By Canadian Press

Major public-service union and to begin mediated negotiations with federal government

Mar 30, 2023 | 12:52 PM

OTTAWA — The federal government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, a union representing 165,000 federal public servants, are expected to begin mediated negotiations on Sunday as a possible strike looms.

The union announced strike votes for workers in the core public service in January amid a protracted labour dispute, with final votes to be cast by April 11.

If workers opt for a strike, the union would be able to begin one within 60 days, as long as it gives the government three days’ notice.

The decision to start mediated negotiations follows a recent recommendation from the federal labour relations board’s Public Interest Commission, which called for the two parties to return to the bargaining table. 

Negotiations over a new contract first began in June 2021, but talks broke down and the union declared an impasse in May 2022, with both parties filing labour complaints since.

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The government says it is committed to reaching an agreement that will be fair to both parties. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. 

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press