Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 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

B.C. man arrested with needle attached to arrow

B.C. man arrested with needle attached to arrow
Mounties say they were called to the parking lot of the Port Place Mall in the Vancouver Island city on Monday after the man was reportedly threatening people with a stick and the toy bow and arrow.

B.C. man arrested with needle attached to arrow

'Troubled' Eby seeks CSIS interference briefing

'Troubled' Eby seeks CSIS interference briefing
The report prompted Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim to say on Thursday that he was disgusted by its "insinuations," and he wouldn't be part of the conversation if he was Caucasian. Eby says the majority of tools to fight international interference are in federal hands, but he needs to know if there's any way for B.C. to "close any gaps" that the province may have available to it.

'Troubled' Eby seeks CSIS interference briefing

A suspect has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man in Chinatown

A suspect has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man in Chinatown
A suspect has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man in Chinatown, following a five-week Vancouver Police investigation. BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of second-degree murder against Jaal Routh Kueth, a 30-year-old man from Surrey. Kueth remains in custody.

A suspect has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man in Chinatown

Take up case of 700 Punjabi students deportation from Canada: Sukhbir Badal

Take up case of 700 Punjabi students deportation from Canada: Sukhbir Badal
Giving details of the case, Badal said the students paid Rs 16 to Rs 20 lakh to the company which purportedly facilitated their admission in Humber College in Ontario by generating fake admission offer letters along with fake fee deposit receipts.

Take up case of 700 Punjabi students deportation from Canada: Sukhbir Badal

Inflation expected to have eased again in February

Inflation expected to have eased again in February
Statistics Canada is set to release its February consumer price index report on Tuesday, giving its most up-to-date reading on inflation ahead of the federal government's budget on March 28. Desjardins and RBC are both forecasting the inflation rate fell to 5.4 per cent last month, down from 5.9 per cent in January.

Inflation expected to have eased again in February

Man shot, killed by police in Prince George, B.C.

Man shot, killed by police in Prince George, B.C.
A statement from RCMP says the force has notified the independent B.C. office that investigates all cases of police-involved death or serious injury. Staff Sgt. Kris Clark says officers were called to Highway 97 just south of Prince George on Thursday because the man was in his vehicle and having a mental health crisis.

Man shot, killed by police in Prince George, B.C.