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Tentative deal reached to end Canada Revenue Agency strike

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) strike in Montreal, on Monday, May 1, 2023. File photo by The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

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 per cent compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2024, 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 per cent of salary for the average member.

Canada Revenue Agency, union reach tentative deal, ending #strike of 35,000 workers. #CDNPoli #PSAC #CRA

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 per cent wage increase over four years.

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

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2023.

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