No deal yet between striking CRA workers, federal government
CBC
The union representing tens of thousands of striking Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) workers says they'll be taking their concerns to the federal Liberal party's upcoming national convention if they don't get a "fair" contract offer.
Some 35,000 CRA employees remain on the picket lines Wednesday, two days after the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) reached a tentative agreement with the Treasury Board for more than 120,000 other federal workers who'd been striking since April 19.
The striking CRA workers are represented by PSAC and one of its subcomponents, the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE).
At a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday, PSAC national president Chris Aylward said the two sides were still talking but a deal had not materialized.
"We've compromised. I'm not going to say exactly where we're at, or where each side is at," Aylward said.
"But I can tell you … that the deal they have on the table currently is less than the deal that we reached Monday with Treasury Board units. And we don't know why the Canada Revenue Agency is playing this game."
PSAC said Monday that some issues relating to hours of work and information management for CRA employees had been resolved. Wages, telework, job security and protections against contracting out certain positions were among the remaining sticking points.
CRA declined an interview but told Radio-Canada in a French statement Wednesday they were still at the bargaining table and were working "tirelessly" on a fair and reasonable deal.
The federal Liberals' convention is set to run from May 4-6 at the Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa.
Aylward did not say exactly what the union planned. When asked if there would be disruptions, he said striking workers would be present if there was no movement in the negotiations.
Aylward said the two sides had made "several passes" at the negotiating table this week, while rejecting suggestions Monday's tentative agreement — which took roughly 120,000 public servants off the picket lines and sent them back to work — had diminished their leverage in the CRA negotiations.
"There's still 35,000 [workers] walking picket lines. There's still leverage there, absolutely," he said.
"And they will continue to walk those lines until we see a fair offer from the Canada Revenue Agency."
Despite the fact the CRA strike got underway in the midst of tax season, the deadline for Canadians to file their taxes was not extended.
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