Civilian workers outside Canadian Forces Base Kingston mark Day 53 of job action

Strike action is continuing nearly two months after hundreds of civilian federal workers walked off the jobs in military bases in Ontario and Quebec.

In Kingston, the representative of the local union — UNDE Local 00681 — says negotiations have so far been frustrating between the union and its employer. The union represents workers who are members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Union of National Defence Employees. Overall, the job action consists of about 500 other members in Ontario and Quebec.

These workers are part of the Non-Public Funds agency.

As of March 7, the strike was in its 53rd day of ongoing job action, calling for an increase in wages and greater job security.

Kristofer Klith, vice-president of the local union, said one of the reasons for the continuing strike was a contract offer that hasn’t changed for months. He joined a number of striking workers outside Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

“As someone who’s been through all of these negotiations and been at the table, we’ve tried to work with the employer. They haven’t budged their monetary offer in the last 12 months,” Klith said. “We’re looking for fair wages, especially with the cost of living and inflation. We’re making sure that when we get this new agreement, that we’re not losing money with the value of our wages, as well as trying to catch up with the rest of the federal public service that, depending on the position and the location, make 40 to 60 per cent more than what some of our employees make.”

According to PSAC, the workers have been without a contract since 2022. Their role involves delivering food, recreation, community and financial planning services to military members and veterans.

In a statement to Global News, Maj. Roger Pierce, acting deputy base commander of CFB Kingston, said 80 unionized employees of  Canadian Forces Moral and Welfare Services Kingston are represented by PSAC and a part of the strike.

“We acknowledge the importance of legal strikes as part of the collective bargaining process and respect the rights of employees to strike. Canadian Forces Base Kingston remains responsible for, and committed to, the safety of the base and its personnel,” he said.

“To this end, strike monitors have been established to oversee the safety of picketers and those entering the base. We continue to work closely with Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services to coordinate strike monitoring and to maintain essential services to meet our mandate.”

0:33 Nearly 600 civilian workers on strike at military bases in Ontario, Quebec