As talks between the federal government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada come down to the wire, a potential strike is becoming imminent.
If a deal isn’t reached by 9 p.m. eastern time Tuesday night, a strike will be triggered at 12:01 a.m. eastern time Wednesday.
PSAC represents 155,000 federal public servants across the country, with 4,500 employees in Kingston.
The Department of National Defence employs almost half of the total number of PSAC employees in Kingston, with nearly 2,000 workers.
The Department of Employment and Social Development Canada also employs a significant portion in the city, with more than 700 on their staff.
There are also nearly 300 employees each in the Canada Revenue Agency and Correctional Service of Canada.
According to PSAC, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans employs more than 250 workers, and Veterans Affairs Canada has about 80 workers.
The Parole Board of Canada and Indigenous Services Canada round out the PSAC employees in Kingston with 80 and 50 employees, respectively.
It remains unclear if a deal will be reached Tuesday night, with the president of PSAC saying despite some progress, there has been little movement on the union’s key priorities.
Those priorities include increased wages, benefits and remote work.