Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) working for the Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying their tentative agreements on Friday, according to the union.
The new agreements affect over 155,000 workers at the CRA, education and library science, program and administrative services, operational services and technical services.
The tentative deal was reached for Treasury Board workers May 1, and for CRA workers May 4.
The agreements span from 2021 to 2024 and provide wage increases totalling 12.6 per cent compounded over four years, a one-time pensionable payment of $2,500 and stronger remote work language.
That remote work language gives members “additional protection” from “arbitrary decisions,” and requires managers to assess remote work requests individually and provide written responses to employees.
“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.
What led to the strike?
Contracts for both groups expired in 2021. Negotiations between the federal government and PSAC’s two groups began that year, but the union declared in 2022 it had reached a deadlock.
The national strike for more than 155,000 federal public servants under the PSAC began at 12:01 a.m. April 19.
Picket lines formed across the country during the strike and halted or affected government services including, immigration and passport processing as well as income tax returns.
Nearly 120,000 public servants will be heading back to work after reaching a deal with the federal government Monday, but 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers — part of a different bargaining unit — remain on strike.
Next steps
In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with Treasury Board and CRA representatives to sign the new collective agreements, according to the union.
The Treasury Board and CRA have 180 days from the date of signing to raise the pay and provide retroactive pay for the time since the expiry of the previous contracts.
“We fought together and secured important gains that set the bar not only for our members, but for all workers in Canada,” Aylward said.
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