155K Federal Public Service Workers Begin Strike

SAINT JOHN — Wednesday marks day one of strike action for more than 155,000 federal public service workers across Canada.

The members, who are part of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday.

It came just hours after the union announced it had failed to reach a tentative deal with the employer before its self-imposed deadline.

“Our issues at the bargaining table still have not been addressed by this employer,” president Chris Aylward told reporters shortly after the deadline.

Earlier in the week, the union said some of the main sticking points had been wages, job security, and language around remote work.

PSAC members walked the picket lines in locations across the Maritimes, and around the country, on Wednesday, including in front of a federal building on Canterbury Street in Saint John.

The strike is impacting 120,000 members of the Treasury Board and 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees. About 46,000 Treasury Board and 1,400 Canada Revenue Agency workers have been deemed essential.

PSAC said this is one of the largest strikes in Canada’s history, with nearly one-third of all federal public service workers on strike.

“Canadians can expect to see slowdowns or a complete shutdown of services nationwide, including a complete halt of the tax season, disruptions to employment insurance, immigration and passport applications; interruptions to supply chains and international trade at ports, harbours, and airports; and slowdowns at the border with administrative staff on strike,” the union said in a news release on Monday.

In a statement late Tuesday night, the Treasury Board said it has done everything it can to reach a deal and avoid a strike.

“Our goal has always been to reach agreements that are fair and competitive for employees, and reasonable for taxpayers. While we recognize and respect the right to strike, a strike should always come as a last resort,” said a news release.

The government said it has provided a “fair, competitive offer” which includes a nine per cent wage increase over three years, as well as proposals related to telework, shift premiums, improved leave with pay for family-related responsibilities, and measures to support employment equity and diversity and inclusion.

“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,” said the Treasury Board.

The feds said while some services will be delayed or unavailable, essential services will continue to be delivered, including Employment Insurance payments, Canada Pension Plan payments, Veterans’ income support, and Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments.

Brad Perry is the Regional News Director for New Brunswick at Acadia Broadcasting, Huddle content partners.