From taxes to passports, how the PSAC strike will affect daily life in Sask.
CBC
Saskatchewan residents will face delays for a wide net of services, after members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada — which represents a range of federal public service workers — went on strike across the country on Wednesday.
Marianne Hladun, PSAC's Prairies regional executive vice-president, said residents can expect delays in accessing government offices with picket lines in front. There are some staff members in certain offices and departments that are deemed essential, she said.
"We totally recognize this is a disruption. Our members are Canadians … and this is disruptive for them as well," Hladun said.
"They don't want to be out on the lines. They want … a fairer collective agreement to be able to deliver services to Canadians."
Two PSAC bargaining groups are striking: a larger Treasury Board group of more than 120,000 workers across several government departments and agencies, and a tax group of more than 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency.
Their contracts expired in 2021, and the union has been calling on the Canadian government for pay increases to help public servants cope with inflation and the higher cost of living.
A Monday statement from the Treasury Board said it is seeking "agreements that are fair to public servants and reasonable for taxpayers," and it has "a good offer on the table … [with] enough common ground to reach consensus."
In a Wednesday news release, the Canada Revenue Agency also said it had made a fair, competitive offer.
As pickets began Wednesday, both sides said they were still negotiating.
Meanwhile, Hladun assures Saskatchewan residents that things like employment insurance and disability payments will continue as usual.
Essential workers at the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary in Prince Albert will still be present to support inmates. PSAC does not represent guards, but does represent administrative staff, parole staff and kitchen staff.
"Food, laundry ... that type of stuff will continue," said Hladun. "But some of the programming that our parole staff and our program officers do may be suspended during the strike because they're out on the picket line."
The union also represents many essential workers within the Department of National Defence, and Hladun said it recognizes that they need to be there. Essential workers will also be in place to process passports for emergency situations, but there will be some delays, Hladun said.
She also said it will be difficult to get through to many government call centres.
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