After nearly two years of bargaining leading to one of the largest strikes in Canadian history, PSAC has reached tentative agreements for the more than 120,000 Treasury Board workers who deliver critical services to Canadians.   

Members of the PA, SV, TC and EB bargaining groups will soon have the opportunity to vote on the tentative agreement. PSAC’s Treasury Board bargaining teams recommend ratification. 

Ratification votes for PSAC members in the four Treasury Board groups will begin on May 24 and end on June 16 at noon ET. 

How do I register and vote on the tentative agreement?

PSAC members in PA, SV, TC and EB will receive an email from communications@psac-afpc.vote on May 24 with the link to PSAC's voting platform and the credentials needed to log in.

If you do not receive an email on May 24, check your junk mail and/or promotions folders on a laptop or desktop computer. If you’ve checked those folders and still don’t have the email, we may not have your personal email on file. Fill out a PSAC membership form to update your contact information.  

Once you submit the online membership form, PSAC will issue your voting credentials to you as soon as possible.

If we only have your home address on file, your voting credentials will be mailed to you, and you will likely receive the mailed credentials the week of June 1st. 

How can I vote?

After logging into the voting platform using the individual credentials sent to you, you can vote any time after watching the mandatory information video by following the instructions on-screen.  

You can also log back into the voting platform at a later time to cast your vote before the deadline, including after registering for and attending an optional virtual or in person Q&A session. 

The voting deadline is June 16 at noon ET.

Why do I need to watch a video before voting?

You are required to watch a pre-recorded mandatory information session video before voting to ensure you have the information you need to make an informed decision.  

How can I watch the mandatory information session video?

You can log in to PSAC’s voting platform at any time during the voting period using the credentials emailed to you. The video cannot be skipped and must be played to the end before you will be permitted to vote. The video can be paused and replayed. After you’ve watched the video, follow the on-screen instructions to vote. You can log into the voting platform to watch the information session video and cast your vote at any point between May 24 and June 16 at noon ET.  

I require an accommodation and/or technical support.

If you require an accommodation to participate fully in either a virtual or an in person  Q&A sessions (such as ASL interpretation), please contact your PSAC regional office as soon as possible.   

Can I use the employer’s equipment or network for the ratification vote?

It is preferable to use your own computer or smartphone, using your home network or mobile data. The vote platform is optimized for mobile devices and tablets.  

Will there be an opportunity to ask questions?

Yes, bargaining team members will be holding townhall-style Q&A  sessions to answer members’ questions. These Q&A sessions will be held either online using Zoom or in person.

Who is eligible to vote?

To be eligible to vote in the ratification portion of the vote, Treasury Board members need to: 

• Ensure you are a Member in Good Standing. If you aren’t a member in good standing or if you are unsure, complete a Union Membership card by signing your union card electronically. 
• If you are on an extended leave (parental, disability, etc.), you can request to maintain good status while on leave prior to the vote. 
• If you do not sign a Union Membership card (or are not a Member in Good Standing) you will only be eligible to vote on the second question of the vote for strike action. 
• Watch the mandatory information video. You are required to watch a mandatory information session video before voting. The video cannot be skipped and must be played to the end before you will be permitted to vote. After you’ve watched the video, follow the on-screen instructions to vote. You can log into the voting platform to watch the information session video and cast your vote at any point between May 24 and June 16 at noon ET.  

What is the wage increase that was negotiated?

PSAC negotiated wage increases totaling a minimum of 12.6% compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2024 and retroactive to June 2021 when the previous contract expired. PSAC secured an additional fourth year in the agreement that protects workers from inflation, as well as a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.7% of salary for the average PSAC member in Treasury Board bargaining units.   
 
For more information see the full ratification kits for : PA, SV, TC and EB . 

When will the new collective agreement be implemented?

Treasury Board has 180 days from the date of signing the new collective agreement to raise the pay according to the new rates and provide retro pay for the time elapsed since the expiry of the old contracts. 
 
If the employer fails to provide retro pay within the 180-day deadline, they will face additional financial penalties. If the implementation period goes beyond 180 days and when the outstanding amount owed is greater than $500, the employer will pay a $200 lump sum per employee. 
 
All non-monetary terms of the collective agreement will come into effect immediately after signing. 

When will the deal come into effect?

A majority of voting members participating in the ratification process must vote in favour of the agreement for it to be ratified. If a majority votes “yes” in the ratification vote, PSAC will meet with the employer to sign your new collective agreement. The new negotiated provisions come into effect on the date of signing, unless otherwise specified. 

When will the wage increases be implemented?

Treasury Board has 180 days from the date of signing the new collective agreement to raise the pay according to the new rates and provide retro pay for the time elapsed since the expiry of the old contracts. 
 
If the employer fails to provide retro pay within the 180-day deadline, they will face additional financial penalties. If the implementation period goes beyond 180 days and when the outstanding amount owed is greater than $500, the employer will pay a $200 lump sum per employee. 
 
All non-monetary terms of the collective agreement will come into effect immediately after signing.

Who will get retroactive pay for the negotiated economic increases?

The annual economic increases included in the new collective agreement are retroactive to the date your former collective agreement expired. This means that you are entitled to retroactive pay for the period you were employed and a member of your bargaining unit, regardless of current employment status.

The previous collective agreements expired on the following dates:

• PA – June 20, 2021
• TC – June 21, 2021
• EB – June 30. 2021
• SV – August 4, 2021

Will retroactive pay be taxable?

Yes, retroactive pay is subject to taxes. 

Who will get the lump sum payment?

As part of your economic package for this tentative agreement, a one-time, pensionable, lump sum payment of $2,500 will be paid to each employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on the date of signing of the new agreement. Additionally, the one-time lump sum is to be paid to employees on Leave Without Pay (LWOP). Part-time employees working more than 1/3 of full-time hours will receive the full lump sum. The employer has 180 days after the date of signing to issue the lump sum payment. 

The payment will be based on the substantive position occupied by the employee on the date that the collective agreement is signed. As such, an employee who is on an acting assignment outside the bargaining unit but whose substantive position is in the bargaining unit will receive the lump sum.

The lump does not apply to: 

An employee who is on an acting assignment in the bargaining unit but whose substantive position is outside the bargaining unit;

Excluded employees who are eligible to receive performance pay; 

Non-unionized employees who are eligible to receive performance pay; 

Casual employees, students, term employees (less than 3 months), and part-time employees (working less than 1/3 of full-time hours)  

If I retired recently or left the bargaining unit, will I get the lump sum payment?

Unfortunately, no. The lump sum payment is only given to members of the unit who are employed in the bargaining unit on the date of signing. 

I still have more questions about voting. Who can I contact?

Contact your regional office

Q&A meetings and locations

For the full list of sessions

Pay during a strike

Issues with hours of work first day back after strike 

Issues with hours of work first day back after strikeWhen returning to work after the Treasury Board strike ended on Monday, May 1st, some PSAC members may have started later than their usual scheduled start time and some managers have raised this issue with them.There are two important things to note:

• The union negotiated a buffer of 12 hours from the signing of the tentative agreement to provide members extra time to begin work the next day in case it was impossible for them to start earlier in the morning. Therefore no employee can be considered having arrived late as long as they were working by 11:00 a.m. ET since the agreement was only reached at 11:00 p.m. ET on May 1st.
• The employer is insisting that if this later start time reduced the number of hours worked that day, that those hours should be recouped by the employer. Managers have been formally directed however to be flexible in their approach to recouping the displaced hours and simply allow workers to make up the time where possible — or if employees prefer, they can simply submit leave for that time.

What will happen to my pay? 

Federal public service workers are paid two weeks in arrears. PSAC members who were on strike will see first reductions in pay starting on their May 10th pay or later pay periods. For more information: http://ow.ly/5pA850NRTHq 

When will I receive my strike pay? 

Please note that strike pay began to be processed on Thursday, April 27. Payments will continue to be issued in weekly intervals. 

*We have been made aware that those who have auto-deposit enabled on TD bank accounts have had their e-transfers cancelled by the bank. We will re-send the payments as soon as the issue is resolved by TD. 

E-transfers will reach members in the first days as they are automatic, while physical cheques will take a few more days to print and distribute. When cheques are ready for distribution, members will be notified by their regional office. 

If you signed up for strike pay via eTransfer, your password is your PSAC ID. 
 
Please note if you signed in manually without being scanned on any of your days of picketing, your strike pay for that day may be delayed until the following week's payment.  We ask that you please wait until the following week's payment before submitting any errors for review. 
 
If after two strike payments you still have errors or issues with your strike pay, please submit a request for PSAC to resolve the problem using this form. 

Is strike pay taxable? 

Strike pay is not considered taxable income by the Canada Revenue Agency. 

Will I be affected by Phoenix because we were on strike? 

Based on past precedents and expert advice from our union Phoenix experts and your colleagues that work at the Pay Centre, we don’t anticipate Phoenix complications. Especially if the strike lasts five days or less. 

Based on past experience, members will most likely continue to receive pay from the employer while on strike and have pay deducted only after the strike concludes and leave without pay requests are submitted and processed. These leave requests are no more likely to be affected by Phoenix than any other leave submission throughout the year. 

It’s important to remember the Pay Centre is staffed by PSAC members who will be well prepared for the influx of leave submissions. Members will enter any time missed due to job action in their departmental PeopleSoft upon return to the office using the appropriate time code (i.e., 9550 – LWOP-Strike Participation), and these requests may even be given special attention. 

Additionally, members will receive strike pay from PSAC if they meet minimum participation requirements during the strike period, which are not processed through the Phoenix system. Some components and locals may also offer strike pay top ups. 

What happens to my dental and other group benefit plans during a strike? 

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 a strike affect my pension? 

Periods while a member participates in a strike do not count as pensionable service. Also, the periods participating in a work stoppage strike cannot be “bought back.” However, these periods are not considered as “breaks” in pensionable service for purposes of calculating a member’s “highest five consecutive years of highest paid service.” 

The impact on the future pension for a member who participates in a strike is to push back — by the number of days on strike — the date on which he or she completes the required years of service to qualify for a pension. Your strike days will be reported to the pension administration by your compensation office. 

There will be no impact on the average salary on which the pension will be calculated for members whose days on strike do not fall within their five consecutive years of highest salary. 

Average salary for pension benefit purposes is always based on the member’s best five consecutive years of highest paid salary. Any salary lost due to a strike during the final average salary period is accounted for by extending back in time the average salary period so that five years of paid earnings are used in the calculation.  
 
For example, if a member had been on strike for 10 days during the relevant period, the average salary would be based on earnings paid during the best consecutive five years and 10 days of employment. It should be noted that average salary is based on five consecutive years of pensionable service, rather than on five continuous years of service. 

When contemplating retirement, members should be encouraged to obtain a copy of their exact record of pensionable service before deciding on their retirement date, to ensure that they have the required service for the pension option on which they are counting. 

I need to update my contact info. 

You can update your contact information online by logging in to PSAC’s member portal or creating an account. 

If you have any issues logging in or creating your account, please reach out to our dedicated team by visiting the Contact Us page and choosing “PSAC online account help” from the dropdown menu.