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CRA strike ends after union reaches tentative deal with Ottawa

Click to play video: 'CRA reaches tentative deal with feds to end strike'
CRA reaches tentative deal with feds to end strike
WATCH: The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)'s Union of Taxation Employees (UTE), which represents Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees, has reached a tentative deal with the federal government, ending the strike of 35,000 workers. Mackenzie Gray explains – May 4, 2023

The public-sector union representing Canada Revenue Agency employees has struck a tentative deal with the federal government, ending a strike of 35,000 workers just after the tax season wrapped up.

The announcement of a prospective agreement comes after the government and Public Service Alliance of Canada came to separate deals that ended a strike of more than 120,000 other public servants.

CRA employees represented by PSAC’s Union of Taxation Employees were still on strike two days after the federal tax-filing deadline.

The union is telling members to return to work on May 4 by 11:30 a.m. ET at the latest.

Click to play video: 'The impact of the Public Workers’ strike on tax deadline'
The impact of the Public Workers’ strike on tax deadline

In a statement, PSAC said the tentative deal includes wage increases totalling 12.6 per cent compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2024, as well as an additional fourth year in the agreement that protects workers from inflation. The tentative agreement also includes a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.6 per cent of salary for the average member.

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In its own release, the CRA said it and PSAC reached a tentative settlement on telework outside of the collective agreement. It said both agreed to undertake a review of the directive on virtual work arrangements, and to create a panel to advise the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner regarding employee concerns.

Click to play video: 'CRA strike: Feds ‘continue to play games at the negotiating table,’ PSAC president says'
CRA strike: Feds ‘continue to play games at the negotiating table,’ PSAC president says

The union threatened earlier Wednesday that it would plan to send its members to disrupt a Liberal party convention in Ottawa on Thursday if the employer didn’t table a “fair” deal.

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The separate agreements that PSAC negotiated with the government included a 11.5 per cent wage increase over four years.

Earlier in the negotiations, the tax employees’ union had been pushing for a 20.5 per cent increase over a three-year period.

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