Canada’s largest federal public service union is moving toward a potential strike after contract negotiations with the federal government stalled. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) announced that 120,000 workers will participate in nationwide strike votes running from November 16 to January 22.
According to PSAC, negotiations with Treasury Board have dragged on for a year and a half without resolution. The union rejected a government wage offer of less than one per cent per year, calling it “insulting” in May. PSAC says the government has refused to negotiate on wages, job security, remote work policies, and protections against artificial intelligence.
“The government has left us no other choice,” said PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa. “This is a wake-up call for the government to stop playing games and put a fair offer on the table.”
The affected workforce spans diverse federal roles, including wildland firefighters, passport and benefit officers, fishery officers, federal teachers, librarians, and administrative staff.
If the strike vote passes, the union would enter a legal strike position for 60 days, though DeSousa emphasized that a strike remains a last resort. “Our goal is to get a good collective agreement, and it doesn’t have to lead to a strike, but we will if required to do so,” she said.
This action follows a significant precedent. In 2023, 155,000 federal public servants spent nearly two weeks on picket lines and secured wage increases totaling 12.6 per cent over the agreement’s term, which ran from 2021 to 2024.
The current tensions occur amid broader changes in the federal public service. The federal government has cut more than 23,000 staff positions over the past two years, according to Canada’s parliamentary spending watchdog. The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates federal employment fell 6.5 per cent to 344,970 employees in the second quarter of this year. Additionally, the government’s 2025 budget outlines plans to reduce the public service by 10 per cent by the end of fiscal year 2028-29.
Simultaneously, the government is requiring increased office presence. A new work schedule implemented in July requires most federal employees to work on-site four days per week, while executive public servants returned to full-time office work in May. According to responses to a parliamentary question, 13 federal organizations plan to spend a combined $18.7 million reconfiguring or acquiring office space to accommodate this policy shift.
Key facts
- PSAC represents 120,000 federal workers conducting strike votes from November 16 to January 22
- Contract negotiations have continued for 18 months with no agreement reached
- Government wage offer was less than one per cent annually; union rejected it as insulting
- Key unresolved issues include wages, job security, remote work, and AI protections
- If approved, strike vote would put union in legal strike position for 60 days
- Federal public service has lost 23,000+ positions in past two years
- Government spending $18.7 million on office space reconfigurations for increased in-person work requirements