About 120,000 workers represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have ended their strike after the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to the union’s demand for wage increases of 12% over four years.
The strike, which began on April 19, had stalled a range of government services nationwide ranging from passport renewals to income tax filings.
However, while the majority of federal workers have ended their job action, about 35,000 workers for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) remain on strike and continue to demand larger wage increases than 12%.
Today (May 1) is the deadline for Canadians to file their personal income taxes.
Wage increases were the main issue for striking PSAC workers, though an effort to enshrine remote work provisions in future labour agreements was another sticking point at the bargaining table with the government.
In a statement, PSAC said that it negotiated an agreement “that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually, not by group” and provide reasons for their decision in writing.
The federal government had been reluctant to agree to PSAC’s demands related to remote work over concerns that it will set a precedent for both Canada’s public and private sectors.
PSAC said in addition to the wage increase, its union members are also eligible for a one-time payment of $2,500 each from the federal government.
