CRA, union reach tentative deal, ending strike of 35,000 workers

The public-sector union representing Canada Revenue Agency employees has struck a tentative deal with the federal government, ending a strike of 35,000 workers just after the tax season wrapped up.

The announcement of a prospective agreement comes after the government and Public Service Alliance of Canada came to separate deals that ended a strike of more than 120,000 other public servants.

CRA employees represented by PSAC’s Union of Taxation Employees were still on strike two days after the federal tax-filing deadline.

The union is telling members to return to work on May 4 by 11:30 a.m. ET at the latest.

In a statement, PSAC said the tentative deal includes wage increases totalling 12.6% compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021 to 2024, as well as an additional fourth year in the agreement that protects workers from inflation. The tentative agreement also includes a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.6% of salary for the average member.

In its own release, the CRA said it and PSAC reached a tentative settlement on telework outside of the collective agreement. It said both agreed to undertake a review of the directive on virtual work arrangements, and to create a panel to advise the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner regarding employee concerns.

The union threatened earlier Wednesday that it would plan to send its members to disrupt a Liberal party convention in Ottawa on Thursday if the employer didn’t table a “fair” deal.

The separate agreements that PSAC negotiated with the government included a 11.5% wage increase over four years.

Earlier in the negotiations, the tax employees’ union had been pushing for a 20.5% increase over a three-year period.

The Canadian Press

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