The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), a union representing 120,000 federal public servants, has announced that an “overwhelming majority” of its members have voted in favor of a strike. The strike votes were held between February 22 and April 11 for workers in program and administrative services, technical services, education and library science, and operational services groups. The four bargaining units involved are part of the Treasury Board Secretariat, a central government agency that operates as a nerve centre for work related to the basic functioning of the federal government.
The units’ members include clerks and maintenance workers, tradespeople, teachers, firefighters, cleaners and cooks on military bases, Coast Guard search and rescue teams, and workers who process employment insurance, passport applications, and immigration documents. The units are in a legal strike position as of Wednesday, and the union’s desire is to reach a deal with the federal government. Its division representing 35,000 Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) workers also voted in favor of a strike last week, and will be in a legal position to do so on Friday.
Chris Aylward, PSAC national president, told reporters that the union’s members had exercised their bargaining power because they could not wait any longer to secure a fair deal that would not see them fall behind. He cited a desire for increased wages for members, adding that the strike would be difficult for workers and for Canadians who depend on their services. However, their bills, families, and futures could not wait any longer.
The government said in a statement that its goal is to reach an agreement with the union. It is continuing to negotiate with PSAC and has made “significant headway, addressing many union demands.” The government added that there are many areas where both parties could reach a compromise, including wage increases, and if the PSAC shares the government’s commitment to bargain in good faith, agreements could be reached quickly at the bargaining table.
PSAC left the bargaining table on September 1, 2022, during the sixth negotiation session and declared an impasse. The union has alleged that the federal government’s move to file a complaint is “just another stalling tactic to deny workers a fair contract” and has refused to “negotiate remote work and better work-life balance at the table.” Earlier this year, the federal government filed two complaints against PSAC over claims the union is not negotiating “in good faith” for a new deal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he recognized the “incredible work” public servants do and that it is really important that collective bargaining happens at the bargaining table. He added that “that’s where the best and the right deals get done, and that’s why we’re going to continue to engage in a constructive way at the bargaining table.” A final round of negotiations is set for April 17-20 between PSAC and CRA. The 35,000 CRA workers and the 120,000 Treasury Board workers make up 155,000 federal employees, which is roughly half of the staff of the 335,957 employees working with the federal public service.
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