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The Liberal government is facing a showdown with employees at Canada’s tax agency over a controversial contract offer that would take away severance pay and force them to accept the same yet-to-be-negotiated raises as all other public servants will receive.

The Union of Taxation Employees (UTE), which has been negotiating with the government for more than four years, decided this week to take the government’s offer to its members for a vote. The union will urge the 29,000 members working at Canada Revenue Agency to reject the offer, which will set the union on the path to a possible strike.

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“There was nothing more we could do, so it is up to the members to decide whether to accept it or decide if they want to fight and take a strike vote,” said Robert Campbell, UTE president.

The CRA is the largest agency in the federal government, employing about 40,000 people. The vote will take several weeks to organize.