Public Service Alliance of Canada National President Chris Aylward speaks during a news conference at union headquarters, Monday, April 17, 2023 in Ottawa. The clock is ticking for the government and Canada's largest federal public-service union to reach an agreement by a deadline of 9 p.m. EDT tonight. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – The country’s largest federal public-sector union reached a tentative contract agreement with the government overnight, covering more than 120,000 public servants across the country and bringing them back to work after a 12-day strike.
It meant that the majority of Public Service Alliance of Canada workers who had hit the picket lines since April 19 were expected to sign in for duty on Monday morning or at their next scheduled shift.
But some 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees were still on strike on the day of the federal tax filing deadline, as negotiations over a separate collective agreement continued.
“PSAC members held the line together and secured a fair contract that keeps up with the cost of living, increased protections around remote work and creates safer, more inclusive workplaces,” Chris Aylward, the union’s national president, said in a statement.
The union said that its Union of Taxation Employees bargaining team would enter a “blitz of negotiations” with the CRA on Monday.
The tentative agreement announced in the wee hours of Monday morning came after the Treasury Board, which oversees the administration of the federal government, tabled what it described as a “final offer” on Friday.
“The best deals are reached at the bargaining table,” Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said in a statement.
“We respect the right to negotiate and appreciate Canadians’ patience and understanding over the past two weeks.”
The union said the new contract agreement secured wage increases totalling 12.6 per cent over four years, along with a one-time, pensionable $2,500 lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.7 per cent of salary for the average union member in Treasury Board bargaining units.
It said members will have access to additional protection when the employer makes arbitrary decisions about remote work, and managers will have to assess telework requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses.
The tentative agreement also includes protections against the contracting out of work. According to the union, in the event of a layoff, an employee who can carry out work that is being conducted by a hired contractor will not lose their job.
PSAC said the tentative deal also addresses its demands regarding seniority rights in the event of layoffs.
It said both parties have agreed to jointly submit a proposal to the Public Service Commission of Canada to include seniority rights in future “workplace adjustment” plans – or changes to the workforce to reflect the executive’s priorities.
Fortier was slated to hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday.
Public servants had hit picket lines at locations across the country for a dozen days in what the union said was one of the biggest job actions in Canadian history.
Service disruptions loomed large during the strike, from slowdowns at the border to pauses on new employment insurance, immigration and passport applications.
Initial negotiations on a new collective agreement had initially begun in June 2021, and the union had declared an impasse in May 2022, with both parties filing labour complaints since then.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
