Article content continued

“I don’t think they want labour unrest during the first year in power. If we don’t get a tentative agreement, we will follow the process and go into conciliation. It would be a missed opportunity for this government not to settle with us.”

PSAC met with Treasury Board negotiators last week, the second major bargaining session since the Liberals came to power.

Unions were originally hopeful the government wanted a deal before the March 22 budget but Benson says “there’s no hint of movement” on key issues, including sick leave. In fact, PSAC is scheduled for bargaining sessions into May and June.

“We are not at all close to a deal,” she said.

Many say the federal unions would be hard-pressed to gain much public support — even among their own members — if they end up in a dispute with the popular Trudeau government, which has made conciliatory gestures such as unwinding some Tory-era legislation including making a big show of repealing the law that gave the government power to unilaterally impose a new sick-leave regime.

PSAC’s five bargaining teams were at the table last week and Benson said they were able to get their issues discussed but, like sick leave, there was little indication of a change in approach. So far, the government has focused on sick leave and paid little attention to the other issues on the table.

PSAC has tabled many demands for its various groups, including some that affect all employees.

For example, it has proposed many amendments to the complex “workforce-adjustment agreement” that the union claims would make downsizing fairer and transparent, and would reduce employee stress and uncertainty. It argues the process for managing job cuts should be more transparent, should minimize the number of people laid off involuntarily and be based on input from the workers who deliver the services.