PSAC Strike Day 9: Workers Escalate Protests Nationwide

Federal civil servants form a picket line as over 150,000 PSAC federal employees begin the ninth day of their strike across the country, in Montreal on April 27, 2023. The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz

Employees with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) blocked access to Toronto Pearson International Airport on April 27 as the escalating strike over wages and remote work entered its ninth day.

Some 500 PSAC members held a demonstration at Pearson, which prompted the airport to advise passengers to give themselves more time amid the possibility of delays.

Rachel Bertone, a spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said “minor disruptions” were being experienced in the Terminal 1 departures curbside area as of late morning.

“We’re working together with Peel Regional Police to ensure traffic can continue moving, but advise travellers to give themselves extra time if flying from Pearson today,” she said.

Two PSAC groups—a Treasury Board (TB) group of more than 120,000 workers across several government departments along with a smaller group of more than 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)—have been striking across Canada since April 19 after the federal government and PSAC failed to reach a deal before the deadline.

On April 27, PSAC workers escalated actions in Ottawa by picketing at Tunney’s Pasture, a campus of federal government buildings, and controlling when workers can enter. Strikers also temporarily disrupted travel across Portage Bridge, which connects Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, an area housing many government buildings. In addition, they continued setting up picket lines at the Prime Minister’s Office, TB headquarters, and TB President Mona Fortier’s constituency office.

In Quebec, strikers also gathered near the Lacolle border crossing, typically a busy Canada-U.S. crossing. Buses dropped off dozens of protestors, who held a demonstration without blocking the border.

The day before, PSAC had called on members to escalate protests at over 25 points nationwide, in addition to the 260 picket lines across the country.

This included shutting down access to the Port of St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador; blocking access to the Canadian Forces Base in Montreal; shutting down the Sinclair Centre in Vancouver to block access to Service Canada and other offices; closing the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge in Burlington, Ontario; and picketing the Ambrose-Torquay border crossing in Saskatchewan on the Canada-U.S. border.

‘Creative Math’

In an interview with CBC News on April 26, Fortier said the federal government is “inviting the PSAC to come to a lower amount” in their ask for a salary increase.

“We might be able to do some creative math to increase a little bit, but I don’t have anything really much to manoeuvre with anymore,” she said.

The union originally asked for a 13.5 percent cumulative raise over three years, based on a 4.5 percent increase each year for 2021, 2022, and 2023, which they said would keep up with the rate of inflation. The increase would be 14.12 percent compounded.

Since the strike began, PSAC said it has lowered its ask twice.

Fortier said the Treasury Board is following the recommendation of the Public Interest Commission, which said a 9 percent cumulative increase (9.25 percent compounded) over three years would be “reasonable and affordable.”

She said for an average worker earning $67,000 a year, that would mean approximately $6,250 extra over three years.

Fortier said the federal government is seeking a deal that would be “fair for employees, but also reasonable to Canadians and enable us to continue to deliver the services to Canadians.”

PSAC President Chris Aylward told CBC News on April 26 that there’s “not a whole lot positive happening in the negotiations.” He said PSAC has “made two moves on wages,” while the federal government has “not made a single move.”

“We cannot continue to bring our wages down until they move,” he said. “It’s really the employer’s turn, ... not ours.”

Aylward said government workers are “falling further and further behind” due to rising inflation, and the government is “basically asking our members, who make between $40,000 and $65,000, for the majority of them, to take a pay cut.”

“We need the other party to negotiate with. We can’t be sitting at the table alone, trying to negotiate with ourselves.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.