Last updated: Oct. 23, 2026

A strong strike mandate is our most powerful tool to get the employer to deliver a fair contract. These FAQs cover everything you need to know about the strike vote process for the PA, TC, and EB groups, including voting eligibility, logistics, and what to expect.

Looking for general bargaining updates? For information on bargaining demands, timelines, and how the process works, visit our Treasury Board Bargaining FAQs. 

Keep your contact information up to date: Log in to the PSAC Member Portal or download the PSAC-AFPC member app to verify your personal email, phone number, and mailing address so you receive all strike vote and bargaining updates. 

Looking for something specific? Click the Expand all / Collapse all button to open all entries, then use your computer’s search function — Ctrl + F on a PC or Cmd + F on a Mac — to quickly find the terms or topics you need. 

Expand all / Collapse all

ELIGIBILITY

Who is eligible to participate in the strike votes?

PSAC members in the PA, TC, and EB bargaining groups are eligible to cast a vote.

Please take a moment to update your contact information with your personal, non-work email address and phone number to ensure you receive important bargaining updates.

If you have never signed a union card, or if you are unsure, you can submit a new card online.

What bargaining unit am I in?

Treasury Board members participating in the strike votes belong to one of three bargaining units: Program and Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), and Education and Library Science (EB). Together, these groups represent 115,000 federal public service workers across Canada.

If you are unsure which specific group applies to your role, you can use this chart to match your classification to your bargaining unit.

Are other Treasury Board and agency groups taking strike votes as well?

No, the SV, FB, and CRA groups are on separate bargaining tracks and will not take part in these strike votes:

• Operational Services (SV): SV members voted to pursue binding arbitration as their dispute resolution method rather than taking the conciliation and strike route. That means SV members will not participate in the strike votes and will continue working toward a negotiated agreement at the bargaining table.
• Border Services (FB): FB members working for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are also Treasury Board employees, but they operate on a separate bargaining schedule that began this summer and remains ongoing.
• Canada Revenue Agency: PSAC-UTE members working for the CRA are in separate negotiations with the federal government. They have declared impasse and are currently planning their next steps.

Are casual, term, and other non-permanent employees eligible?

• Apprentices and language trainees: You have the right to participate in strike votes.
• Term employees: If you hold a term contract of three months or longer, or if you have completed a series of shorter consecutive contracts totaling at least three months, you are considered an employee within the bargaining unit and are covered by the collective agreement. Therefore, you have the right to participate in strike votes.
• Casual employees and students: Casual workers and summer students are not legally considered employees within the PSAC bargaining unit. You are not eligible to vote and would be required to report to work as usual if a strike is called.

I received a workforce adjustment letter. Am I still eligible to vote?

As long as you remain employed, you maintain all rights and privileges of PSAC members, including the right to participate and vote.

STRIKE VOTES

What does a strike vote mean, and how does it impact bargaining?

A strike vote is a key strategic tool used to put pressure on the employer to reach a deal by signaling that members are serious and prepared to escalate if the employer continues to ignore or reject their demands.

Voting yes does not mean walking off the job immediately, but it gives the bargaining team real leverage at the table, and it also gives PSAC a strong mandate to authorize strike action if needed.

When are strike votes happening?

Strike votes run from November 16, 2026, to January 22, 2027.

In-person strike information and vote sessions will take place through November and December, followed by national virtual sessions in January. PSAC members across the PA, TC, and EB bargaining groups are eligible to vote. Full dates, locations, and registration details will be released on October 28.

Why are we calling strike votes now?

We want to reach a fair deal through negotiations, but employers only move when forced to.

While PSAC continues to bargain in good faith, Treasury Board refuses to discuss important issues — like remote work, AI protections, and reproductive health support — that other federal employers have already agreed to include in their contracts.

We cannot wait around while the employer stalls. Calling a strike vote now ensures we are prepared, mobilized, and ready to show Treasury Board that our members will not back down. A strong strike mandate gives our bargaining team the leverage needed to break the impasse and force the employer to negotiate seriously.

What are the sticking points in negotiations?

The federal government outright refuses to meaningfully discuss our top issues:

Wages: Treasury Board thinks 1% per year is an acceptable wage offer. $58 won’t even fill your gas tank, let alone offset the skyrocketing costs of daily essentials. When inflation is going up three times as fast as wages, it means a pay cut. Plain and simple.

Remote work: For a prime minister who claims to value efficiency and saving money, refusing flexibility for public service workers makes no sense. Other federal employers offer flexibility — our members deserve the same.

Job security: Nearly 15,000 members have received WFA notices, which only reinforces our calls for seniority-based rules, expanded retraining allowances, and an end to wasteful contracting out.

AI guardrails: We’re calling for clear boundaries in our contracts that would protect workers as AI changes the workplace.

How do I cast my vote?

Voting takes place online using the Vogo platform from November 16, 2026, to January 22, 2027.

1. Receive your voting credentials: Your unique credentials will be sent to your email from [email protected]. If you don’t see it, check your spam or junk folder. If we only have a mailing address on file, we will send your credentials by mail during the week of October 26. All voting takes place online with your ballot and PIN number.
2. Attend a mandatory info session: All members in the PA, TC, and EB bargaining units must attend a mandatory in-person or virtual strike vote information session before they can cast their vote. View upcoming sessions and register now.
3. Cast your vote online: Once your information session is complete, log in to the Vogo platform using a personal device (do not use employer-issued devices) to submit your ballot at any point before January 22 at 12 p.m. ET.

What if I don’t receive my voting credentials?

Voting credentials will be sent to your personal email address on October 28. If you haven’t received yours, please follow these steps:

1. Check your spam/junk folder: Look for an email from [email protected].
2. Check your mail: If PSAC only has a mailing address on file for you, your credentials will be sent by mail during the week of October 26.
3. Contact your regional office: If you still cannot find your credentials, contact your PSAC regional office to verify and update your member record.

Once your contact information and member record are updated in our database, your email with your voting credentials will be issued within 72 hours.

Why do I need to attend an information session before voting?

Attending an information session is a required step under PSAC’s Constitution to ensure every member is fully informed before casting a vote.

Strike vote sessions are a chance to hear directly from your bargaining team, ask questions, and get the information you need to make an informed decision on your next contract.

Can we avoid a strike even if we vote for one?

Yes. A successful strike vote gives us the authority to call a strike, but it doesn’t force us to. In fact, the stronger our strike mandate is, the greater our leverage is at the bargaining table, and the better our chances of securing a fair deal and avoiding a strike.

Many deals are reached at the eleventh hour because a strong strike vote shows the employer that members are united and refuse to settle for less.

STRIKE ACTION

Why would we go on strike?

Going on strike is always a last resort, but Treasury Board has given us no choice by pushing a contract that actively chips away at our standard of living.

Here is what is at stake:

• Insulting wage offer: The employer’s current offer averages less than 1% per year — adding just $58 a month to your paycheque before taxes. An extra $58 won’t even cover a tank of gas, let alone offset projected inflation of 8–10% over the life of the agreement. Accepting this offer means taking a real wage cut.
• Refusal on key priorities: Treasury Board continues to stonewall our discussions on important issues like remote work language, safeguards around AI, protections against contracting out, and reproductive health leave — even though other federal employers have already adopted these standards.

• Unilateral mandates & concessions: Instead of addressing the affordability crisis facing workers, the employer mandated a flawed return-to-office process while we were actively bargaining the topic, while pushing serious concessions that would undermine future negotiations.

Treasury Board expects workers to absorb rising costs for food, rent, transportation, and childcare while they balance their budget on our backs. A strong strike mandate is the clearest way to show the employer that we won’t settle for less than we deserve.

When will we go on strike?

Under federal legislation, a bargaining agent must declare or authorize a strike within 60 days following a successful strike vote. The exact timing will be decided by PSAC leadership following the strike vote process.

What would a potential strike look like?

Strike action includes different kinds of job action and doesn’t automatically mean a general strike. If members vote for a strike, our options could include: work-to-rule, where we strictly stick to the letter of our contracts and perform work more slowly; rotating strikes, with walkouts at strategic worksites; and strategic strikes, where a portion of the bargaining unit stops work at key locations. A general strike means a work-stoppage by all non-essential members of a bargaining unit. The goal is to apply maximum pressure on the employer to return to the table and get a fair deal.

What do we have to gain by going on strike?

Past PSAC strikes have won major improvements for members:

• 1980: Strike against Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals led to groundbreaking maternity leave benefits and the 93% top-up.
• 1991: Canada’s largest strike up to that point won major job security gains via the Workforce Adjustment Directive.
• 2001: “Workless Wednesdays” strike led to the conversion of term employees to indeterminate status after three years and created the Joint Learning Program.
• 2021: A one-day work-to-rule strike by FB members secured an 8% wage increase, protection against excessive discipline, leave improvements, and a paid meal allowance for uniformed members, and a commitment letter to work towards early retirement benefits for CBSA employees,
• 2022: A 128-day strike by 170 members at the Office of the Auditor General won a revamped pay grid and paid domestic violence leave.
• 2023: A 12-day strike by Treasury Board members led to wage increases that surpassed the employer’s initial offer and agreements already signed by other federal public service unions.

Why is it important for members to participate in strike action?

Together, we wield incredible power and set a standard that supports unionized and non-unionized workers across the country. When we work together, we apply maximum pressure on the government, which can lead to a shorter strike and a better collective agreement for workers.

STRIKE PAY AND OTHER FINANCIAL IMPACTS

What will happen to my regular pay?

Federal public service workers are paid two weeks in arrears, and interruptions in pay during a strike are unlikely to happen immediately. Past practice shows the employer will likely recover wages for struck work after a settlement is reached.

Will I receive strike pay?

Members are expected to attend a picket line for a minimum of four hours per day to qualify for strike pay. Strike pay will be paid retroactively for the full period to each member participating in the strike for the authorized duration of the strike.

Strike pay rates for members working 20+ hours per week:

• General: $100 per day ($500 max per week)
• Yukon: $137.60 per day ($688 max per week)
• Northwest Territories:$156.50 per day ($782.50 max per week)
• Nunavut: $188 per day ($940 max per week)

Strike pay rates for members working less than 20 hours per week:

• General: $70.66 per day ($353.30 max per week)
• Yukon: $96.32 per day ($481.60 max per week)
• Northwest Territories:$109.53 per day ($547.65 max per week)
• Nunavut: $131.60 per day ($658 max per week)

Payments will continue to be issued in weekly intervals. Some PSAC components and locals may also choose to top-up members’ strike pay. Strike pay is not considered taxable income by the Canada Revenue Agency and is governed by Regulation 6 in PSAC’s Constitution (page 76).

What if I can’t afford to go on strike?

Your union has a lot of support systems in place to make sure you never go without pay while you’re on strike.

PSAC’s Hardship Fund can provide assistance to members who experience extreme financial hardship due to the strike, including urgent matters of food and shelter. It is not intended to be a source of supplementary strike pay.

If you are experiencing significant financial hardship, please contact your PSAC regional office for more information in the case of a strike.

What happens to my dental and other group benefit plans?

Based on current employer policy, employees on strike will continue to receive coverage under the Public Service Group Benefit Plans. However, Treasury Board is entitled to change this approach. Unless you are informed by the employer that your benefits will be cut, they will remain ongoing.

How will my pension be affected?

Periods spent participating in a strike do not count as pensionable service and cannot be bought back. However, these periods are not considered breaks in service for the purpose of calculating a member’s highest five consecutive years of highest paid service.

The impact on a participating member’s future pension is to push back — by the exact number of days on strike — the date on which they complete the required years of service to qualify for a pension. Your compensation office will report your strike days to pension administration.

There will be no impact on the average salary calculation for members whose strike days do not fall within their five consecutive years of highest salary. Average salary is always based on the best five consecutive years of pensionable service rather than five continuous calendar years. If a member is on strike for 10 days during their peak salary window, the average salary calculation simply extends back in time to cover five years and 10 days of employment to ensure five full years of paid earnings are used. When contemplating retirement, members are encouraged to obtain a copy of their exact record of pensionable service before choosing a retirement date.

What happens to my approved leave?

Because no collective agreement is in force during a strike, the employer has no legal obligation to approve any type of leave.

Employer policy states that employees in a striking bargaining unit who are already on leave when the strike begins may generally be allowed to continue on leave. However, employees participating in a strike who were scheduled to go on leave during the strike will not be permitted to do so.

The employer may also choose to cancel existing leave, even if it has already commenced, and any leave request intended to avoid the consequences of strike action will be denied.

For sick leave, disability insurance, or other leaves with or without pay, employer manuals specify that members already on disability or approved leave prior to the strike should be authorized to remain on leave, provided they continue supplying required justification.

For maternity and parental leave, your entitlement to the leave itself is established by legislation and continues through a strike. Entitlement to salary top-up is established under the suspended collective agreement, meaning the employer could technically choose not to pay it. However, employer policy states that employees on leave prior to the strike should be permitted to continue, and the union actively pursues these top-ups as a standard demand in return-to-work protocols.

Necessary leaves of absence, such as bereavement or parental leave, will normally be approved subject to satisfactory evidence.

ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES

What are essential services?

These are jobs that must keep running during a strike because stopping them would cause an immediate danger to public safety or security.

What is an Essential Services Agreement?

An Essential Services Agreement (ESA) is a process where the union and employer determine whether positions in a bargaining unit perform essential duties.

While the employer decides which functions it deems essential, the union can argue against the headcount required and the exact duties assigned. Final disputes are ruled on by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board.

You will be formally notified if your position is deemed essential once a strike position is reached.

Can essential employees take part in strike activities?

If you are deemed essential, you cannot walk off the job or fail to perform your duties, but you play an important role by supporting your colleagues. Essential workers can wear union buttons in the workplace, join picket lines outside working hours, participate in phone banks, and mobilization activities that do not impact their work schedule.

ACTING POSITIONS AND SECONDMENTS

What if I’m on an acting assignment in a different bargaining unit?

If you are on an acting assignment in another bargaining unit outside of the PA, TC, or EB groups, you are not eligible to participate in the strike vote or take strike action.

Should I remain in my acting position or go back to my substantive position during the strike?

Only the employer can terminate an acting position, so you will continue in your acting role during a strike, unless instructed otherwise. Reverting to your substantive position on your own initiative may result in disciplinary action, especially if the acting position belongs to another bargaining agent.

I am on secondment. Can I participate in the strike?

If you believe you are on secondment, verify your employment documents, as employers sometimes use terminology confusingly. If your paperwork shows your terms and conditions are set by a collective agreement belonging to a striking bargaining unit, the union’s position is that you are permitted to strike. If your documents show your terms are not tied to a striking unit, you cannot strike and must perform your regular duties.

I am on interchange. Can I participate in the strike?

For members on interchange whose agreement states that you remain an employee of your home department or agency at all times and for all purposes, your right to strike is tied to your substantive position. If your substantive position is entitled to strike, you are entitled to strike as well.

NEXT STEPS

What strike preparation courses are available?

PSAC is committed to ensuring members are informed and prepared. Strike preparation courses are offered through PSAC regional offices across the country. Contact your regional office for availability.

Can we take part in job action before we’re in a strike position?

Yes. Workplace actions are already being organized to show solidarity. Examples include:

• Wearing and displaying union materials
• Advertising strike training in workplaces
• Holding workplace membership meetings
• Organizing lunchtime rallies outside worksites or online

Connect with your local union representative or PSAC regional office to get involved.

How can I support our bargaining teams?

• Send an email to your MP demanding a fair deal.
• Register for strike readiness and mobilization training by contacting your PSAC regional office.
• Talk to your coworkers about bargaining and encourage them to get involved.
• Connect with your PSAC area council through your PSAC regional office to discuss how members can prepare for an effective strike.
• Take action by wearing black on the next Day of Solidarity.
• Show your support at work with our “I Support My Bargaining Team” materials.

Keep your contact information up to date: Log in to the PSAC Member Portal or download the PSAC-AFPC member app to verify your personal email, phone number, and mailing address so you receive all strike vote and bargaining updates. 

Expand all / Collapse all