Canada’s largest public sector union has launched strike ballots for more than 120,000 public service workers after the union said talks with the federal government had broken down over wages.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada begins a national strike ballot for Program and Administrative Services, Operational Services, Technical Services and Education and Library Science members
The collective agreements for all four groups expired in 2021. The vote will take place from February 22 to April 19, PSAC said in a statement.
“Wages are stagnant, the cost of living is rising and workers are being left behind,” said Chris Aylward, national president of PSAC, in a media release. “Workers cannot wait. None of us can.”
The announcement comes two weeks after PSAC and the Union of Tax Officers announced that 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees will go on strike from January 31 to April 7.
Last May, PSAC declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the federal government, accusing the then government of an “offensive” wage offer of 2.06 percent a year that was out of step with inflation and the rising cost of living.
The union says the government “then refused to compromise during mediation in September and Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings in December.”
Once the recommendations from the PIC reports come in, PSAC says it will be in a legal strike position if members vote in favor of a strike mandate.
PSAC is asking for an annual increase of 4.5 percent over three years.
“Our members are frustrated that they feel like they’re being left behind and they’re falling further and further behind when you look at the cost of living and inflation,” Aylward told CTV News. “We’re certainly going to go back to the table to try to reach a deal because that’s our overall goal: to get to a fair collective agreement.” If that means taking strike action, we are certainly prepared to do so.”
Last week, Treasury and the CRA filed a complaint with the labor board alleging that the PSAC was not being negotiated in good faith.
In a statement to CTV News, the Treasury Secretariat said the government was disappointed by the strike call.
“In the collective bargaining process, strikes are a last resort,” the statement read in part. “We believe there is plenty of room to reach a fair and reasonable settlement for public servants.” We call on PSAC to come back to the table.”
The government says it is committed to reaching agreements with all bargaining agents that are fair to employees and reasonable to taxpayers.
“We urge the PSAC to return to the table and negotiate a good faith settlement. That’s where the best deals are made.”
–With files from CTV’s Jackie Perez.
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