How will the federal public servant strike affect you? Here’s everything you need to know

Just after midnight, more than 100,000 federal government workers represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) went on strike in a push for higher wages, greater job security and the ability to work remotely.

A work stoppage of this magnitude, one of the largest in Canadian history, will have a myriad of impacts on government services across the country, including potential delays for passport applications and income tax returns, as well as supply chain issues.

Here’s what you need to know.

Who’s on strike?

According to the government, the public servants pushing for higher wages, among other demands, include nearly 40,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees — represented by an arm of PSAC called the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE-PSAC) — and approximately 120,000 employees of the Treasury Board, from administrative staff across various government departments and agencies to research librarians, teaching aides and plumbers.

Both groups have been in a legal strike position since Friday, after a majority of each voted separately to strike if a deal couldn’t be reached with the government.

According to the government, about 46,000 Treasury Board workers and 1,400 CRA workers have been deemed essential, which means about 111,000 workers were able to walk off the job. Those who can’t leave their post include first responders and those involved in national security and income distribution.

What do the workers want — and what has the government offered?

After months of inflation that has dramatically shrunk buying power, PSAC is pushing for increased wages, along with protections around remote work, more inclusive anti-racism and harassment training, and ending the contracting out of services, among other asks.

Workers employed by the Treasury Board have called for a 13.5 per cent wage hike over three years. The government initially countered with 8.25 per cent over four years, an offer the union described as a pay cut when factoring in inflation. However, the government increased its offer to nine per cent over three years, matching a recommendation made by the Federal Labour and Employment Board’s public interest commission (PIC).

According to the government, the majority of these workers earn between $50,000 and $75,000 per year, with less than three per cent earning below $50,000.

CRA employees initially demanded a 20.5 per cent pay increase over three years, plus a one-time nine per cent raise that would bring CRA pay in line with Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) salaries. (Between 1999 and 2003, the two agencies functioned as one, and employees were paid similarly.)

Mirroring the Treasury Board and PIC recommendations, the CRA has offered employees a nine per cent wage increase over three years. According to the CRA, the union countered with a proposal of 22.5 per cent over three years, which includes a market adjustment of two per cent.

The government said the average salary of CRA workers represented by UTE-PSAC is roughly $68,000.

How could this affect me?

PSAC predicted the work stoppage would cause ripple effects across Canada that could frustrate travel and trade, among much other federal business.

The government has listed 28 institutions the strike will impact to varying degrees. Here’s a snapshot:

CBSA: The union has warned about slowdowns at the border and airports, as many administrative workers within the CBSA would be off the job. However, the agency said it expects “services to travellers and businesses will be maintained,” as uniformed staff will remain.

CRA: Last week, the union said a strike would cause “a complete shutdown of tax season.” The CRA said Canadians should expect some services to be “delayed or unavailable.” However, benefit payments will be prioritized, and the Canada child benefit will continued to be issued.

Currently, there are no plans to extend the tax filing deadline past May 1, and the CRA said it would continue to accept all tax returns. Those submitted digitally will be processed automatically without delay, while paper submissions will take longer.

“We encourage Canadians to file their taxes as soon as possible, not only this year, but every year,” the CRA said.

Employment and Social Development Canada & Service Canada: Essential services — such as Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and the issuance of Social Insurance Numbers — will continue, although there may be delays and increased wait times on the phone.

Service Canada locations will limit their focus to those requiring help with the above programs, along with people receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Significantly, most domestic passport services will be unavailable. Passport processing will be limited to clients experiencing “humanitarian or emergency situations,” including people at risk of financial hardship, those who rely on travel as a source of employment and whose income would be jeopardized, people who must travel for medical reasons or who’ve had a family death or illness, and those whose situation is “deemed urgent on compassionate grounds.”

Global Affairs: Essential services, including travel advice and advisories, consular services and trade commissioner services aren’t expected to be interrupted. However, there may be delays related to citizenship and passport services, document authentication services, import and export permits, the CanExport program, and foreign aid funding — particularly if the strike drags on.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: People can still apply online, mail applications, use their online accounts and access some emergency services. But most IRCC services will be impacted, including citizenship services outside Canada, international and domestic passport services, immigration-related appointments, and applications to extend stays in Canada.

Indigenous Affairs: Among the services that will continue are First Nations and Child and Family Services, support to Indigenous businesses, emergency management, funding program and the Hope for Wellness Help Line. However, it will be more difficult to acquire, renew or replace a status card, and other services related to Indian Status, noninsured health benefits, Jordan’s Principle, the Inuit Child First Initiative and treaties, annuities, estates and trusts may be impacted.

A comprehensive list of departments and services that will be impacted is posted on the Government of Canada website.

How could the government respond?

The government could introduce back-to-work legislation to force employees to return to their jobs.

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to comment on that prospect Wednesday, stressing the need to negotiate and that it was only the strike’s first day.

The Liberals have committed to introducing “anti-scab” legislation by the end of 2023 that would prohibit replacing workers in federally regulated businesses during strikes. Introducing such a law was a condition of the pact under which the NDP agreed to support the minority Liberal government until June 2025.

The NDP has already made clear it would not support back-to-work legislation.

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