PSAC Calls for Rally on Parliament Hill as Strike Continues for Eighth Day

Public servants with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) are intensifying their picketing efforts on Parliament Hill as their negotiations with the federal government have hit a deadlock. After striking for eight consecutive days, more than 150,000 workers are demanding a significant salary hike and greater flexibility to work remotely. In a recent email to its members, PSAC stated that the government has taken a rigid stance and failed to budge on key issues, particularly wages and remote work.

The email urged members to persist in their efforts and not back down, as the government appears to be testing their patience. Workers have been picketing at various locations in Ottawa and Gatineau, including Treasury Board President Mona Fortier’s office and Tunney’s Pasture.

However, the PSAC has now called on all members and allies within the labor movement to congregate on Parliament Hill in a show of solidarity. The union is determined to impress upon the government that federal public service workers deserve fair wages that keep pace with the cost of living. In a video on Twitter, Alex Silas, the PSAC’s Regional Executive Vice President for the National Capital Region, emphasized the need for a fair wage for all workers.

The rally on Parliament Hill coincides with the union’s decision to escalate its strike activities, even as negotiations with the government continue. On Tuesday, hundreds of public servants staged a march across the Portage bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, while strikers outside the Prime Minister’s Office building and Treasury Board headquarters limited entry to just one person every five minutes. Treasury Board President Mona Fortier acknowledged on Tuesday that both parties were at the negotiating table that morning. In an open letter published on Monday, Fortier outlined the four main areas of contention between the union and the government, including wages, teleworking, outsourcing contracts, and seniority rules in the event of a layoff.

Although the government’s offer to increase wages by nine percent over three years is based on the recommendation of the third-party Public Interest Commission, the PSAC has been pushing for a more substantial salary increase of 13.5 percent over the same period.