Canada’s government reached a deal with 35,000 revenue agency workers yesterday Thursday, May 4, ending a strike that had slowed down the processing of annual tax returns and heading off a potential embarrassment for Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.
The tentative agreement is very similar to the deal struck on Monday with 120,000 federal employees, according to statements by both the government and union.
Bothe the revenue agency workers and other federal departments had walked out on Wednesday, April 19. Had a deal not been reached, the union had promised to picket outside the Liberal Party’s Convention last Thursday evening when Trudeau is scheduled to speak.
Agreement has secured a fair contract that exceeds the employees original offer before the launch of strike action, and provides wage increase by other federal bargaining agents, “the Public Service Alliance of Canada,” they said.
The proposed agreement includes an 11.05 percent wage increase over 4 years, with a 0.5 percent allowance in the third year, and a one-time $2,500 bonus for employees, the Canada Revenue Agency said separately in a statement.
The union calculates the deal as a “compounded” overall wage increase of 12.6 percent in 4 years.