a proposal to the Public Service Commission of Canada to include seniority rights in future "workplace adjustment" plans — or changes to the workforce to reflect the executive's priorities.
Fortier was slated to hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday.
Public servants had hit picket lines at locations across the country for a dozen days in what the union said was one of the biggest job actions in Canadian history.
Service disruptions loomed large during the strike, from slowdowns at the border to pauses on new employment insurance, immigration and passport applications.
Initial negotiations on a new collective agreement had initially begun in June 2021, and the union had declared an impasse in May 2022, with both parties filing labour complaints since then.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
The Canadian Press
Story by Reuters • 2h ago
Federal civil servants form a picket line as over 150,000 PSAC federal employees begin the sixth day of their strike across the country Monday, April 24, 2023 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz© Provided by National Post
Canada reached agreement for a new wage deal with a union representing 120,000 federal workers, the union said on Monday, bringing an end to the country’s largest public sector strike that had crippled services from tax returns to immigration.
While the 120,000 Treasury Board employees are set to return to work, more than 35,000 revenue agency workers striking since April 19 are expected to continue into Monday, the union, which represents both groups, said in a statement.
“Strike action continues across the country for 35,000 members at Canada Revenue Agency,” the union said, adding that talks would resume with a new mandate for a fair contract.
Their key outstanding concerns include fair wages, the right to work remotely, and the role of seniority in layoffs.
However, the Treasury workers’ deal exceeded “the employer’s original offer before the launch of strike action,” the union added.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union, which had been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021, ramped up pressure on the government last month by calling for the rare wide-ranging strike.
The resulting shortage of staff at about two dozen government agencies caused delays and disruptions in services such as passport renewals.
(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Clarence Fernandez)
NB Power cuts ties with private instructor for driving truck into federal picketers
Story by The Canadian Press • Yesterday
NB Power cuts ties with private instructor for driving truck into federal picketers© Provided by The Canadian Press
OROMOCTO, N.B. — New Brunswick's Crown energy corporation has cut ties with a private instructor after a video surfaced showing a heavy NB Power truck driving into a group of federal public service picketers and pushing one down the street.
The driver was contracted from an unnamed private company to train truck drivers and NB Power will no longer be using him as an instructor, said an email Sunday from NB Power spokesperson Clayton Beaton. Two students in a lineman training program were in the truck with the instructor, NB Power said in a news release earlier on Sunday.
"This behaviour is truly unacceptable and will not be tolerated by NB Power," the release said. "No NB Power employees were involved in this incident, but an NB Power vehicle was involved and therefore our reputation is at risk."
The RCMP said Friday they were investigating after a video surfaced on social media showing a large NB Power truck honking at a group of people crossing a street in Oromocto, N.B. The truck then drives slowly forward, grazing one person and causing them to stumble out of the way.
The heavy truck then bumps into another person who'd stopped in the street. The looming vehicle nudges the man down the road until he drops his Public Service Alliance of Canada flag and finally jumps out of the way.
Onlookers can be heard in the video yelling, "Oh my God!" and "Move!"
More than 100,000 federal public service workers walked off the job on April 19 after the union and government failed to reach new contract deals for agreements that expired in 2021. The public service union says negotiations with the federal government have been ongoing throughout the weekend.
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Hans Ouellette said Sunday the police investigation into the incident in Oromocto was also ongoing. Officers were already in the area Friday and were able to get to the scene quickly, pull the truck over and identify the driver, he said in an interview Sunday.
The picketer wasn't hurt, Ouellette added.
NB Power could not say Sunday if the driver was still employed by the private company through which he was contracted.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2023.
The Canadian Press
Story by The Canadian Press • Yesterday
NB Power cuts ties with private instructor for driving truck into federal picketers© Provided by The Canadian Press
OROMOCTO, N.B. — New Brunswick's Crown energy corporation has cut ties with a private instructor after a video surfaced showing a heavy NB Power truck driving into a group of federal public service picketers and pushing one down the street.
The driver was contracted from an unnamed private company to train truck drivers and NB Power will no longer be using him as an instructor, said an email Sunday from NB Power spokesperson Clayton Beaton. Two students in a lineman training program were in the truck with the instructor, NB Power said in a news release earlier on Sunday.
"This behaviour is truly unacceptable and will not be tolerated by NB Power," the release said. "No NB Power employees were involved in this incident, but an NB Power vehicle was involved and therefore our reputation is at risk."
The RCMP said Friday they were investigating after a video surfaced on social media showing a large NB Power truck honking at a group of people crossing a street in Oromocto, N.B. The truck then drives slowly forward, grazing one person and causing them to stumble out of the way.
The heavy truck then bumps into another person who'd stopped in the street. The looming vehicle nudges the man down the road until he drops his Public Service Alliance of Canada flag and finally jumps out of the way.
Onlookers can be heard in the video yelling, "Oh my God!" and "Move!"
More than 100,000 federal public service workers walked off the job on April 19 after the union and government failed to reach new contract deals for agreements that expired in 2021. The public service union says negotiations with the federal government have been ongoing throughout the weekend.
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Hans Ouellette said Sunday the police investigation into the incident in Oromocto was also ongoing. Officers were already in the area Friday and were able to get to the scene quickly, pull the truck over and identify the driver, he said in an interview Sunday.
The picketer wasn't hurt, Ouellette added.
NB Power could not say Sunday if the driver was still employed by the private company through which he was contracted.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2023.
The Canadian Press
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