Workers at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) will strike as of 6 a.m. November 26 after going without a contract since September 2018.
Over 160 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members belonging to the Audit Services Group at the OAG help ensure that Canada’s federal and territorial government are accountable to Canadians. This will be the first strike in the history of the OAG.
The Audit Services Group is the lowest paid group at the OAG. It is also comprised mostly of women, who make up 75% of the bargaining unit.
Yet, OAG management continued rejecting PSAC’s proposals to improve compensation for this group even after an independent Public Interest Commission (PIC) sided with the union’s position in August.
“We’ve exhausted all avenues and, after more than three years of waiting to reach a fair deal, these workers have decided they have no choice but to strike,” said Alex Silas, PSAC’s Regional Executive Vice-President for the National Capital Region.
“Our members deserve wages like those of other federal government workers, that keep up with the cost of living, and that match up with the raises unrepresented workers at OAG have been given,” explained Kevin King, president of the Union of National Employees, PSAC’s component union responsible for members at OAG. “It’s about fairness and respect.”
“I urge OAG management to avoid a strike by reaching out to us as soon as possible with an offer that addresses our members’ concerns and respects the PIC’s recommendations,” added Silas. “We’re always willing to sit down and talk, but we’re also ready to fight for what we deserve.”
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PSAC members at the OAG perform a wide range of technical, professional, administrative and clerical duties in support of the organization’s mission. They play a key role in ensuring Parliament is provided with timely and detailed reports on federal and territorial government operations and the stewardship of public funds.