Union members visit MP Seamus O’Regan’s Office and refuse to leave until demands are met

Union members visit MP Seamus O’Regan’s Office and refuse to leave until demands are met

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) are holding a sit-in at St. John’s South – Mount Pearl Member of Parliament Seamus O’Regan’s constituency office and they won’t leave until they have concrete commitments from the MP.  They are among some 90,000 federal public sector workers who are outraged by Treasury Board’s lack of movement and lack of respect at the bargaining table, and who are now taking their demands straight to their representative in parliament.

“In 2015 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a letter to Canada’s public servants promising a new era of respect.  But four years later, PSAC members are still waiting for him to deliver on his commitment,” says PSAC Regional Executive-Vice President Colleen Coffey.  “In the face of outrageous hardships caused by the broken Phoenix Pay System, PSAC members have demonstrated unwavering tenacity and professionalism as they wait for a fix. What’s happening at the bargaining table only adds insult to injury and frankly our members have had enough.”

PSAC has presented bargaining proposals that would significantly improve working conditions in the federal public service.  The union is asking Treasury Board to improve work-life balance, to reduce precarious contract work, to close wage gaps with the private sector, and to ensure fair economic increases.  And these are the demands that PSAC members will ask MP Seamus O’Regan to pen in a letter to the new Treasury Board President Joyce Murray.  Members also want O’Regan to ask Murray for a commitment to conclude negotiations swiftly and fairly at the next bargaining session taking place April 30-May 2.

“We’re ready to stay right here in this office until we have a commitment from the MP to send this letter,” said Coffey.  

Media are invited:

Where:           MP Seamus O’Regan’s Constituency Office
                       689 Topsail Rd. (Second Floor)
                       St. John’s, NL

When:            10:30am, Friday March 29, 2019

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For further information contact:

Lesley Thompson, Regional Political Communications Officer, PSAC, 902.266.8589, thompsonl@psac-afpc.com