PSAC-affiliated union urges public servants to reject federal government's tentative deal

A person dressed as an emoji joins a PSAC picket line in Ottawa, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Canada's largest federal public-service union says that some 155,000 workers are on strike across the country after talks with the government failed to produce an agreement before a Tuesday night deadline. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A union representing some federal workers is calling on its members to reject the tentative deal reached between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the federal government, saying its members are "demanding better" on wages and hybrid work.

The Canada Employment and Immigration Union, which represents nearly 36,000 members, says the national executive has heard a "clear message from an overwhelming number of grassroots members that they do not want our union to accept this agreement." Now, the union says it will run a "No" vote campaign against the proposed tentative deal reached early Monday morning.

"Whereas our members were under the impression that a three-year agreement was being signed, a four-year term was instead agreed to," the CEIU said in a letter released on Wednesday.

"Our members were adamant that we would not accept 9 per cent over a three-year term – instead, we are being asked to accept, depending on how you do the math, either a little less or a little more than 3 per cent a year for a four-year term, putting our members even further behind on inflation.

"Many members are also mistaking the lump sum payment of $2,500 as a signing bonus – this is rather a pensionable one-time lump sum payment that will be taxed."

The union says many of its members are also frustrated the proposed language for telework "does not enshrine remote work into our collective agreement."

The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced early Monday morning that it had reached a tentative agreement with the federal government, ending a 12-day strike by 120,000 public servants who work under the Treasury Board. The union says the agreement includes a 12.6 per cent compounded wage increase over four years and a one-time lump sum payment of $2,500 for all employees.

PSAC had been asking for a 13.5 per cent wage increase over three years, while the federal government offered a 9 per cent raise over three years during talks in April.

In the letter, the CEIU says its grassroots members want the union to reject the offer.

"Over 78 per cent of CEIU members identify as women. We are the most racially diverse union in the federal public sector, and our members are amongst the lowest paid," the CEIU said.

"This tentative agreement does not go far enough to support the most at risk, marginalized employees. Many of our members work second and third jobs, just to make ends meet.

"Our members are demanding better, and they are done waiting."

The Canada Employment and Immigration Union represents nearly 36,000 members who work at Service Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Board.  It is the largest component union in the PSAC Program and Administrative Services Group under Treasury Board.

"The members of the CEIU NE believe that voting down this agreement will result in applying necessary additional pressure for this government to table more money and be more willing to negotiate other gains – including a better deal on remote work language," CEIU says.

 "We believe that our PA bargaining team worked towards the best deal that could have been achieved without having another mandate from our membership – it is therefore time to give them a new mandate."

The Canada Employment and Immigration Union says if 50 per cent plus one of PSAC members vote no during the ratification vote, the agreement will not be ratified and the bargaining team will return to the table.

The union says it will not comment or do any interviews on its "Vote No" campaign.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes in the coming days. Details about the votes will be announced soon.