The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has announced that a national general strike will begin on Wednesday, involving over 155,000 public servants across Canada, if no agreement is reached at the bargaining table. Chris Aylward, the national president of the PSAC, stated that negotiations with Treasury Board have made some progress but the two sides remain far apart on several key issues, particularly wages. The strike will commence at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on April 19 for all PSAC members working for the Canada Revenue Agency and Treasury Board if there is no agreement by 9 p.m. Eastern Time on April 18.
PSAC will provide an update on contract negotiations with the federal government, with more than 155,000 federal public service workers now in a legal strike position. A media conference with Aylward and other union officials is scheduled for 9 a.m. to discuss the ongoing negotiations with Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency. The union’s priority remains to secure a fair contract that addresses key issues, including decent wages, a more inclusive federal public service, remote work, and good secure jobs.
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Last week, PSAC announced that more than 120,000 public servants across the Treasury Board had voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of strike action to back demands for a new contract. On April 7, PSAC-Union of Taxation Employees reported that 35,000 unionized workers at the Canada Revenue Agency voted in favour of strike action. Under the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act, the union has 60 days to call a strike following a favourable strike vote.
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The union will provide an update on negotiations today as talks are set to resume between the Canada Revenue Agency and PSAC-Union of Taxation Employees, with the help of a third-party mediator. PSAC and the Treasury Board negotiators have been meeting over the past two weeks to finalize a contract for 120,000 employees in four different bargaining groups with PSAC. These groups comprise a wide range of jobs across the country and include the EB (Education and Library), PA (Program and Administrative), SV (Operational Services), and TC (Technical Services) bargaining units.
Aylward has warned that if a strike occurs, Canadians would experience service disruptions, including delays with employment insurance, passport, and immigration applications. The federal government has released details on how a potential strike could affect services to Canadians, including the potential impacts.
- Passports – Employment and Social Development Canada warns passport services may be partially or fully disrupted in the event of a strike
- Service Canada – in-person services at Service Canada Centres will be limited to clients requiring assistance with Employment Insurance, Social Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security
- Global Affairs Canada – the department says it will maintain all essential services in the event of a strike, but delays are expected
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – the department says people can expect delays with processing applications and in-person appointments and events
- Canada Revenue Agency – the CRA says “certain services may be affected” in the event of a strike, including delays in processing income tax and benefit returns
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