Tag Archives: Strike

120,000 Treasury Board members secure strike mandate

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has received a strike mandate from members in the Program and Administrative Services, Operational Services, Technical Services, and Education and Library Science bargaining groups, which collectively represent more than 120,000 federal government workers employed by Treasury Board.

“The cost of living has hit highs we haven’t seen in 40 years, and people are struggling. Every day, we see that our dollar doesn’t go as far at the grocery store or at the gas pump,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “Today, PSAC members are sending a clear message that they won’t be taken for granted, they won’t fall further behind, and they’re ready to fight for better.”

The strike mandate follows nationwide strike votes that took place from February 22 to April 11, and comes on the heels of the strike vote mandate announced last week for 35,000 PSAC-UTE members working at the Canada Revenue Agency. A strike by PSAC members working for the federal government would be the largest against any single employer in Canada’s history.

“Our members won’t take the decision to strike lightly. They know that a strike will be difficult for them and for the Canadians who depend on the services they provide,” said Aylward. “But they’re exercising their bargaining power because they just can’t wait any longer. Their bills can’t wait. Their families can’t wait. None of us can.”

PSAC is the largest federal union representing federal public service workers, including workers who got vital new financial aid programs like CERB and emergency business loans up and running for Canadians in record time during the pandemic. They’re also cleaners and cooks on military bases, clerks and maintenance workers, tradespeople, Coast Guard search and rescue teams, teachers, firefighters and the people Canadians rely on to help process employment insurance, passport applications and immigration documents.

Negotiations between PSAC and Treasury Board began in June 2021, but reached impasse in May 2022. The two sides met again during mediation in September and Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings in December before a PIC report was issued in February with non-binding recommendations.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Union members that stick together, win together

Over the next few weeks, we could be headed towards a national strike for more than 155,000 federal public service workers. As strike votes wrap up on April 7 for Canada Revenue Agency members and April 11 for Treasury Board members, it’s important to know what that means for federal public service workers.

In the event of a strike, all members in the PA, SV, TC and EB groups and working at Canada Revenue Agency will be required to take strike action and attend a picket line, whether you work in the office or remotely – except a small percentage of workers who’ve already received letters deeming their position essential.

Here’s why it’s imperative that we all show solidarity with one another and do not cross a picket line:

This is a truly historic moment for workers. Together, we wield incredible power and can shut the government down to secure a fair contract.
A strike by PSAC would be one of the largest strikes in Canada’s history, and mean real gains for our members at the table;
When we work together, we apply maximum pressure on the government, which can lead to a shorter strike and a better collective agreement for workers.
When we’re divided, we show the employer we aren’t prepared to fight for decent wages and better working conditions.

We are aware that some departments and managers are sharing information that encourages PSAC members to continue working in the event of a strike. This is a union-busting tactic that aims to undermine our efforts to secure a fair agreement for all workers — including wages that keep up with the rising cost of living and don’t force you to take a pay cut.

Any member who works during a strike, including working remotely, betrays the entire bargaining unit. Crossing a picket line, whether in person or remotely, weakens our bargaining position and can cause the strike to last longer or result in a deal that’s less than workers deserve. It could also have long-term impacts on the working relationships between the coworkers who held the line and made sacrifices to get a good deal for everyone, and those who sided with the employer.

Members who cross the picket line by performing work for the employer could face fines and suspension of membership privileges.

If your manager is encouraging you to cross the picket line, notify your union steward, local executive, or PSAC regional office immediately.

As a union, we are committed to protecting the rights of our members, and ensuring your voices are heard and your demands are met. But the union is only as strong as the solidarity of the members. If we stick together, we can secure a historic victory for all PSAC members.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

We’re in this together: Strike votes for 120,000 PSAC members

Since the beginning of the pandemic, you and other PSAC members have stepped up by helping Canadians when they needed it most — whether your work got done from home or the workplace.

But instead of showing their appreciation for workers at the bargaining table, all we’ve seen from Treasury Board is total disrespect and disregard for the issues that matter most to PSAC members.

That’s why we’ve made the difficult decision to hold strike votes for 120,000 hard-working federal public service workers in the Program and Administrative Services, Operational Services, Technical Services, and Education and Library Science bargaining groups from February 22 to April 19, 2023.

Register to vote

We need to hold the line on fair wages that will prevent you from falling further behind as the cost of living increases. We believe in good, secure public service jobs, and an end to contracting out and privatization within the federal public service. We’re calling for solutions to harassment, discrimination and systemic racism in the workplace, so all workers feel safe on the job. And we’ll continue to fight to enshrine remote work and the right to disconnect in our collective agreements for better work-life balance.

Good wages. Protection from discrimination. Safe workplaces. Work-life balance. Is that too much to ask? We don’t think so.

Unfortunately, Treasury Board is hell-bent on pushing through serious concessions that impact your rights, including reducing job security and access to some leaves. And their insulting wage offer of 2.06% per year over four years is asking more than 120,000 hard-working PSAC members to take a big pay cut

To add insult to injury, the government imposed a flawed hybrid work plan on federal public service workers just days before the holidays, even though we’re negotiating remote work at the table and we’ve continued to serve Canadians effectively regardless of where the work gets done.

You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Treasury Board’s stalling tactics and demands for major concessions are unacceptable and are hurting our members and their families. That’s why we need your support.

Register to vote

Going on strike is never our first choice and it doesn’t mean we’ll automatically call one. But securing a strong strike mandate from our membership shows we’re willing to fight and will give us the leverage we need to reach a fair and decent contract. And if we need to take job action to get the collective agreement you deserve, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.

Together, we have the strength in numbers to fight for a contract that makes real gains for our members. This is our opportunity to make a meaningful difference in our workplaces, and we strongly urge you to vote in favour of a strike mandate. To give you as many opportunities as possible to participate in strike votes, we’ll be holding strike information sessions both in-person and virtually.

Your voting credentials will be sent to your personal, non-work email or by mail to your home address if we don’t have a personal email on file. You will need these credentials to register for a strike vote session. All virtual sessions are national votes, so you may register for any virtual session. If you haven’t received your voting credentials from PSAC via your personal, non-work email or mail, you may need to update your contact information before you can register to vote.

Thank you for your continued support.

In solidarity,

Chris Aylward
National President
Public Service Alliance of Canada

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC announces strike votes for more than 120,000 federal workers

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is launching nationwide strike votes for more than 120,000 federal public service workers after talks broke down over wages and other key issues. Strike votes for members in the Program and Administrative Services, Operational Services, Technical Services, and Education and Library Science bargaining groups will be conducted from February 22 to April 19, 2023.

“Everyone deserves fair pay and safer workplaces. Together, we’re taking a stand for workers,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “Wages are stalled, the cost of living is rising, and workers are being left behind. Workers can’t wait. None of us can.”

After more than a year of negotiations, PSAC declared impasse in bargaining in May 2022 after the government made a wage offer of 2.06% per year that’s completely out of touch with record-high inflation over the past two years. The government then refused to compromise during mediation in September and Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings in December.

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board is expected to release its PIC reports this winter with their non-binding recommendations to reach an agreement. After the Commission issues its reports, PSAC will be in a legal strike position if members vote in favour of a strike mandate.

“Federal public service workers have been here when Canadians needed them most – seeing us through one crisis after another,” said Aylward. “Now, the government needs to be here for workers, because while they stall on making things right, we all pay the price.”

PSAC and the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) recently announced strike votes for 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers. In total, PSAC represents more than 165,000 federal public service workers at impasse in negotiations with the federal government moving towards job action to secure a contract that protects workers from the rising cost of living, offers better work-life balance, protection from harassment, racism and discrimination in the workplace and ends the contracting out of public service jobs.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is Canada’s largest federal public service union, representing nearly 230,000 workers in every province and territory in Canada, including more than 120,000 federal public service workers employed by Treasury Board. Our members are the backbone of Canada’s public services – protecting our borders, inspecting our food, providing vital social services and ensuring our vast lands and oceans are safe and sustainable.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Government announces historic anti-scab legislation

The federal government’s move this week to ban the use of replacement workers is an historic moment for labour in Canada. PSAC has long fought for protections against the use of scab workers during strikes.

The government has announced the start of a consultation process to develop legislation to ban the use of scabs (replacement workers) in federally regulated workplaces. The process includes an open consultation until December 16, with the expected introduction of legislation by early 2023.

PSAC looks forward to participating in this consultation process to strengthen the collective bargaining rights of PSAC members. We will work to ensure that legislation includes:

No loopholes. When unionized workers are on strike or locked out, no one will be able to perform their work – not new or temporary hires, not management, not workers in other bargaining units, students or other workers. The work stops…full stop;
Provisions to levy hefty financial penalties for employers that violate the new rules. Employers need to feel the pinch to deter them from hiring scab labour;
Rules that prevent employers from trying to contract out, transfer or discontinue work once the bargaining process begins, in anticipation of a strike or lock-out; and,
Quick and clear legal avenues to pursue complaints when employers break the rules.

We know that free and fair collective bargaining – without the threat of scabs taking workers’ jobs or imposing back-to-work legislation – is the best avenue to reach good agreements and stable workplaces. The use of scabs pits working people against each other and takes advantage of non-unionized workers who are desperate for work.

We look forward to meaningful consultation and progressive, robust legislation that protects the rights of workers.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.