Public servants with PSAC vote in favour of strike action

Members of Canada’s largest public sector union have voted in favour of a strike mandate affecting more than 120,000 public servants.

“PSAC members are feeling squeezed along with everyone else,” PSAC national president Chris Aylward told a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.

“Our members have been without a contract since 2021. Today, an overwhelming majority of our members have told us they can’t wait any longer, and they are prepared to strike to secure a fair deal that won’t see them fall behind.”

Strike votes in several bargaining units were held from Feb. 22 until Tuesday.

Last week, 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers voted in favour of strike action. That means more than 155,000 public servants from five large bargaining groups could be in a legal strike position by the end of this week.

Negotiations between PSAC and Treasury Board resumed earlier this month with a mediator after they broke off about a year ago. The two sides are at the bargaining table and are scheduled to be there until Friday.

Wages are the main issue of contention between the government and the union, with PSAC asking for a 13.5 per cent raise over three years and Treasury Board offering 8.25 per cent over four years.

More to come…