More than 1,500 federal workers in P.E.I. could soon be on strike after union vote

A union representing more than 120,000 federal public servants across Canada — including more than 1,500 on P.E.I. — could soon be on the picket line.

A bargaining group of Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers employed by the federal Treasury Board voted Wednesday in favour of strike action.

On P.E.I., that includes staff with Veterans Affairs, Fisheries and Oceans and Service Canada.

Chris Di Liberatore, the regional executive vice-president for PSAC Atlantic, said a strike could have significant implications in the region.

"There's some fishing seasons that are coming up to start very soon, and with no fisheries officers there to monitor and other workers in those offices to assist with any licensing issues that might be popping up, there could be some significant impacts on the fishing industry."

There could also be delays in taxes and EI applications being processed, and slowdowns at the border that could have negative impacts on the economy, Di Liberatore said.

Wednesday's union vote follows last week's vote by a separate group of PSAC workers with the Canada Revenue Agency, who supported a possible strike as well.

Di Liberatore said the main issue in negotiations is wages. The union said the latest strike vote involves workers earning about $68,000 a year on average.

The union said it's looking for wage increases of 4.5 per cent per year, over three years.

Both sides are continuing to negotiate, but a strike could begin as early as April 19.

"It remains our goal to reach an agreement at the bargaining table as soon as possible," the federal Treasury Board Secretariat said in a statement following the vote.

"Over the past week we made significant headway, addressing many union demands. There are many areas where both parties could reach a compromise, including wage increases."