PSAC Reaches Tentative Agreement with Treasury Board, CRA Workers Continue Strike

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Treasury Board have reached a tentative agreement and the majority of the federal workers have returned to work today, May 1. However, the members of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) continue to strike as their negotiations are still underway.

The PSAC has reportedly reached a tentative agreement with the Treasury Board which constitutes the majority of federal workers who went on legal strike on April 19. Now, 120,000 workers have returned to their job as of May 1, as per their regular shifts. These include members from the PA, SV, TC, and EB bargaining groups.

According to the union, the new contract agreement includes wage increases totaling 12.6 percent over four years and a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment. This amounts to an additional 3.7 percent of the salary for the average union member in the Treasury Board bargaining units.

On the other hand, the members of the CRA continue to strike as their negotiations are still ongoing. This means 35,000 workers are still hitting picket lines at key locations. As of now, it is unclear when they will come to an agreement.

The PSAC which includes over 150,000 members from crucial services like the CRA, IRCC, and other agencies, has been in talks with the government since June 2021 which is after the worker contracts expired. The PSAC members have asked for negotiations over wages, job security, and remote working. In May 2022, the union declared an impasse and both parties filed labor complaints.

Vineet Washington