After 12 days of labour action, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has reached a tentative agreement with the federal government for more than 120,000 public servants.
Over the past month, the two sides spent long hours at the bargaining table to find solutions and come to a fair deal.
“We are deeply grateful for public servants who work hard across the country to serve Canadians and look forward to welcoming them back. These deals are fair, competitive, and reasonable, and bring stability to public servants and Canadians,” President of the Treasury Board Mona Fortier, said in a statement Monday.
The national strike is over for Treasury Board workers, specifically members of the EB (Education and Library), PA (Program and Administrative), SV (Operational Services), and TC (Technical Services) who returned to work as of May 1 at 9 a.m. or their next scheduled shift after that date.
However, the strike continues for 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) workers across the country, as contract negotiations persist.
DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT
In a statement Monday, the union says the tentative agreement includes wage increases of 12.6 per cent from 2021 to 2024 and a one-time pensionable lump sum payment of $2,500.
PSAC says it will now have access to additional protection when it comes to arbitrary decisions about remote work.
“We have also negotiated language in a letter of agreement that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses that will allow members and PSAC to hold the employer accountable to equitable and fair decision-making on remote work,” the union said.
The agreement also includes the creation of a joint committee that will review existing training courses related to employment equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as ensure employees are aware of these training opportunities during work hours.
Additionally, Indigenous employees have secured paid leave to allow time for traditional Indigenous practices such as hunting, fishing and harvesting.
The federal government says the agreement also includes improved provisions around leave with pay for family-related responsibilities.
“Outside of the collective agreements, we reached a tentative settlement on telework to the satisfaction of both parties. We agreed to undertake a review of the Directive on Telework, and to create departmental panels to advise deputy heads regarding employee concerns,” the government said.
In the event of layoffs, PSAC has also negotiated language to ensure workers do not lose their job if they can perform the duties of a contractor who is already working with the federal government.
In terms of seniority rights, PSAC and the government have agreed to submit a joint proposal to the Public Service Commission of Canada to include seniority rights in the workforce adjustment process.
Over 155,000 federal public servants walked off the job beginning April 19 and it was considered one of the largest strikes in Canadian history.
The strike caused service disruptions across the country, including delays in employment insurance, immigration, passport applications and slowdowns at the border.
Negotiations between the federal government and PSAC initially began in June 2021. In May 2022, the union declared an impasse with both parties and since then, both parties have continued deliberations.
