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Ottawa’s bureaucrats think that after putting up with nine years of Conservatives, they deserve a reward

But now it’s just an ugly memory. Once again, Ottawa’s apparatchiks are disgruntled. The issue, as always, is their rights and benefits. The Conservatives sought to end the practice of “sick days,” which allowed public employees to build up stockpiles of time they could use if they became ill. Treasury Board president Tony Clement proposed a short-term disability plan in its place. Employees would get six sick days a year, instead of 15. After that they could go on short-term disability. The sick days bank, which now contains about 15 million unused sick days, would close.

After waging war with the Conservatives, the union expected a new proposal from the Liberals. Initially, it looked like the government would deliver. Treasury Board president Scott Brison denounced the Tory program and pledged to roll it back, despite a $900 million hit to the budget. “What the Conservatives did disrespected the negotiating process. It was irresponsible and unfair,” he declared.

Then he introduced the “new” Liberal plan, which looked a lot like the Tory plan. Sure there was a change here or there, but the short-term disability proposal remained. “I have to say that our teams were disappointed, I’ll be really honest with you,” PSAC president Robyn Benson complained.“We thought we would get something new from the Liberals, not the same old.”

The union, which represents 140,000 federal employees, says it will not cave on the sick day issue. But rather than continue bickering, it has offered the Liberals another chance to back up their sweet talk. The union’s latest contract proposal includes a 9% pay hike — 3% a year for three years. Benson made clear a second disappointment won’t go over well.