Dozens of local federal workers hit the picket lines Wednesday morning the public service strike got underway
Over 200 federal public servants in Windsor are among 155,000 on strike across Canada who walked off the job this morning at 12:01 a.m. ET
Windsor members are walking the picket line outside the Service Canada office at city hall square and a second picket line was set up at the taxation centre on University Avenue West near Bruce Avenue
A late Tuesday news release from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat says the government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) are still at odds when it comes to key contract issues for both sides
Despite the disruptions, negotiations are expected to continue
Wage increases have been top of mind at the table, with the union pushing for annual raises of 4.5 per cent over the next three years. It says the increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living. The Treasury Board says it offered the union a nine per cent raise over three years on Sunday, on the recommendation of the third-party Public Interest Commission
Since the strike involves nearly one-third of all federal public servants, both the union and the government have warned of disruptions, including what could amount to a complete halt of the tax season
Other concerns include slowdowns at the border and disruptions to EI, immigration and passport applications
Initial negotiations began in June 2021, with the union looking for a new contract. The union declared an impasse in May 2022 and both parties filed labour complaints. Mediated contract negotiations began in early April of this year and continued through the weekend in what the union described as the government’s last chance to reach a deal
