The Canadian federal government continues to negotiate with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) over the collective agreement of 155,000 federal public servants. The government offered what it called a «fair, competitive, and reasonable final offer» to the union on Friday to resolve the four main issues at the bargaining table. The offer builds upon the third-party Public Interest Commission recommendation with an enhanced wage offer, although specific details have not been released.
Wages have been a contentious issue between the two sides, with the government proposing a nine percent increase over three years and the union demanding a 13.5 percent increase. The new offer from the government addresses other priorities, including telework, seniority, and contracting.
PSAC confirmed that it received the offer and expects negotiations to continue into the weekend, despite the ongoing strike by public servants. The union expressed hope that a fair deal could be reached for all members, including the 35,000 at Canada Revenue Agency.
The Treasury Board Secretariat has emphasized that the offer is final. However, the PSAC has not yet responded to the offer or provided any indication of whether it will accept it. With negotiations ongoing, it remains to be seen how this latest development will affect the ongoing strike by public servants.