PSAC National President Chris Aylward delivered the following message to members of the Treasury Board and CRA bargaining teams 

Friends, 

You may have seen the headlines this weekend – things didn’t get off to a great start.  

We made some progress in the end, but we’re not there yet. 

I can report that at the Treasury Board common issues table, we made some headway on remote work language, and both sides have moved in order to get closer to a resolution on wage increases. 

At the CRA bargaining table, talks continue but without a new mandate from the employer, things haven’t moved much further. 

So we’re not at the finish line yet, but I know that we can get to a fair deal for all 155,000 PSAC members thanks to the strong strike mandate you’ve delivered and the incredible solidarity you’ve shown from coast to coast to coast. 

As we moved towards our strike deadline last week, the employer finally put a wage offer of 9% over three years on the table. You did that. 

And when you hit the picket lines, it’s the first time we saw real progress at the table. You did that. 

Even if the government seems content to prolong this strike and its impact on Canadians, I know you have the collective power to get us to a fair deal in the coming days. And tomorrow we’re going to escalate our actions. 

See you on the picket lines on Monday! 

In solidarity, 

Chris Aylward 

PS: I know many of you still have lots of questions so we’ve updated our FAQ.