Picketing began in Medicine Hat went on strike Wednesday at the Service Canada office in Crescent Heights as certain units of the Public Service Alliance of Canada went on strike. Locally, about 460 federal workers in Medicine Hat are taking job action, including workers with Service Canada and various departments at CFB Suffield, including firefighters, administrative workers, food services, research technicians and maintenance staff.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
About 460 federal government workers in Medicine Hat and CFB Suffield went on the picket lines in the city on Wednesday, the day after contract talks between their unions and the federal government broke off.
About 155,000 workers represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada are seeking a new contract after two years of negotiations.
In Medicine Hat, that involves Service Canada employees, and at Suffield covers Department National Defence firefighters, base administration, maintenance and construction employees, along with technicians and other staff with the Defence Research Station.
More than 100 union members were walking a picket line at the Service Canada location on Eighth Street NW in Crescent Heights at 9 a.m., circling the block but not preventing anyone from entering the office.
“We want to provide good service to people, but we need a fair contract to do it – this can be a win-win,” said picket captain Sharon Findley, one of nine local members of the Canadian Immigration and Employment Union
They help the public process passport, employment insurance and pension applications, along with other matters.
Local defence worker Bryan Meakin is the vice president for Alberta and Northern Canada in the Union of National Defence Employees.
He told the News the union’s position is that workers are seeking a 4.5 per cent annual increase in each of three years after having started bargaining in June 2021.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged that the union resumes talks on Wednesday, while union officials responded that they would require a new offer.
“The majority of our members make between $45,000 and $60,000 per year,” said Meakin, adding that provisions for remote work and telecommuting would result in monetary savings for the government, especially in the case of Suffield.
“We need good (contract) language in there.”
Picketing is also set to take place near Suffield, among 250 locations across Canada, including Maple Creek, Sask., at the RCMP detachments as administrative and civilian staff with the national police force are involved.
About 3,000 nationwide are involved in agriculture-related work, such as co-ordinating AgriIvest and AgriStability programs, or with the Canadian Grain Commission. Workers at the Canada Food Inspection Agency are not involved.
