News release

May 17, 2004

Parks workers poised to strike

OTTAWA - Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada who work for Parks Canada Agency voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and are prepared to walk the picket line if they don't get a fair collective agreement soon.

Eighty nine per cent (89 %) said yes to strike action at Parks Canada after the PSAC negotiating team reported delays and stall tactics by management at the negotiating table.

“It's a strong strike mandate from our members and slightly higher than the mandate we received in the last round of negotiations with Parks in 2002,” says PSAC National President Nycole Turmel. “This tells us that the workers are deeply concerned about their wages and working conditions and are frustrated with management's foot-dragging at the bargaining table.” Parks Canada Agency has been trying to reassure the public through the media that there will be no service disruptions this summer due to a workers' strike and that it is confident that a settlement will be reached.

“I hope this means they're ready to say yes to our demands now,” says PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for the Atlantic Region Jeannie Baldwin.   “Otherwise, I don't see how they can make their claim. We're no closer to reaching a deal than we were last October when we started and the strike vote result has just raised the potential for disruptions in the Parks system this summer.”

The union tabled a wage proposal in March that seeks to close the proven wage gap between many Parks Canada workers and their counterparts in the private and public sectors and to provide workers with fair economic gains.

“So far, the employer has not responded to our proposal nor tabled its own counter-proposal,” says Heather Brooker, the president of the National Component of the PSAC. “We're not optimistic when it comes to management's position on wages.”

Mike Wing, the president of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, another component of the PSAC, adds, “Treasury Board has traditionally set the trend for agencies at the bargaining table, and their atest offer to PSAC was 1.75%, 1.25% and 1.25%.   What's worse with Parks management is they recently announced a salary cap to employees.”

A copy of a Parks Canada Agency memorandum to employees, which was obtained by the union and dated April 22, 2004, announces that spending on salaries are to be capped at 2003-04 levels.   Furthermore, it directs all field units, service centres and directorates to reduce their salary expenditures by two per cent.

“Given the salary cap and their refusal to discuss wages at the bargaining table, the employer seems to be pushing us not toward a ettlement, but a strike,” says Wing.

The two negotiating parties are in the process of establishing a Conciliation Board to mediate bargaining.   The union will be in a legal strike position seven days after the Conciliation Board submits its report, which could be as early as the beginning of July.

The PSAC represents about 4,000 members at Parks Canada.

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For information: Joselito Calugay, Communications, (613) 560-4235

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