Tag Archives: Strike

PSAC members ratify tentative agreements for over 155,000 workers

Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada working for Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency have voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying their tentative agreements. Members in the PA, SV, TC, EB, and CRA bargaining groups participated in nationwide ratification votes from May 24 to June 16.

The new collective agreements – spanning from 2021 to 2024 – provide wage increases that close the gap with inflation, totaling 12.6% in compounded wage increases over the contract. PSAC also secured the strongest remote work language in the country, better job security for workers and commitments to build safer and more inclusive workplaces.

“Today, we celebrate our members who showed unwavering commitment and solidarity throughout the bargaining process, and during one of the most pivotal strikes in this country’s history,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC National President. “We fought together and secured important gains that set the bar not only for our members, but for all workers in Canada.”

Read the details:

Next steps

In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with Treasury Board and CRA representatives to sign the new collective agreements. All non-monetary terms of the collective agreement will come into effect immediately after signing.

Treasury Board and CRA have 180 days from the date of signing the new collective agreements to raise the pay according to the new rates and provide retroactive pay for the time elapsed since the expiry of the previous contracts.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Donations to Nunavut Employees Union: Support striking workers | ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᔪᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᕘᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓄᑦ : ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᐱᓱᑉᐸᑦᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓂᑦ

PSAC-NEU (Nunavut Employees Union) members working for the Iqaluit Housing Authority (IHA) have been on strike for nearly three months. During that time, the employer’s behaviour has been nothing short of appalling, with IHA locking out workers two days after union members first started walking the picket line on March 17, resorting to using scabs (while denying doing so), and proposing language at the bargaining table that only serves to insult, belittle, and infantilize striking workers. While the lockout itself has since been lifted, the employer’s offer and behaviour remain wholly unacceptable, and the strike continues.

Earlier this week, the CIU National Executive voted to donate $1500 to NEU to support striking workers in their fight against an unfair and unreasonable employer. We encourage all CIU Branches to consider making a donation of any amount. This blatant disregard for both worker and human rights cannot be tolerated. Please see the latest NEU bargaining update or visit https://www.neu.ca/ for more information on this outrageous labour dispute.

ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓇᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ-ᓄᓇᕘᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔨᖏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᑲᓗᓐᓂ ᐃᓪᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖏᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑕᐃᓕᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᑕᖅᑭᐅᓗᐊᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ. ᑕᕝᕘᓈᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕝᕕᐅᑉ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᓇᕐᕈᓇᖕᒪᕆᒃᐳᑦ, ᐃᓪᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᓃᖁᔨᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᓄᒃ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓄᒃ ᐱᓱᓕᑕᐃᓐᓇᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒫᑦᓯ 17ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᓪᓗ ᓵᙵᖔᓕᖅᓱᑎᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒃᓴᓂᑦ (ᑕᐃᒪᐃᙱᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ) ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗ ᒥᔅᓵᓄᑦ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᑦᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓈᒻᒪᙱᓐᓂᖅᐹᒥᑦ ᓱᕐᓗ ᒥᑭᓪᓕᑎᒃᓯᓇᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕋᒥ, ᓱᕈᓯᓛᖅᑎᑐᓪᓗ ᐱᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᖏᑦᑐᑎᑐᑦ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᒍᓐᓃᖁᔭᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐲᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕝᕖᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖓᑦ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂᑦ ᓱᓕ ᓈᒻᒪᔅᓯᓯᒪᖏᒻᒪᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᐃᖕᒪᑦ ᓱᓕ ᓄᖅᑲᖓᕗᑦ ᐱᓱᑉᐸᑦᑐᓪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ.

ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕆᔭᑦᑕ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᒍᑦ, ᓴᓇᔪᓕᕆᔨᒻᒪᕇᑦ ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᒃᓯᔩᓪᓗ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔨᖏᑦᑕ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᓐᓂᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᒍᒪᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓂᒻᒥᓄᑦ $1500ᓂᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᙵᑦ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔪᓂ ᑐᕌᖓᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᓱᑉᐸᑦᑐᑦ ᐱᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖄᖃᑲᒻᒪᑦᑐᑎᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᒍᓐᓃᖅᑎᒃᓯᓂᒧᑦ. ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓱᐃᕗᒍᑦ ᓴᓇᔪᓕᕆᔨᒻᒪᕇᑦ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔨᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᔅᓴᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᑦᓯᑐᐃᓐᓇᓯᐊᒻᒥᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᖁᔭᓈᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖁᑎᒻᒥᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᖏᒻᒪᑦ. ᑕᑯᒋᐊᒃᑭᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔩᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᐊᓄᑦ www.neu.ca ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᒍᕕᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓘᓕᒻᒪᖔᑕ ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᒃᑯᑦ ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖏᑦ.

A message from the CIU National President regarding scabbing activities during the TB strike

To all CIU members of the PA, EB, TC and SV groups:

The exemplary solidarity and activism displayed on picket lines across the country during the Treasury Board strike earlier this spring led to a strong tentative agreement, of which you can be proud. Make no mistake: Without this strike, without the combined efforts of our membership coming together to demand better from the employer, you would not have secured as good a deal as the one you currently have the opportunity to vote on.

Sadly, during the strike, a handful of CIU members chose to cross the picket line, continuing to report to work for an employer who, throughout the bargaining process, showed how little they cared about the just value of their employees’ labour. These members now enjoy the benefits others won for them, acting in a way that is an affront to the members who sacrificed much to get a fair collective agreement.

As per Section 25, Sub-Section (6)(n) of the PSAC Constitution and Regulation 19, Paragraph 16 of the PSAC Regulations, CIU has established a Committee to investigate allegations of members in non-essential positions who continued to work during the strike. Should you have witnessed or be aware of any CIU PA, EB, TC, or SV member who performed work during the strike (April 19-28, inclusively) while occupying a non-essential position, you may file an allegation to that effect by emailing us at complaints@ciu-sdi.ca using your personal email address (and not your CBSA email address). Please include the relevant name(s), work location(s), witness(es) and date(s) along with a basic description of the incident(s), as well as your own contact information.

All allegations will be looked at by the CIU Investigation Committee. As per the PSAC Constitution, Section 25, Sub-Section (4), members found to have engaged in scabbing activities may be disciplined, which could include a suspension of membership and a “fine that equals the amount of daily remuneration earned by the members, multiplied by the number of days that the member crossed the picket line, performed work for the employer, or voluntarily performed struck work”.

To all those who stood in solidarity while on strike — thank you. United there is little we cannot achieve, and your stalwartness is the very foundation of what makes our union great. To the few who chose to scab — I urge you to take a moment to reflect on how you’ve chosen to treat those you work with every day. They certainly deserve better.

In solidarity,

Mark Weber
National President

July 5, 2023, update

CIU will only accept allegations of scabbing activities until July 30, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. See the following post for more information.

Tentative agreement for Treasury Board units: A heartfelt thank you to all members

In the early morning of May 1, 2023, on what would have been the 13^th day of strike for 120,000 Treasury Board members, PSAC announced that a tentative agreement had been reached for the PA, EB, TC and SV bargaining units, securing a fair contract for members and ending this round of strike action.

It goes without saying that this strike — the largest in the Canadian public sector in recent memory — owes much of its success to the sustained dedication and engagement of members everywhere. The union is only as strong as its members are united, and we thank you wholeheartedly for supporting your bargaining teams and showing the employer what can be accomplished when we fight as one.

Thank you to all striking members and activists who walked the picket line and rallied day in, day out, rain or shine. Thank you to all in essential positions who found ways to support strike efforts despite having to report to work. And, last but not least, thank you to all FB members who, regardless of not being on strike, showed up to shoulder their fellow union members in their hour of need, amplifying their call for fair treatment.

An exemplary display of inter-union and inter-unit solidarity, the past two weeks have proven to be yet another watershed moment for the Customs and Immigration Union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, and the labour movement at large, as we build upon past labour actions to reinforce our capacity to fight for — and win — better, fairer working conditions for all members.

We have never been more united. We have never been stronger.

Stay up to date

See the following link for more information about the tentative agreement. As per PSAC, in the coming days, a full explanation of the new agreements, and a copy of the new language, will be provided once they have been fully translated for the PA, SV, TC and EB groups. PSAC members will shortly thereafter be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

Support CRA workers!

While the strike is over for Treasury Board members, it continues for 35,000 CRA members. We encourage all our members to show support — be it by attending a picket line outside of your work hours, or in any other way. No gesture is too small!

Treasury Board strike, day 10 : Members’ determination doesn’t go unnoticed

PSAC and CIU members once again ramped up the pressure across the country today, with highly effective pickets at several ports of entry resulting in increased border wait times in locations such as Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, ON, Ambassador Bridge, in Windsor, ON, and the Aldergrove port of entry in BC. Picket lines, big and small, were also present in Stanstead, QC, Edmonton, AB, Fort Frances, ON, Halifax, NS, St. John’s, NL, and more.

With the announcement this afternoon of renewed talks between PSAC and Treasury Board, it’s safe to say that the employer took notice of our members’ resolve and determination. As PSAC continues bargaining this weekend in order to reach a fair deal for 155,000 Treasury Board and CRA members, we can only be thankful for the sustained solidarity displayed by our members over the last ten days.

To the striking PA, EB, SV and TC members who are active both on and off picket lines, and to the non-striking FB members who support them in a multitude of ways: You make your union stronger.

See photos of the day, below.