Talks have stalled. This government says it cares about restoring services for Canadians, but they seem content to shrug it off and prolong this strike and its impact on Canadians everywhere.
The government has refused to make any counter-offer on our most recent proposal, and are offering no further movement on other key issues, including remote work and job security.
With over a third of the federal government on strike, the Prime Minister has to start treating this like an emergency. If Trudeau’s government is concerned about the growing backlog of passport applications, employment insurance applications, immigration and visa applications and tax returns, then they should be making every effort to reach a deal.
What we all want more than anything is to return to work to continue delivering the services Canadians depend on, and what Canadians want is for services to be restored.
We’ve been at the table around the clock for weeks, trying to reach a fair deal and we’ll stay at the table. But we need the Prime Minister to intervene and provide a new mandate to form a fair offer, because what’s on the table simply doesn’t cut it.
That’s why we’ll keep ratcheting up the pressure across the country by targeting critical government operations – to reach a deal as quickly as possible and end this strike for both our members and Canadians.
A historic day
From coast to coast to coast, we shut down federal locations across the country, heightening pressure on this government to come back to the table with a new mandate for fair and decent wages for federal public service workers.
In addition to 260 picket lines across the country, here are some examples of the more than 25 escalation points today, nationwide:
- Shutting down access to the Port of St. John’s, a part of the critical transportation infrastructure of Canada;
- Blocking access to the Canadian Forces Base in Montreal;
- Picketing the Ambrose–Torquay border crossing in Saskatchewan on the Canada–US border;
- Shutting down the Sinclair Centre in Vancouver, with no access to Service Canada, passport offices, and other businesses;
- Closing the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge, which provides access to thousands of vehicles and pedestrians entering Hamilton Harbour;
- And preventing access to the Elijah Smith Building in Whitehorse, Canada’s main offices for the Yukon Territory with the help of rising sun singers and a drumming group.
Let’s keep escalating our actions to make sure the government understands that their current offer just won’t cut it.
Top Media Hits
The PSAC-NCR made sure that the government had a front row seat to our demands with a huge rally on Parliament Hill. Roughly 10,000 members were joined by PSAC national leadership and allied unions to help deliver a single message – it’s long past time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get involved so we can finally negotiate a fair deal for workers.