PSAC announces dates for ratification votes on new deals with federal government

Public servants on the picket line in east Ottawa on Thursday, April 20, 2023. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)

Federal workers with Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency will begin voting later this month on the tentative agreements with the federal government, following one of the largest strikes in Canadian history.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada has announced ratification votes for PSAC and PSAC-Union of Taxation Employees members be held between May 24 and June 16.

"In order for PSAC members to receive their new rates of pay, retroactive pay, and lump sum payment, the new agreements must first be ratified," PSAC said in a statement. "To ensure this ratification process is done as quickly as possible, PSAC will be conducting an expedited ratification process."

The ratification votes will be conducted using the same online voting platform used for the strike votes. Members are required to watch a mandatory information session video before voting. The union says virtual and in-person question and answer sessions will also be held for members to ask questions about the agreement before the vote.

PSAC says if the majority of members vote yes in the ratification vote, the union will sign the collective agreement and all new negotiated provisions come into effect.  The employer has 180 days after the date of signing the agreement to issue the lump sum payment, the union says.

The union reached an agreement on May 1 to end the 12-day strike by 110,000 workers in the Treasury Board, while the PSAC-Union of Taxation Employees finalized a tentative deal on May 4 to end a 15-day strike by 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees.

PSAC says the agreements for both Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency workers includes a 12.6 per cent compounded wage increase over four years, along with a $2,500 pensionable lump sump payment. The agreements also include increased shift premiums for some workers, protections against contracting out, and "the strongest remote work protections in the federal public service," according to PSAC.

The Canadian Employment and Immigration Union has launched a 'Vote No' campaign, urging members to reject the deal.