Latest CRA offer to striking workers 'slap in the face:' union
Union leaders representing 35,000 striking Canada Revenue Agency employees say the government's latest offer falls short of a deal reached on Monday with 120,000 other public servants.
And they said if the government doesn't table a fair wage offer, striking CRA workers will be at the Liberal convention in Ottawa on Thursday.
"Enough is enough. We want to see a fair deal on the table today," PSAC national president Chris Aylward told reporters on Wednesday. "Our members are fed up, we're fed up, and our members need to get back to work and serving Canadians."
The workers have been on strike since April 19, when the Public Service Alliance of Canada launched a Canada-wide strike on behalf of about 155,000 workers.
PSAC and Treasury Board reached a tentative agreement to end that strike on Monday, which included a 12.6 per cent compounded wage increase over four years.
But the 35,000 CRA workers remain on strike. They are represented by the Union of Taxation Employees, a branch of PSAC. The union says they remain in dispute with the CRA over key issues including telework and fair wages.
"The deal they have on the table currently is less than the deal that we reached on Monday with Treasury Board units," Aylward said. "We don't know why the Canada Revenue Agency is playing this game.
"If we don't see a fair deal put on the table today, we will be at the Liberal Party of Canada convention in Ottawa tomorrow."
Marc Briere, the UTE president, said there have been several passes by both parties this week, but called the CRA's latest offer "a slap in the face."
"Our members are really pissed off and tired of waiting," he said.
In a statement, a spokesman for Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier said in-person talks had resumed, but they would not comment on the negotiations because the CRA is "an independent and arms-length agency."
On Monday, the CRA said in a statement that the agency and the union had resumed negotiations, with “a view to reach a new collective agreement as soon as possible, that is both fair to employees and reasonable for taxpayers.”
The union initially demanded pay raises of 22.5 per cent over three years, which it says would keep up with the cost of inflation.
Aylward said the union has compromised, but said he would not say exactly where each side sits.
- with files from Hannah Berge, CTV News Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
BREAKING Jury deliberations begin in Donald Trump's hush money criminal case
Jury deliberations began Wednesday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, putting the outcome of the historic case in the hands of a dozen New Yorkers who have vowed to be fair and impartial in the face of their unprecedented task.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
Canada announces $11B for military aircraft training
Canada has announced an $11.2-billion contract to improve training platforms for the military, including the purchase of 70 training aircraft for the Future Aircrew Training program.
CNN exclusive: A federal grand jury may soon hear from Sean 'Diddy' Combs' accusers
Federal investigators are preparing to bring accusers of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs before a federal grand jury, two sources familiar with the probe tell CNN — signaling the U.S. Justice Department is moving toward potentially seeking an indictment of Combs.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.