Local PSAC members take part in a Round Dance outside Indigenous Services Canada. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Strike Stays Peaceful

Frustrated but peaceful: Local PSAC members hope for deal as strike hits day nine

Apr 27, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is in the midst of their ninth day of job action, and pressure is beginning to mount on members across Canada to ramp their efforts up.

Outside of Indigenous Services Canada in Prince Albert, members and supporters continued picketing along Marquis Road. Spirits among picketers are high, but they were hoping to be done by this point.

“We were at Parliament Hill yesterday in Ottawa, and we’d really hoped those actions would get us to a deal today,” said Dawn Montgrant, local union president. “But here we are, day nine. We just really hope that we can get a deal soon.”

A Round Dance took place just after 11:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, after an expression of support from the Metis Nation. Picketers were joking and laughing with each other, but there is a growing frustration beneath that.

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“Every day, I communicate with the members here on what the plan is for the following day,” Montgrant said. “I want to send that email that says guys, we’re back to work, the government has recognized our value, the treasury board is going to meet with our team and give us what we need in order to get back to the table. That hasn’t happened yet.”

Several members held signs inviting passing drivers to honk to show their support, and multiple drivers did just that within a few minutes. That’s a small sign of what Montgrant said has been strong community support for their action.

“We have a lot of support,” she said. “A lot of us live and work in our communities. Our family members know what we’re going through. Other people that belong to a union know what it’s like to be on strike. The general feeling is we’re getting lots of support from friends and family.”

In a Tweet from earlier this week, the PSAC said they had blockaded several locations around Canada, including the Port of Montreal and downtown boulevards, the Port of Vancouver, the Port of Saint John’s, and the Treasury Board office in Ottawa. Nothing like that appears imminent in Prince Albert.

“We know we have the support of the public,” Montgrant said. “We’re peaceful out here, we’re just trying to get our message heard. We want people to see us out here, know that we’re in negotiation and have our backs, but our intention isn’t to prevent other people from going into work. Everybody needs every dollar they earn, right?”

Over 150,000 people are on strike across Canada.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP