Contract talks will resume today between the Treasury Board of Canada and a union representing over 100,000 public servants. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says two days of talks are scheduled for this week between negotiators with its Program and Administrative (PA) Group bargaining unit and officials from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, along with a third-party mediator. “Treasury Board continues to push concessions and an insulting wage offer that doesn’t keep up with the cost of living,” PSAC said in a statement on its website. “PA members keep critical government programs running every day and deserve respect. Let’s show Treasury Board we’re united in the fight for a fair deal.” In February, PSAC declared an impasse in contract talks, accusing the Treasury Board of Canada of refusing to “bargain in good faith.” According to PSAC’s website, the union is seeking a raise of 4.75 per cent a year for three years as part of the contract. PSAC said the government’s contract offer included a two per cent raise in 2025, followed by 0.5 per cent raises in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The union says it’s pushing for “improvements on key member priorities,” including “fair wages,” securing “clear, enforceable protections” in the collective agreement on remote work and job security as the federal government looks to cut the size of its workforce by 2029. PSAC says its Program and Administrative Services Group represents over 100,000 federal government workers responsible for program administration, information services, communications, secretarial services, office equipment, administrative services, welfare programs, clerical functions and data processing. More than 120,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada went on strike between April 19 and May 3, 2023, to back demands for a new contract.
