Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

Public service union to picket at locations with more impact as strike enters Day 6

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Apr, 2023 10:09 AM
  • Public service union to picket at locations with more impact as strike enters Day 6

OTTAWA — One of Canada's largest labour disruptions has entered a sixth day as the union representing thousands of striking public-service workers looks to hamper access to ports.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says more than 100,000 of its staff remain on strike, some of whom are expected to move their picket lines Monday to strategic locations more likely to have an impact on the federal government. 

"We're actually going to be escalating those actions," said Chris Aylward, the union's national president, giving the example of heightened activity at "ports across the country."

Over the weekend, both sides accused each other of obstructing negotiations and being too slow to respond to key developments. 

Aylward called on the prime minister to intervene and blasted the government for failing to reach a deal two years ago when negotiations began. 

"This screams of the incompetence of Mona Fortier as the president of the Treasury Board, and her team," he said at a press conference Saturday afternoon. 

Still, negotiations continued at a steady drip.

The union president said the Treasury Board had presented an offer on Saturday afternoon, and the union had countered with its own proposal the same day. 

Fortier's office said it made a second proposal Saturday that the union had not responded to by late Sunday.

Aylward ultimately acknowledged the government's additional offer but said it did nothing to advance the union's wage demands. The union is also fighting to enshrine other measures, such as telework, into the collective agreement.

Meanwhile, the Union of Taxation Employees, a subdivision of the public-service alliance that is separately negotiating a contract for more than 35,000 striking Canada Revenue Agency workers, said it hasn't been at the bargaining table since Tuesday. 

Earlier in their negotiations, the CRA offered a wage increase of nine per cent over a three-year period on the recommendations of the third-party Public Interest Commission. But the union has been pushing for a 20.5 per cent increase over the same time frame.

Marc Brière, the national president of the taxation employees' union, says the union is waiting for the Treasury Board to come back with a fair offer and is ready to come back to the bargaining table when that happens.

"There's been close to zero progress over the weekend, and we are very upset," said Brière.

In a statement on Friday, the tax agency said it was calling for the union to return to mediated negotiations in person, but that proposals were still being exchanged on other issues specific to the CRA.

As it digs into a limited strike fund to sustain the nearly week-long job action, the Public Service Alliance of Canada is insisting it will be able to find other financing to continue offering strike pay if the fund gets depleted.

MORE National ARTICLES

Parks Canada says reservation system working well

Parks Canada says reservation system working well
Parks Canada says its new online reservation system to book camping sites and other activities at national parks appears to have worked well during its first week of operations. The site was recently updated to fix an older one that was prone to crashes and glitches.

Parks Canada says reservation system working well

North Van RCMP seek public's assistance in identifying suspect who allegedly seta porta-potty on fire

North Van RCMP seek public's assistance in identifying suspect who allegedly seta porta-potty on fire
On Monday, at 2:44 am Police and Fire were called to a porta-potty also set on fire in the 1900 block of Jones Ave in North Vancouver. No suspects were seen at this location but police believe this incident is related to the March 13th arson.

North Van RCMP seek public's assistance in identifying suspect who allegedly seta porta-potty on fire

Police-reported hate crimes rise again: StatCan

Police-reported hate crimes rise again: StatCan
It says the victims and those accused of reported hate crimes are most often men and boys. In British Columbia, religious hate crime reports more than doubled to 150 in 2021, while in Alberta they tripled to 91 incidents.

Police-reported hate crimes rise again: StatCan

Liberals to create corporate ownership registry

Liberals to create corporate ownership registry
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne has tabled legislation that would create a corporate beneficial ownership registry. The prospective registry is expected to have the goal of making it easier to identify owners of corporations who launder money, commit financial crimes or evade taxes.    

Liberals to create corporate ownership registry

Emergency visa for Ukrainians extended by months

Emergency visa for Ukrainians extended by months
The deadline to apply for a three-year emergency visa was originally March 31, but Ukrainians and their family members will now be able to apply until July 15. After that date, Ukrainians will still be able to apply for traditional work, study and visitor permits to come to Canada after the application period expires, but they will be charged the usual fees associated with those applications.    

Emergency visa for Ukrainians extended by months

Security tightens as Biden set to arrive in Ottawa

Security tightens as Biden set to arrive in Ottawa
In downtown Ottawa Wednesday, about 20 police vehicles circled the area as U.S. flags were strung up near Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's official office and the main street in front of Parliament Hill. Meanwhile, workers were busy installing fences to prepare for the visit.    

Security tightens as Biden set to arrive in Ottawa