More than 120,000 federal public service workers across Canada will soon vote on whether to go on strike.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced the nationwide strike votes in an Oct. 21 news release. The union says contract talks with the federal government’s Treasury Board have broken down over wages, remote work and job security.
Voting will take place from Nov. 16, 2026, to Jan. 22, 2027.
The vote includes workers in three major bargaining groups covering program and administrative services, technical services, and education and library science. Together, these employees work as wildland firefighters, passport and benefit officers, fishery officers, federal teachers, librarians and administrative staff.
In the release, union national president Sharon DeSousa says the government left workers with no other option.
“We want to negotiate a fair deal, but by pushing pay cuts and refusing to discuss any of our key issues, Treasury Board has given us no choice but to take strike votes,” DeSousa says. “Federal public service workers are the backbone of this country: protecting communities, supporting veterans, responding when disaster strikes, and delivering the benefits people rely on every day. We will not let this government find its budget savings on the backs of workers.”
According to the union, the two sides have been at the bargaining table for a year and a half. The union says the government has refused to negotiate major issues like fair pay, remote work rules, job security and protections against artificial intelligence.
In April, the government offered an average wage increase of less than one per cent per year. That works out to an extra $58 per month over the life of the contract.
The union says the offer amounts to a pay cut for workers who are already struggling with the rising costs of food, rent, childcare and transportation.
The union also says the Treasury Board is trying to take away existing workplace rights, even though other federal employers have already included similar protections in their contracts.
According to the release, the government wants to remove the dental care plan and workforce adjustment rules from the contract. The union says this would strip away its ability to negotiate job security and better benefits in future talks.
The employer is also pushing to expand the regular daily work window, which would let managers schedule staff at unusual hours without extra pay. In addition, the union says proposed changes would give managers more control, making it harder for workers to take leave they are entitled to.
If workers vote in favour of a strike, it could set the stage for the second major federal walkout in recent years. In 2023, 155,000 union members spent 12 days on the picket line to reach a new contract.
“A strike is always our last resort, but we aren’t going to let Treasury Board roll back the rights we’ve fought so hard to win,” DeSousa says. “The employer is underestimating the strength of our members. We are organized, united, and ready to do whatever it takes to get the fair deal workers deserve.”
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is the largest federal public service union in the country. It represents 240,000 workers in every province and territory, including more than 165,000 people employed by the federal government and its agencies.
The Lakeside Leader spoke with staff at Service Canada in Slave Lake, who said they could not comment to the media.
