As a food service worker at CFB Esquimalt, Wendy Keeping is no stranger to 14-hour shifts, weekends and every statutory holiday to keep troops fed.
After she never joined a union in 63 years, she said it was the right thing to do on Wednesday to join other Greater Victoria workers on the picket line as about a third of Canada’s federal public servants go on strike across the country.
Strike action is expected at more than 250 locations across Canada after the Treasury Secretariat and the Public Service Coalition of Canada (PSAC) were unable to reach an agreement by the April 18 deadline.
Keeping at CFB Esquimalt may have to move out of Victoria as their wages fall below the local living wage.
“In one of the most expensive cities in Canada, we haven’t had any increase in the cost of living — it’s been a struggle,” Keeping said. “We have to get out of here, we have no choice.”
Wage growth was at the top of the table in the negotiations, with unions pushing for 4.5 per cent annual wage increases for the next three years – a requirement PSAC said was necessary to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living. The Finance Committee said it proposed to unions on April 16 a 9 per cent wage increase over three years, based on recommendations from a third-party public interest committee.
Federal civilian workers involved in Operation CFB Esquimalt picketed outside the Greater Victoria Naval Base on April 19 as nationwide strike action came after missing a deadline for a new deal. (Jack Romphf/News Crew)
On Wednesday morning, some of CFB Esquimalt’s approximately 14,000 civilian employees, plumbers, plumbers, carpenters, firefighters and others were dispatched to picket lines outside the base. Ian Wiggs said all of those members are needed to keep the fleet going and make sure armed forces personnel on base are ready to carry out their missions.
“Everybody who needs a base of operations, we’re here,” said the site’s strike captain.
Negotiations have been underway for two years after the collective agreement expires in 2021, and household spending has soared in the years since.
“A lot of our members are feeling the pinch, they’re having a hard time,” Wiggs said. “With proper negotiation and the involvement and assistance of the Finance Committee, we can get our families back up and running.”
Claudette Bath has had to maximize its line of credit due to recent increases in the cost of living and the fact that some naval base members are limited to wages below $22 an hour.
“It’s really hard to make ends meet,” the administrator said. “People expect a lot from us and it’s very frustrating for the money we’re taking home.”
Workers picketed outside a federal building in downtown Victoria on April 19 as nationwide strike action came after missing a deadline for a new deal. (Jack Romphf/News Crew)
Teleworking is another element PSAC members want in the new collective agreement, for those striking outside the federal building on Government Street to be able to hit more targets while working from home.
The downtown office processes applications for programs such as the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and disability benefits — a workload that has grown in recent years as baby boomers retire. Civil servants want wages that match inflation, as strikers say they are under pressure to dispose of more items each day and often work on breaks to help more clients.
“Our goal is to get fair wage increases that allow people to live and buy groceries and gas, not lose their houses,” said Jen Kennedy, who was assisting other members of the downtown strike.
The strike, which comes after next month’s tax filing deadline, could also slow down borders and disrupt employment insurance, immigration and passport applications.
Documents from Canadian media
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