Public service union to give update at 9:15 p.m. ET as strike deadline looms | CBC News

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is holding a news conference Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. ET, shortly after the deadline the union set earlier this week to reach a deal with the federal government.

Watch a livestream of the news conference in the player above.

The announcement comes after two bargaining groups representing a significant part of the government workforce entered into a legal strike position last week.

More than 120,000 employees under PSAC entered into a strike position last Wednesday and about 35,000 more joined them last Friday, bringing the total number of federal public servants represented by PSAC with a strike mandate to about 155,000.

The first group, labelled the Treasury Board group by PSAC, includes workers spread across more than 20 departments and agencies.

The second group, represented by PSAC and its subcomponent, the Union of Taxation Employees, includes about 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) workers.

PSAC leadership said Monday all workers in a legal strike position would strike Wednesday if the union didn’t reach an agreement with the federal government by 9 p.m. ET Tuesday.

A strike could affect a range of services, including processing of income tax returns and passports. The federal government compiled a list of 23 departments and agencies that would be affected in the event of a strike.

Workers and services involved

In January, PSAC announced strike votes for the Treasury Board group due to a disagreement with the department over proposed wage increases that are outstripped by the rate of inflation.

Strike votes for this group happened from Feb. 22 until April 11, while strike votes for the CRA group were held from Jan. 31 until last week. The union didn’t share how many members voted in favour, but Aylward said last Wednesday an “overwhelming majority” voted for a strike mandate.

The federal government has said it is seeking “agreements that are fair to public servants and reasonable for taxpayers,” adding Monday it has a good offer on the table.

National PSAC president Chris Aylward said last Wednesday most members make between $40,000 and $65,000 a year and are struggling with the high cost of living.

The union’s last public wage proposal was 4.5 per cent for 2021, 2022, and 2023. The Treasury Board last shared an offer to increase wages by 9 per cent over three years, a total it says mirrors the recommendations of the third-party Public Interest Commission.