The largest public service union in Canada is hoping that a deal with the federal government will be reached soon, according to the union’s president. The strike, which involves over 155,000 federal public servants, has been ongoing. Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), recently urged Prime Minister Trudeau to intervene in the situation. He repeated this call on Sunday during an intervie, stating that the prime minister should weigh in because the strike is affecting the economy.
Aylward claimed that they have not received a response from the federal government for two days, despite offering a comprehensive package to reach a deal on Thursday night. The Treasury Board is currently offering a nine per cent pay increase to be paid over three years, while the PSAC is pushing for a 13.5 per cent raise over three years, along with remote work protections.
Fortier, the Treasury Board President, responded to Aylward’s call on Twitter, stating that they had tried to table a counter-proposal on Saturday. Aylward, however, said this was not true. The two parties met after the union held a press conference, according to Aylward.
Aylward stated that both parties need to compromise to reach an agreement, but certain core components must remain. The union’s bargaining teams are currently meeting with the Treasury Board’s bargaining teams and the Canada Revenue Agency’s bargaining team in Ottawa, with a mediator present. He expressed that they are hopeful of reaching a deal, but the government needs to come back to the table with a mandate that’s in line with what they are seeking.
Despite the difficulties in the negotiations, Aylward mentioned that morale is high among union members, and he believes they can come to an agreement if the government responds to their demands on wages and inflation. The strike has caused significant disruption, and the union is seeking a speedy resolution to end the ongoing strike.