Ottawa: More than 1,55,000 members of Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), who work for Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency, have announced that they will go on strike on April 19 if a deal cannot be reached by 9 pm ET on April 18.
“We’ve made some progress at each of our four bargaining tables over the past two weeks, but we’re still too far apart on several key issues, including wages that keep up with the cost of living, job security and remote work language,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC National President.
“We’re committed to remaining at the table until a fair deal is reached for all our members – both for our 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency members who resume negotiations today, and our 120,000 Treasury Board members still at the table,” he added.
The union said its members have been without a contract since negotiations with the federal government began in June 2021, and last week, voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action.
“These workers – like all workers – deserve fair wages and decent working conditions. 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,” he added.
If federal public service workers go on strike, Canadians can expect disruption in several services, including income tax ate benefits processing, employment insurance, immigration and passport applications.