PSAC announces more than 155,000 public servants going on strike

A work stoppage of that magnitude, one of the largest in Canadian history, will likely disrupt federal services across the country, possibly creating delays for passport applications and tax returns, as well as supply chain issues.

Thestar.com
April 19, 2023
Ben Mussett
Jim Rankin

A federal workers strike of massive proportions is set to impact services across the country.

Minutes after a union-imposed 9 p.m. deadline Tuesday, Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), walked up to media waiting outside an Ottawa hotel and delivered the news that some 155,000 federal government workers would be on strike as of midnight.

“The members are pumped,” said Aylward, who would not discuss the specifics of the outstanding issues, though wages and inflation were clear concerns. “The members, as I said last week, they spoke loudly (in a strike vote). They spoke very clearly. And our members are prepared to fight for a good, decent, fair collective agreement.”

Aylward said the union would remain at the bargaining table as long as the employer, the Canadian government, did so as well. “We are still a ways apart but we’re staying at the table because we’re still hopeful, and our goal is still to get to a tentative agreement,” said Aylward.

A work stoppage of this magnitude, one of the largest in Canadian history, will likely create delays for passport applications and tax returns, as well as supply chain issues.

After months of soaring inflation, government workers are pushing for higher wages, along with protections around remote work, more inclusive anti-racism and harassment training, and ending the contracting out of services.

Those poised to strike include 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees -- represented by an arm of PSAC called the Union of Taxation Employees -- and roughly 124,000 employees of the Treasury Board, from administrative staff across various government departments and agencies to research librarians, teaching aides and plumbers.

Both groups have been in a “legal strike position” since Friday, after a majority of each voted to strike if a compromise couldn’t be reached.

According to the government, 28 different departments and agencies will be impacted by a strike, including Transport Canada, Veterans Affairs, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Although PSAC has warned of slowdowns at borders and airports in the event of a strike, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it expects “services to travellers and businesses will be maintained,” as uniformed staff won’t be affected.

In a statement, the CRA said benefit payments would be prioritized and the Canada child benefit would continue to be distributed.

Approximately 120,000 are eligible to walk off the job, according to PSAC. The remainder hold essential positions that bar them from striking, such as first responders and those involved in national security and income distribution.

In a statement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was “disappointed” by the “government’s failure” to reach an agreement, and said the party has the workers’ backs.

“These dedicated workers answered the call to action during the pandemic -- making sure that Canadians had the support they needed to get through a challenging time,” said Singh. “For two years, PSAC members have been voicing their legitimate demands for fair wages, job security and a safe working environment. Yet, the government continued to drag its feet and has provoked this crisis.”

The government began negotiations with the Treasury Board employees in June 2021. The union has called for a 13.5 per cent wage hike over three years. The government initially countered with 8.25 per cent over four years, an offer the union described as a pay cut when factoring in inflation. According to PSAC, the majority of the Treasury Board group are women making between $40,000 and $65,000 per year.

“When this government tries to repress the wages of its own workers, what they’re doing is repressing the wages for all workers,” Aylward said Monday, calling on the government to ensure “no workers get left behind.”

On Sunday, the Treasury Board increased its offer to nine per cent over three years, matching a recommendation made by the Federal Labour and Employment Board’s public interest commission.

“We are making every effort to avoid a labour disruption,” the Treasury Board said in a statement Monday.

Meanwhile, CRA employees have demanded a 20.5 per cent pay increase over three years, plus a one-time nine per cent raise that would bring CRA pay in line with CBSA salaries. (Between 1999 and 2003, the two agencies functioned as one, and employees were paid similarly.) The union has said the government has yet to make a wage offer.

The government could introduce so-called back-to-work legislation to force some employees to return to their jobs.

However, the Liberals have also committed to introducing “anti-scab” legislation by the end of 2023 that would prohibit replacing workers in federally regulated businesses during strikes. Introducing such a law was a condition of the pact under which the NDP agreed to support the minority Liberal government until June 2025.