PSAC strike could be a ‘trendsetter’ for wages this year, experts say. Here’s why

Public servants angling for a pay raise and more flexible work conditions could be a signal for workers elsewhere in the country to ask for more in their workplace, experts say.

The head of the union representing public sector workers who are striking for better wages and working conditions couldn’t have been clearer in his message to Canadians earlier this week: We’re not just fighting for public servants, we’re fighting for you.

“When the federal government represses its wages for its own employees, what they’re doing is repressing wages for workers right across the country: unionized workers, non-unionized workers, private sector, public sector,” Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said in a speech Monday.

“We’re asking the government to come to the table and set that bar for all working people in this country to make sure that no workers get left behind.”

But how much will negotiations between Ottawa and public servants ultimately impact other Canadian workers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet after a year of rampant inflation and rising interest rates?

Some experts say the ongoing labour dispute could indeed set the tone for negotiations in your own workplace, especially for those looking for more flexibility in their job.

Here’s what to know.

Thousands of public-service workers began their strike Wednesday morning after the federal government and the PSAC, representing some 155,000 federal workers up for bargaining, couldn’t reach a deal in negotiations that began almost two years ago.

Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and Atkinson Fellow for the Future of Workers, tells Global News that it’s likely labour leaders, employers and workers alike are keeping a close eye on how negotiations between PSAC and the federal government resolve.