You may have noticed or even been impacted by the ongoing strike by members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). 

Locally, PSAC members have drawn a picket line over at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre, where they have maintained a presence since yesterday. 

While the local branch has been hard at work making their voices heard, they are far from the only individuals involved. PSAC is a nationwide organization with thousands of members. So far, over 150,000 picketers have taken up the strike across Canada, enacting a stoppage/slowdown to many services.

The reason for the strike? They are asking for their wages to be adjusted to the cost of living. 

Marianne Hladun is the regional vice president for PSAC Prairies. She maintains that their reason for striking is fair and must bring about change in worker compensation, as PSAC members are the lowest-paid federal public service members. 

"We're the clerks, the people that answer the phone, the cleaners, the plumbers, the librarians, that work in government departments throughout, including the Canada Revenue Agency," said Hladun. "We've been in bargaining since June of 2021 and have made very little progress."

Earlier in the year, PSAC set about organizing the strike, hoping the promised consequence would encourage better consideration from employers at the bargaining table. 

"Unfortunately, they did not bring an offer," said Hladun. "Our members took to the picket line at 12:01 p.m. yesterday." 

Picket lines have been consolidated in the smaller centres, with the Swift Current group seeing members come from as far away as Morse and Maple Creek. By combining their voices, they hope to be louder in their cries for mutual agreement and resolution. 

"We have tried for two years to negotiate an agreement with very little progress, and our members say, 'Why does it take so long to negotiate an agreement' and said, 'That's it, either give us an agreement or we're exercising our right to strike'."

For now, the bargaining will be taking place at the table in Ottawa. PSAC hopes to see negotiations move forward now that the workflow has been disrupted. 

Workers listed as essential will still be going to work. People that run power stations and other key infrastructure are required to keep them from falling into disarray.