News release

September 10, 2004

Strike unavoidable for 11,000 federal government operational services workers

OTTAWA – The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is extremely disappointed by a Conciliation Board report issued today for its operational services workers at Treasury Board and believes that only a strike by these 11,000 government employees will force their employer to listen seriously to their demands.

According to Nycole Turmel, PSAC National President, “The Conciliation Board failed miserably to point the way towards a fair settlement for our members. In fact the report is so silent on the main issues in dispute, namely the wage gap and the regional rates of pay, that we consider it almost useless.”

The Board report makes no specific recommendations on a 20% wage gap between these workers and those in the public and private sectors for similar jobs. The wage gap was identified as a result of a joint study conducted by the union and the government.

“While the Board does acknowledge that our proposal to close the wage gap is more reasonable than the employer’s, it falls completely short by refusing to make a recommendation on closing the gap,” explains Jérôme Turcq, PSAC National Executive Vice-President - Quebec and the PSAC officer overseeing negotiations for this group .

On the important issue of the regional rates of pay, the board report is also completely mute. Currently paid under a system of three regional zones, the operational workers were asking that the same wages apply to them across the country. These workers are among the last government employees who are paid according to the region in which they work. That inequitable situation was adressed lately in these terms at the Canada Revenue Agency, where some workers also have regional rates of pay. The CRA Conciliation Board wrote: “The principle of equal pay for equal work militates towards abolition of wage differentials for employees of the same classification group engaged by the same employer.”

Not only did the Board fail to make recommendations on the 20% wage gap and the regional pay system for these members, but the Board even suggested sub-inflation economic increases for PSAC’s operational workers. According to Turmel, “This is unacceptable.”

Operational workers will be in a legal position to take strike action starting September 18. The 11,000 workers in the Operational Services Group include electricians, plumbers, carpenters, labourers, stationary engineers, cleaners, and deckhands on national defence, coast guard and fisheries’ vessels. Approximately half of the members are employed in National Defence. Other large concentrations are in Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Correctional Services Canada.

Negotiations for these 11,000 PSAC members have been underway since the last contract expired in August, 2003.

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For information: Pierre Lebel, PSAC Communications
(613) 560-5482 or (613) 293-4663

61-100904

To read the Board's documents, click here.