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The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union, which has
been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021, had
set a deadline of 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT) on Tuesday to reach a
deal.
"We are still here at the table. We will remain at the table. We
will remain for as long as it takes during the strike and we
will remain on strike until the government addresses our key
issues at the bargaining table," Chris Aylward, national
president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, told an
evening news conference.
The strike will affect federal services and could delay tax
refunds since about 35,000 workers at the revenue agency would
be walking out in the middle of tax filing season. Passport
renewals ahead of summer travel could also be delayed.
The contract negotiations cover two main groups of employees -
120,000 workers under Canada's Treasury Board, which oversees
public administration, and 35,000 revenue agency workers.
Tax agency workers initially sought a pay bump of more than 30%
over three years, while the other group is seeking a 13.5% pay
rise over three years. Inflation peaked at 8.1% last year.
On Sunday, the federal government offered a wage increase of 9%
over three years in what it said was "a fair and competitive
offer."
The strike would also affect 65% of employees at the Canadian
Grain Commission, including most inspectors of outbound grain at
ports, according to the commission. Canada is a major wheat and
canola exporter.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil, Eric Beech and Dan Whitcomb;
Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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