Reject federal offer, PSAC tells members

October 15, 2004

15 October 2004

Reject federal offer, PSAC tells members

The following article is excerpted from the CBC News on 15 October.

The union representing thousands of striking federal public servants will let the workers vote on the latest offer from federal government, but is recommending that they reject it.

Negotiators for the Public Service Alliance of Canada received a new offer from the federal government Friday morning.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, PSAC president Nycole Turmel spoke of her "disgust" with the government's proposed agreement and "the lack of respect" for their members.

Turmel said the union could not accept government demands for clawbacks that would result in some members losing $2,000 to $3,000 a year. [This clawback affects grain inspectors only.]

But she said members would be allowed to vote on the agreement nevertheless.

"Our union is a democratic union," Turmel said, adding that general strike action has been suspended until the vote is held and the ballots are counted.

The voting could take more than six weeks. That means that if members reject the offer, they could be back on the picket lines around Christmas.

Union officials told their members to go back to their jobs as talks continued on Friday, but advised them to work to rule. That means they won't agree to do overtime or take on projects that extend beyond their job descriptions, and may work more slowly than usual.

About 90,000 workers are still in a legal strike position. …

Approximately 80,000 administrative and clerical staff are the largest group without a tentative agreement.

Nearly 10,000 grain inspectors and technical support workers also remain without a contract.


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