Friday April 28, 2023 | VIEW ROYAL, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
This is the 10th day of Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers on strike, including on the picket line at the corner at Island Highway (Hwy 14) and Wilfert Road in View Royal.
Island Social Trends went to check out how things are going for the strikers showing their protest near the Burger King and Serious Coffee, across the street from Elements Casino.
In the morning commuter rush hour there have been some traffic backups, over which some drivers have apparently become irate and rude, according to one striker on the picket line. Some people have been having challenges getting their children to a local child care facility on time, due to the traffic backups.
Placards worn or held by picketers included messages like “Fair Wages”, “2% is on my milk”, and “Thank you for your support”, as well as “We’re here because Mona won’t budge” and “You know it’s bad when the introverts are here”.
Represented among the workers were CFB Esquimalt, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Economic and Social Development, Service Canada, and the coast guard.
Some people are bringing family members, including young babies. Some have brought along their dogs.
There is an organizational tent area where workers need to sign in, in order to receive their strike pay. Strike pay is a flat rate, not scaled to regular earnings.
Community support:
People have dropped by with pizza and snacks for the picketers, to show their support. Others have made donations to support the people on the front line, said one participant.
Local businesses that have been directly impacted are being cooperative. Apparently Elements Casino has offered the 6th level of their parking garage for strikers to use, to help free up parking at street level in the area.
Serious Coffee View Royal has allowed use of their washrooms; strike organizers have encouraged people to leave a tip for use of the washrooms, even if they don’t buy food or a beverage.
However, the Serious Coffee View Royal owner says that while there has been an uptick in retail sales the coffee shop is temporarily losing the business of regular customers who can’t wait too long in line. The sudden but temporary upsurge in customers probably adds an inventory management problem as well.
Relaxed but anxious:
Most participants were quite relaxed, including sitting in lawn chairs on the grass along the sidewalk. One fellow had his guitar at the ready, to serenade passersby.
Today the weather was highly cooperative… reaching above 20°C by mid-afternoon, compared to days earlier this week that were grey, cooler, and a bit rainy.
But underlying the upbeat camaraderie there is a level of tension. No one really wants to be a on a picket line, and the stakes (at the national negotiation level) are high.
Cost of living has dug in:
The continued grind of cost of living increases has been a key pressure to the strike happening at this time. However, contracts for both groups expired in 2021. Negotiations between the federal government and PSAC’s two groups began in 2021, with the union declaring an impasse with each unit last year. PSAC had previously asked for a 4.5 percent raise each year for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The federal government has been offering 9% over three years. “Canadians will judge that to be a fair and reasonable offer,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on April 24 on national TV.
Workers are looking for more than that, as well as greater flexibility with work-from-home arrangements (something that was generally seen as effective during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021).
Large national strike:
This is one of the largest labour strikes in Canadian history, with more than 150,000 public service workers pushing for higher wages, work-from-home options, and better job security. In larger cities there was some hampering of access to ports and picketing in front of government buildings across the country.
During the strike, Service Canada will only process passport applications for “emergency and humanitarian situations.”
All citizenship events will be rescheduled, though the website says some urgent applications “still may be processed.” Communications with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada by social media, IRCC web form and Client Support Centres will be delayed. Immigration-related appointments within Canada may be rescheduled, but those outside of the country are proceeding unless applicants are contacted to reschedule.
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) processes will apparently be slower, which is inconvenient (or worse) at tax time. Services to process CPP, OAS, GIS and the Child Tax Benefit will continue, the federal government has stated.
Contracts for both groups expired in 2021. Negotiations between the federal government and PSAC’s two groups began in 2021, but the union declared an impasse with each unit last year. PSAC had previously asked for a 4.5 percent raise each year for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Federal workers are hoping to see their wages keep up with the impact of inflation, so that they purchasing power doesn’t erode. It’s unclear whether workers in the private sector can keep up, given the pressures on small business and the pressures on interest rates (lines of credit, credit cards and mortgages).
Weekdays only:
The picketing doesn’t happen on weekends. Negotiations continue this weekend. If the strike continues on Monday, that will be Day 13.
===== READER COMMENTS:
“In my opinion there is no reason for them to be picketing where they are and disrupting traffic and local businesses. Their employers property is down the road and not on that corner or even within 200 feet maybe. I think it is unfair of the folks on strike. Picketing your workplace is absolutely your right, picketing somewhere close to your workplace just because it is more visible and hurting small businesses while purposefully disrupting traffic is a questionable tactic in my view.” ~ David Screech, April 29, 2023.
===== RELATED:
Federal workers on picket line in View Royal (April 24, 2023)
