What you need to know about a potential strike by federal workers

The Public Service Alliance of Canada will provide an update on contract talks with the federal government on Monday, as more than 150,000 public service workers are now in a legal strike position.

On Wednesday, PSAC announced 120,000 employees, working under the Treasury Board, voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and are now in a legal strike position.

As of Friday, 35,000 employees at the Canada Revenue Agency are now in a legal strike position. The workers, represented by PSAC-Union of Taxation Employees, voted in favour of strike action last week.

The union says PSAC National President Chris Aylward and other officials will provide an update on the status of negotiations at 9 a.m. Monday. PSAC has 60 days to call a strike following the strike votes by the membership, which means a strike could be called anytime until early June.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you need to know about a potential strike by federal public service workers.

Who is involved?

The Public Service Alliance of Canada represents 120,000 Treasury Board members in the Program and Administrative Services, Operational Services, Technical Services and Education and Library Science bargaining groups. All employees are employed by the Treasury Board and work in several departments across the federal government.

The PSAC-Union of Taxation Employees represents 35,000 employees at the Canada Revenue Agency.

How will a strike affect Canadians?

A potential strike by federal public workers would affect everything from tax returns and passport applications to services with Service Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada.

The federal government has released details on how a potential strike could affect services to Canadians. Here is a look at some of the potential impacts:

• Passports – Employment and Social Development Canada warns passport services may be partially or fully disrupted in the event of a strike
• Service Canada – in-person services at Service Canada Centres will be limited to clients requiring assistance with Employment Insurance, Social Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security
• Global Affairs Canada – the department says it will maintain all essential services in the event of a strike, but delays are expected
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – the department says people can expect delays with processing applications and in-person appointments and events
• Canada Revenue Agency – the CRA says "certain services may be affected" in the event of a strike, including delays in processing income tax and benefit returns

When could a strike begin?

Treasury Board workers

The 120,000 federal government workers employed by Treasury Board are now in a legal strike position.

PSAC says under the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act, the union has 60 days to call a strike following a favourable strike vote.  The strike could happen anytime between April 12 and June 10.

Canada Revenue Agency workers

PSAC-UTE says its members are in a legal strike position as of April 14.

Under the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act, the union has 60 days to call a strike following a favourable strike vote.

Contract Talks

Treasury Board workers

PSAC and the federal government began contract negotiations in 2021. In May 2022, PSAC declared an impasse in negotiations with the Treasury Board.

PSAC and the federal government returned to the bargaining table April 2-6 with the assistance of a third-party mediator. The separate bargaining units of PSAC met with Treasury Board between April 11 to 14.

Canada Revenue Agency workers

PSAC-UTE says it began negotiations with the federal government in January 2021, and have held six separate sessions with the Canada Revenue Agency. Last year, the union declared an impasse in talks.

The union and the Canada Revenue Agency are scheduled to return to contract talks April 17 to 20.

Wage proposals

Treasury Board workers

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is asking for a 13.5 per cent raise over three years, with the contract covering 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The union says Treasury Board offered a 2.06 per cent raise a year over four years.

In February, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board's Public Interest Commission recommended the federal government give PSAC a 9 per cent raise over three years.

PSAC says other key issues include:

• Job Security
• Remote Work, including "enshrining remote work protections into our collective agreements"
• Work-life balance
• Systemic racism in the workplace
• Contracting out and privatization

Canada Revenue Agency workers

The PSAC-Union of Taxation employees is asking for raises of 4.5 per cent for 2021, 8 per cent for 2022 and 8 per cent for 2023.

The union says other key issues include:

• Work-life balance
• Job security
• Hours of work  - language to further protect against evening, weekend and shift work and greater compensation when this work is required
• Remote work