News release

September 20, 2004

Canadian Government Operational Services Workers are on Strike  

OTTAWA – Operational services workers employed by the Canadian government launched rotating strikes today, with Quebec workplaces targeted first. The 11,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) are the first group of Treasury Board employees to join the strike action.  

“Much like PSAC members at Parks Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency before them, operational services workers came up against the government's stubborn refusal to address their legitimate demands,” said PSAC National President, Nycole Turmel. “Strike action was the last resort for these workers but it has become unavoidable due to the hard line taken by Treasury Board President, Reg Alcock. Management's uncompromising approach attests to its pettiness towards its own employees.”  

              Despite a demonstrated 20% wage gap between federal public sector workers and their counterparts in the private and public sectors, management still refuses to increase the wage proposal presented last August. The wage gap was identified as a result of a joint study conducted by the union and the government. Management has offered annual increases of 2.25%, 1.75% and 1.75% along with a 3% adjustment to narrow the wage gap. These sub-inflation increases would still leave workers far behind.  

“After the August hearings, we were hoping that the conciliation board would recommend increases to reduce this gap”, indicated Jérôme Turcq, PSAC-Québec Vice-President overseeing negotiations for this group. “However, the board fell completely short by refusing to make recommendations on this issue. It also refused to condemn regional rates of pay that create a discriminatory situation: workers doing the same work are being paid different wages, depending on where they work. This strike will now force management to review its offers.”

PSAC represents the 11,000 operational services workers who are electricians, plumbers, carpenters, labourers, stationary engineers, cleaners, and deckhands on national defence, coast guard and fisheries' vessels. Approximately half of the members are employed at National Defence. Other large concentrations are in Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Correctional Services Canada. Their contract expired August 4, 2003.

On September 8, 25,000 PSAC members at the Canada Revenue Agency went into strike action joining 4800 Parks Canada workers, who have been on strike since August 13. A total of 130,000 PSAC members working in all federal government departments and major agencies could be on strike by mid-October.

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Information:                  Pierre Lebel, PSAC Communications

                                       (613) 560-5482 or (613) 293-4663

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