"Despite the fact that equal pay for work of equal value is the law, the government has seen fit to table different economic increases for employees in the Program and Administrative Services group (Table 1) and employees in the Operational Services Group (Table 2)," declares Turmel. "I believe the government may be trying to recoup part of the pay equity settlement with these offers."

PSAC members in the Clerical and Regulatory (CR), Data Processing (DA-CON), and Secretarial, Stenographic and Typing (ST) groups are part of Table 1. They received pay equity payments last year in settlement of a 15-year old complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The settlement also applied to members in the Library Science (LS) and EU (Education support) groups who are in negotiations at Table 5.

"While negotiations are continuing, strike action is likely to escalate even further early next week if the government persists in tabling discriminatory wage offers," says Turmel.

"PSAC Ships Crews members, on a number of ships, took strike action over the weekend to protest the slow pace of negotiations and a government demand that they use part of their vacation leave to earn a full year’s salary," according to Turmel. "Members on more ships are joining in as their vessels arrive in port."

At various times this weekend PSAC members have also been on strike at a number of locations including the Windsor Tunnel, the Hamilton airport, the PAC highway in British Columbia, the Burlington lift bridge and the Sarnia border crossing.

The PSAC continues to seek a fair economic increase of 5% a year for all of its Treasury Board membership.

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Information: Nycole Turmel, PSAC National President, (613) 850-9022 (cell)

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