On June 8, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) who work with Treasury Board mobilized to demand a quick and fair resolution to contract negotiations with their employers and to support their bargaining teams.
In a show of solidarity, federal workers attended events organized by PSAC across Canada and called on the Liberal Government to keep their promise of respect and fairness in the current round of collective bargaining.
In the North, federal workers were joined by members from other labour organizations, including YEU, UNW, NEU, YFL, NTFL and NWTTA. PSAC members maintain that when public service workers benefit from decent working conditions, it helps enhance the quality of the services that they deliver to all Canadians.
“The Liberal government promised public service employees real change, including a new approach to collective bargaining, but they are sticking with the Conservatives bargaining agenda”, said Jack Bourassa, PSAC Regional Executive Vice President, Northern region.
Who: PSAC members who work with Treasury Board, including at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Armed Forces, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Public Works and Government Services Canada
When: Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at noon.
Where: In all regions across Canada
Events in the North:
Yellowknife, NWT: rally at the Greenstone Building.
Whitehorse, YT: rally and photo booth at the Elijah Smith Federal Building.
Iqaluit, NU: rally at the Canada Building.
Quick facts:
•Treasury Board members have been in bargaining since 2014 and resume negotiations on June 17.
• Federal government negotiators have been sticking with the previous Conservative government’s proposal to replace negotiated sick leave with a short term disability plan.
• Federal employees have been offered only a 0.5% yearly wage increase, while members of Parliament and senators received a base salary hike four times that much.