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Thousands of federal public servants across country begin strike | CBC News
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Ottawa
THOUSANDS OF FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVANTS ACROSS COUNTRY BEGIN STRIKE
More than 155,000 federal public servants are on strike after the federal
government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada failed to reach a deal
before a Tuesday evening deadline.
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BOTH SIDES REMAIN AT TABLE, BUT ARE 'STILL A WAYS APART,' UNION PRESIDENT SAYS
CBC News · Posted: Apr 18, 2023 8:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago
PSAC MEMBERS PICKETING ON PARLIAMENT HILL
6 hours ago
Duration 0:46
More than 155,000 public sector union workers began a strike Wednesday, many of
them picketing on Parliament Hill. (Photo: Blair Gable/Reuters)
1445 1446
comments
More than 155,000 federal public servants are on strike after the federal
government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) failed to reach a
deal before a Tuesday evening deadline.
The announcement came after two bargaining groups representing a significant
part of the government workforce entered a legal strike position last week.
The national PSAC president announced at a Tuesday evening news conference the
strike would begin at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday.
"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 Chris
Aylward.
* Have a question or something to say? Email: ask@cbc.ca or join us live in the
comments now.
"Our members are prepared to fight for a good, decent, fair collective
agreement."
WATCH | PSAC announces its strike:
FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVANTS ACROSS CANADA TO GO ON STRIKE
16 hours ago
Duration 2:06
Federal public servants across the country will go on strike after failing to
reach a deal. The union says with nearly a third of all federal public service
workers on strike, Canadians can expect slowdowns or a complete shutdown of
services nationwide.
Picket lines will be set up at more than 250 locations across the country
Wednesday morning, PSAC said in a Tuesday news release.
Eight are planned across Ottawa-Gatineau, where the federal government is the
biggest employer.
A PSAC worker holds a flag on a picket line near Parliament Hill in Ottawa on
Wednesday morning. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Aylward said he would not disclose details of what is being discussed at the
bargaining table, but said the union will remain on strike until its key issues
are addressed.
In a news release Tuesday night, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said
it has "done everything it can" to reach a deal with its workers.
* When, where and why federal workers could strike
"The government has presented a fair, competitive offer to the PSAC and
responded to all their demands," it said.
"Even though there is a competitive deal on the table, the PSAC continues to
insist on demands that are unaffordable and would severely impact the
government's ability to deliver services to Canadians."
The federal government also released a series of backgrounders after the strike
announcement Tuesday, including one outlining its bargaining position.
TAX RETURNS, PASSPORTS
More than 120,000 employees under PSAC entered a legal strike position last
Wednesday and about 39,000 more joined them last Friday, bringing the total
number of federal public servants represented by PSAC with a strike mandate to
more than 155,000.
* Pay hikes, yes, but here's what else federal public servants have asked for
The first group, labelled the Treasury Board group by PSAC, includes workers
spread across nearly 30 departments and agencies.
The second group, represented by PSAC and its subcomponent, the Union of
Taxation Employees, includes Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) workers.
Of those workers, about 47,000 are considered essential and, although in a legal
strike position, will continue to report to work. The government defines an
essential service as a service necessary for the safety or security of the
public, or a segment of the public, at any time.
The CRA said in a Wednesday morning news release it's also made a fair,
competitive offer. It said it will prioritize benefit payments with the capacity
it has and repeated the Canada child benefit won't be affected.
"While there are no plans to extend tax filing deadlines, the CRA will continue
to accept all tax returns. Those that are filed digitally, which represent the
vast majority of T1 and T2 returns, will largely be processed automatically by
our systems without delay," it said.
A strike could affect a range of other services, including agricultural
programs, veteran support applications and passports. The federal government has
compiled a list of what's affected by a strike.
WATCH | The prime minister on the start of the strike:
'WE ARE AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE:' TRUDEAU ON FIRST PSAC STRIKE DAY
5 hours ago
Duration 0:45
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says PSAC leadership need to get back to the
bargaining table 'as soon as possible.'
WORKERS AND SERVICES INVOLVED
Negotiations between the federal government and PSAC's two groups each began in
2021. The union declared an impasse with each unit last year.
In January, PSAC announced strike votes for the Treasury Board group due to a
disagreement with the department over proposed wage increases that are
outstripped by the rate of inflation.
* Government employees want pay hikes. Here's what other unionized workers got
recently
Strike votes for this group happened from Feb. 22 until April 11, while strike
votes for the CRA group were held from Jan. 31 until April 6.
The union didn't share how many members voted in favour, but has said the
support was overwhelming.
PSAC leadership said Monday all workers in a legal strike position would strike
Wednesday if the union didn't reach an agreement with the federal government by
9 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Public Service Alliance of Canada national president Chris Aylward speaks during
a news conference in Ottawa on Monday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Aylward said last Wednesday most members make between $40,000 and $65,000 a year
and are struggling with the high cost of living.
The union's last public wage proposal was 4.5 per cent for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The Treasury Board last shared an offer to increase wages by nine per cent over
three years, a total that mirrors the recommendations of the third-party Public
Interest Commission.
The CRA said Wednesday it offered the same and the union countered with
increases amounting to 22.5 per cent over three years. That would be down from
its previous proposal of more than 30 per cent.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|Report error
RELATED STORIES
* When, where and why federal workers could strike
* Pay hikes, yes, but here's what else federal public servants have asked for
* Government employees want pay hikes. Here's what other unionized workers got
recently
* Federal public servants to strike Wednesday if no deal reached, union says
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