Ottawa | Reuters — Some 155,000 public workers in Canada will go on strike at midnight on Wednesday if they are unable to reach a wage deal with the federal government, the leader of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said on Monday.
PSAC president Chris Aylward said he was “setting a clock on this round of bargaining” and that a strike would be called if there is no deal by 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The strike would affect federal services and could delay tax refunds since about 35,000 workers at the revenue agency would walk out in the middle of tax filing season. Passport renewals ahead of summer travel could also be delayed.
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“Despite some progress at the bargaining table, our members are frustrated that while negotiations drag on, they continue to fall behind,” Aylward told reporters. “We’ve always said from day one, we need wages for our members that will keep up with inflation.”
PSAC has been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021. Tax agency workers initially sought a pay bump of more than 30 per cent over three years, and others are asking for 13.5 per cent over three years. Inflation peaked at 8.1 per cent last year.
Aylward said the offers received so far had fallen short. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was hopeful a deal would be reached to avert a strike.
“There have been constructive advances and offers and we’re very hopeful that we’re going to be able to resolve this, but it’s at the bargaining table that these things happen and we will continue to do that be there in good faith and work on trying to resolve this for all Canadians,” Trudeau told reporters.
The strike would also affect 65 per cent of employees at the Canadian Grain Commission, including most inspectors of outbound grain at ports, according to the commission. Canada is a major wheat and canola exporter.
The commission is working on contingency plans with grain companies to ensure that “critical grain exports can continue,” during a strike, spokesperson Remi Gosselin said.
— Reporting for Reuters by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; additional reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg.
