‘I Really Want to Get Back to Work’: PSAC Workers Tell Their Stories on 7th Day of Strike

Revenue Canada workers form a picket line in Montreal on April 20, 2023, the second day of a strike by over 150,000 PSAC federal employees across the country. Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press

As the second week of the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s (PSAC) strike begins, several employees gathered in downtown Ottawa said they are hopeful the union and the federal government can soon sign a deal so they can return to work.

“I really just want to get back to work, to be honest with you,” said Jen, who works for Indigenous Services Canada.

“There’s a lot of stuff that we’re working on right now that I’m really passionate about. I just really want them to sign a contract so I can get back to finishing what I started.”

Two PSAC groups—a Treasury Board group of more than 120,000 workers across several government departments and a smaller group of more than 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)—have been striking across Canada since April 19.

The union is asking for a 13.5 percent raise over three years for its members due to the rising cost of living, as well as for some employees to be given the option to work from home full-time instead of the Treasury Board’s proposed “hybrid model.”

On the seventh day of the PSAC strike, workers escalated the protest by temporarily blocking access to the Prime Minister’s Office building and the Treasury Board headquarters. Another group of strikers blocked cars on a bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, where many federal buildings are located.

‘I Can’t Afford to Feed Him Properly’

Jen, who stood at the picket line on 90 Elgin Street in Ottawa on Tuesday, said if the federal government was refusing to budge on negotiations, “I suppose that we need to put pressure on them.” But she said the strikers have been trying not to inconvenience Ottawans.

Jen, who considers herself to be “lower-middle class,” said her salary does not go as far as it used to due to rising inflation. “It’s hard to have a kid who wants to do activities and to feed him, and to live in a certain way. We live as simply as we can, and over the last couple of months, I can’t afford to feed him properly or as well as I'd like to,” she said.

Jen said she still feels she is in a “very fortunate position” and said she could understand how some Canadians without union jobs “maybe don’t feel the same way we do.” But she said if PSAC were able to successfully raise its wages, the average Canadian might also be able to demand more.

“In the past, unions’ jobs have been to improve the living, working, and wage conditions of not just unions, but other workers throughout Canada. There are precedents being set in terms of wages. So I really do hope that this would open up for other people who don’t work for the government.”

Strike Is for the ‘Future of All Canadians’

Paul, an employee at the Canada Revenue Agency, said the strike is being done “for the future of all Canadians.” While Paul said he has worked for the government for 35 years and feels financially protected, he said many government employees have taken a “big cut” and have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All the new people coming in are making $30,000 to $40,000 a year. I know it sounds like a lot for someone who makes less, but in today’s conditions, it’s not,” he said. “I worked my way from $20,000 a year to whatever I’m at now, I did my share of hard work and I just want to make sure the whole thing continues.”

While Paul said he supports the PSAC’s striking workers, he also said he would like to return to work. “I’m just sitting on the corner here, but you want to do something with your life, right? You got work to do. And I enjoy all my coworkers, but right now we’re dispersed,” he said.

‘This Isn’t About Accruing Wealth’

Connor Shields, an administrative support worker, said that over time he’s become more convinced by the merits of the strike. “This isn’t about people accruing wealth, it’s about people who are pretty much paycheque to paycheque continuing to support the economies around them,” he said.

Shields dismissed the argument that the average salary of a full-time government worker—when pension, pay, and other benefits are added together—is $125,300. He said he has spoken to many strikers who make $50,000 a year and are struggling to deal with inflation.

“I think when you look at [the data] in terms of tranches of people as opposed to general averages, you'll find there are a lot of people who were really close to not being able to do this kind of work anymore,” said Shields, who deals with statistics in his day-to-day job.

“And you could push that line if you want, but you’re going to end up with a heck of a lot of turnovers. A lot of people will be opting into places that have flexible, responsive pay structures, which of course is an expensive outcome.

Shields said he is pleased to hear that the union and the federal government have made progress in negotiations and that many strikers want to return to work. On April 24, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said the government and PSAC had agreed to nearly all of the union’s 570 demands, but are stuck on the issues of wages, a ban on contracting out, telework, and decisions concerning which employees to retain, based on seniority or merit, in the event of downsizing.

“It’s not a fun time. Everyone feels a little bit useless. They have their concerns about their own work not getting done and they know they’re going to come back to a mess,” Shields said.

“People are attached to their jobs. And there are some people in the office trying to keep the wheels on, but the people here are thinking, ‘I’ve got this project that’s not moving right now, and I’ve got these clients who aren’t getting support.’ It’s frustrating. No one wants to be here, so the sooner the better.”