Huddled in a downtown Ottawa meeting room, workers from all walks of life are sitting across the table from federal government negotiators later this week in a last\u002Dditch effort to avoid one of the largest strikes in Canadian history.
Many of them make less than $50,000 per year – so little they would fall under the low-income cut-off for many of the government’s own programs. Tens of thousands more make between $50,000 to $65,000 per year – decent wages, but not the kind that can continue to be gouged by inflation and still make ends meet.
And when the federal government – far and away Canada’s largest employer – depresses wages for workers, it means private sector employers across the country need to be less competitive and can keep their wages down as well. They’re not just sending the message that workers facing record price hikes should earn less; they are making it a reality for workers everywhere.
Everyone deserves to be paid fairly, to be treated with respect, and to work in safe and inclusive workplaces. Instead of pushing workers down in a race to the bottom, the government should be leading by example and raising the bar for all employers across the country.Article content Instead, the government came to the table looking for concessions, and demanding workers accept wages that equates to a serious pay cut as the cost of living rises.– and another 120,000 federal workers may not be far behind. In the coming days, this government faces a critical test.
It must decide if it will seize this last chance to put its best foot forward and negotiate a fair deal for Canada’s public service workers – or stare down a historic national strike no one wants that could impact millions of Canadians across the country.Chris Aylward is President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
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