Vancouver Island traffic snarled as federal workers hit picket lines

Picket lines formed across Vancouver Island as workers with Canada's largest federal public-service union went on strike Wednesday.

In Greater Victoria, rush-hour commuters were slowed to a standstill near Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt and along the Island Highway in Colwood between Royal Roads University and Wilfert Road.

A picket line is pictured in View Royal, B.C., for striking PSAC workers who are checking vehicles trying to cross into CFB Esquimalt. Only active service members and essential workers are being let through. April 19, 2023. (CTV News)

BC Transit also announced detours on three of its morning routes due to the picket lines. The affected routes were 15 UVic/Esquimalt, 26 UVic/Dockyard and 46 Westhills/Dockyard.

CFB COMOX

Canadian Forces Base Comox was also behind picket lines Wednesday morning as members of the federal public-service union took national job action.

Camille Soper, president of union of National Defence Employees for local 21007, says the job action will remain peaceful and that they are part of a 155,000-strong membership general strike, which excludes essential personnel.

She says picketers outside 19 Wing Comox include members of three different collective agreements, including cooks, cleaners, tradesmen and administration staff.

Soper says two of the biggest issues are remote working and getting better wages for operational services workers.

"Right now our plumbers are making $35 an hour – Red Seal tradesmen," she said.

"I don't know about you, but if you've hired a plumber or electrician lately I don't know anybody who comes to your home for $35 an hour."

Soper says current conditions mean that when members retire, new workers are not interested because of the cost of living.

"We can't hire anybody here. The cost of living is expensive and $35 an hour, we're getting laughed at," she said.

Traffic was still getting through the front gates of CFB Comox on Wednesday morning.

"Search and rescue is still happening, we have stuff in place so if there's an emergency we are obviously going to let them through," said Soper.

"We are not here to disrupt the community, we are here to show solidarity for our members."

Daryl Dagneault, a striking PSAC worker, is shown in View Royal, B.C. (CTV News)

NEGOTIATIONS

The Public Service Alliance of Canada said that some 155,000 workers would go on strike across the country after talks with the government failed to produce an agreement before a Tuesday night deadline.

Chris Aylward, the union's national president, said the bargaining teams would remain at the table throughout the strike.

"We are still a ways apart, but we're staying at the table because we're still hopeful and our goal is still to get a tentative agreement," Aylward said during a brief press conference Tuesday night.

"We will remain at the table until we reach a tentative agreement if the employer is prepared to stay at the table as well."

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said in a statement late Tuesday that the government has done everything it could to get a deal, but the demands put forth by the PSAC bargaining team are unaffordable and would severely affect the government's ability to deliver services to Canadians.

With files from The Canadian Press