Achi news desk-
After nearly 100 days on strike, civilian-military workers at Canadian Forces Base Kingston appear to be heading back to work
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said Friday that nearly 300 civilian military employees in Kingston, Ottawa, and Petawawa will return to their jobs after voting 71 percent in favor during confirmation votes.
Their role includes providing food, recreation, community and financial planning services to military members and veterans.
According to the union, the settlement includes wage increases totaling 13.75 percent over a three-year contract ending in 2025, which is an average of 4.6 percent a year.
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“This settlement secures important gains for our members after being on strike for more than three months in the face of employer indifference, threats from the police, violence in the picket line, and the use of the scabbard,” PSAC national president Chris Aylward said in a statement.
“That is why our bargaining teams brought this proposal to a vote – because ultimately bargaining is led by our members, and they deserved the opportunity to cast their vote.”
The union said the agreement included a commitment to consult with the PSAC on the implementation of one national job classification for all jobs, to create a national salary grid to close salary gaps between military bases across the country.
But not all of the union members took up the offer.
Workers in Bagotville, Montreal-St-Jean, and Valcartier will remain on strike after 80% of votes cast rejected the settlement.
The union said Friday that the strike will end immediately at military bases in Kingston, Ottawa, and Petawawa, and members are expected to return to work within the next five days.
The local civilian federal workers are among hundreds who have been on strike at military bases in Ontario and Quebec since January.
The workers had been without a contract since 2022.
— With files from Global’s Talha Hashmani
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
