PSAC, Treasury Board president blame each other for the pace of contract talks
CTV
Treasury Board President Mona Fortier and the head of the Public Service Alliance of Canada pointed blame at each other for the slow pace of contract talks, as negotiations resumed on Saturday afternoon in an attempt to end the strike by 155,000 public service workers.
Treasury Board President Mona Fortier and the head of the Public Service Alliance of Canada pointed blame at each other for the slow pace of contract talks, as negotiations resumed in an attempt to end the strike by 155,000 public service workers.
During a media conference Saturday afternoon outside a downtown Ottawa hotel, PSAC national president Chris Aylward accused the federal government of failing to respond to a new offer tabled on Thursday night.
Two-and-a-half hours later, Fortier issued a statement saying PSAC did not respond to a request to meet on Friday and cancelled a planned meeting Saturday afternoon.
"While our negotiators and our offer waited, Mr. Aylward chose instead to go on television to complain he had not received it," Fortier said, adding "the facts don't support the claims made by PSAC today."
The two sides returned to the bargaining table Saturday afternoon, on day four of a strike that has affected many federal government departments including passport applications, immigration applications and tax returns.
PSAC, Canada's largest public sector union, began a nationwide strike Wednesday after an agreement with the Treasury Board could not be reached with the federal government by Tuesday night.
The union called a media conference for 1:15 p.m. Saturday to provide an update on contract talks with the federal government. A frustrated Aylward said the union presented Treasury Board with a "comprehensive package" on Thursday but by Saturday afternoon, he had not received a reply.
