Hundreds of Calgary federal workers protest outside Harry Hays
Posted Apr 19, 2023 11:16 am.
Last Updated Apr 19, 2023 5:23 pm.
Hundreds of Calgary Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union members are rallying outside the Calgary Harry Hays Building after the union and the federal government came at odds in key contract issues.
Across the country, around 155,000 federal public servants, including 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers, have raised picket lines at around 250 locations.
The union is calling the country-wide strike one of the largest ones in Canadian history.
Read More: No deal at union deadline; federal workers hit the picket lines as talks continue
Alex Creamer, chair of the Calgary area council for PSAC, says the turnout has been “fantastic” and that members arrived at around 6 a.m. Wednesday
He adds they will continue “past the end of the normal workday” every day until an agreement is made.
“On top of the hundreds of members that are here, we’ve also had support from other union members that aren’t on strike and other Calgarians showing that they are supporting our endeavours and our plight,” Creamer told CityNews.
Watch: No deal at union deadline; federal workers hit the picket lines
While the biggest issue is wages, which is a federal issue, Creamer says everything has a local impact.
“Without a fair wage offer, we’re struggling to feed our families. We’re struggling to pay our bills. And when we can’t feed our families and we can’t pay our bills. We can’t support Calgary businesses. We can’t help support local Calgarians,” he said.
He says all members work in industries supporting Calgary, including Service Canada, the passport office, and Employment and Immigration Services.
“We’re keeping Canadians safe. We’re ensuring they’re getting their CPP and old age security. We work in the tax office. We’re working in the jails, and we’re working in parole offices,” Creamer said.
“So any kind of detriment to those services for Calgary businesses and Calgarians is obviously going to be impacted, and we want to get back to work, so we want a fair offer, so we can go back to work and help support Calgarians.”
A few Canadian federal workers pose for a photo outside the Harry Hays Building in Calgary on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (Nick Blakeney, CityNews image)
The union is pushing for annual raises of 4.5 per cent over the next three years.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat 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.
Because the strike involves roughly one-third of all federal employees, the union and the government have warned of disruptions, including a halt or slow down of the tax season.
Other concerns include slowdowns at the border and disruptions to EI, immigration and passport applications.
Click here for an updated list of services affected.
-With files from Nick Blakeney and The Canadian Press
