120,000 PSAC Members End Strike and Return Back To Work With Tentative Deal

After nearly two years of negotiations, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has reached a tentative agreement with the Treasury Board for over 120,000 striking government workers. The strike, which has been one of the largest in Canadian history, is now over, and workers from the various branches of government and bargaining groups are expected to return to work on May 1st.

The tentative agreement secured by PSAC is a collaborative effort by its members’ hard work and dedication, who fought for better wages and working conditions. The agreement includes wage increases totalling 12.6% compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2024. This exceeds the employer’s original offer before the launch of the strike and provides significant new protections around remote work for PSAC members.

PSAC members who are nearing retirement will receive a pensionable lump sum payment that will be calculated based on their average salary for the best five years of their service. This lump sum payment will increase their overall pension payments during their retirement years.

PSAC members can now take advantage of additional protection when faced with arbitrary decisions regarding remote work. An agreement has been reached between PSAC and the employer that requires managers to assess remote work requests on an individual basis rather than making group decisions. Managers will provide written responses to these requests, which will allow members and PSAC to hold the employer accountable for fair and equitable decision-making regarding remote work.

As part of this agreement, joint union-employer departmental panels will be established to address any issues related to the employer’s application of the remote work directive in the workplace.

PSAC has also negotiated several table-specific wage adjustments and other improvements that will be fully outlined in the coming days. Additionally, the agreement includes protections against contracting out, anti-racism and discrimination training, and paid leave for Indigenous employees to engage in traditional Indigenous practices.

The agreement is a big win for all Canadians, but it is important to note that it should not have to come to a strike to reach some sort of deal that was inevitable. The government and PSAC should work together to avoid future strikes and ensure that workers are treated fairly and with respect.

As negotiations resume with a new mandate from Canada Revenue Agency to reach a fair contract, 35,000 members are still on strike across the country on May 1.

Image source, PSAC Facebook Feed