On April 2, 2023, the Government of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) started two weeks of mediated negotiations for the EB (Education and Library), PA (Program and Administrative), SV (Operational Services) and TC (Technical Services) bargaining units.
After what both the government and the PSAC describe as many days of productive discussion and progress on many issues, we are disappointed to hear that, should an agreement not be reached, the PSAC will begin strike action on Wednesday, April 19th.
The Government remains committed to reaching agreements at the table that are fair to employees and reasonable for taxpayers. That is and always has been our goal.
There is still time to reach agreement before strike action begins. We know that the sooner an agreement is reached, the sooner wage increases and benefits reach employees.
Yesterday the Government tabled a wage offer of 9% over three years that mirrors the recommendations of the third-party Public Interest Commission. This is a fair and competitive offer.
The PSAC has made it clear that if other demands, like enshrining telework in collective agreements, are not met, this is a dealbreaker. These demands, as currently drafted, would severely impact the Government's ability to deliver services to Canadians and would limit its ability to effectively manage employees within the public service. We have reasonable counter-proposals that fairly address the concerns of public servants and we call on the PSAC to work with us towards compromise solutions.
The Government recognizes and respects the right of employees to strike. In the event of labour action, some services of the Government of Canada will be delayed or unavailable. Information on service impacts can be found on Canada.ca/labour-disruptions, social media and other channels used by Canadians.
We want to assure Canadians that essential services that protect the safety and security of the public will continue to be delivered, such as:
- Employment Insurance payments
- Canada Pension Plan payments
- Veterans' income support
- Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments
We have a good offer on the table, and there is enough common ground to reach consensus on renewed collective agreements for our employees. Canadians expect both parties to bargain in good faith and find compromise to avoid disrupting the services they rely on.
We are making every effort to avoid a labour disruption. We call on the PSAC to work with us to reach an agreement as quickly as possible in the interest of public servants and Canadians.
