120K federal workers to hold strike vote after ‘insulting’ wage offer
Posted January 24, 2023 10:38 am.
Around 120,000 federal workers will hold a vote on whether or not to go on strike over wage, workplace safety and quality of life issues.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) calls the federal government’s wage offer of 2.06 per year over four years “insulting” in light of inflation rates.
“We need to hold the line on fair wages that will prevent you from falling further behind as the cost of living increases,” Chris Aylward, National President Public Service Alliance of Canada, wrote on the union’s website.
The union is also angry that the feds have ordered bureaucrats back to the office when remote work is still being negotiated.
“To add insult to injury, the government imposed a flawed hybrid work plan on federal public service workers just days before the holidays, even though we’re negotiating remote work at the table and we’ve continued to serve Canadians effectively regardless of where the work gets done,” Aylward wrote.
The union also cites discrimination on the job and work-life balance as key issues affecting members.
“We’re calling for solutions to harassment, discrimination and systemic racism in the workplace, so all workers feel safe on the job. And we’ll continue to fight to enshrine remote work and the right to disconnect in our collective agreements for better work-life balance.”
“Good wages. Protection from discrimination. Safe workplaces. Work-life balance. Is that too much to ask? We don’t think so.”
The PSAC says there will be strike vote held from February 22 to April 19 for its public service employees working in program and administrative services, operational services, technical services, and education and library science.
The announcement comes just two weeks after the PSAC announced a strike vote for 35,000 taxation employees.
