British Columbians look for answers as services stall following federal worker strike

As workers from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) walked off the job in droves Wednesday, some British Columbians looking to access services were left searching for answers.

The strike saw more than 150,000 federal public workers — including staff of Service Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada, Indigenous Services Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency — across the country refuse to work, affecting everything from passport processing to tax returns and immigration applications.

PSAC says talks with their employer, the Government of Canada — represented by the Treasury Board, which negotiates all public sector contracts — broke down earlier in the week, with the union's contract expiring in 2021.

The strike comes days away from the tax deadline of April 30, and only a few months after the government reported clearing backlogs that have been plaguing the system during the pandemic, including immigration and passport applications.

At a Service Canada location in Surrey, southeast of Vancouver, on Wednesday morning, some people walking in for their passport appointment were in disbelief.

"The only thing we have to do is wait," said Michelle Lee, who had come to the office to get her dad a new passport. "I'm kinda trying to say, 'Can we check the website status, is it a one-day thing, or tomorrow?'

"They don't have an answer."

PSAC has promised to stay on strike until their demands, including an inflation-linked pay raise and work-from-home provisions, are met. 

Lisa Zhang, who recently became a Canadian citizen, was at the Surrey office Wednesday to get a new passport. Her grandmother, who lives in China, is sick.

"It's really frustrating because there has been delay in getting my citizenship and everything. Now, there's delay in getting the passport, which should not be a problem," she told CBC News.

Jamey Mills, regional executive vice-president for PSAC in B.C., said federal workers want to have work-from-home rights enshrined in their collective agreement.

"Right now, the employer is the only one deciding if someone can work from home," he said. "It's unilaterally applied and the changes are not being done in consultation with the union."

Mills said previous federal workers' strikes have not lasted long, and he hopes the job action leads to a better agreement for the striking employees.

John-Henry Harter, a labour studies lecturer at Simon Fraser University, said he would be watching to see if the public supported the striking workers amid widespread discontent over the cost of living.