The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Striking workers have returned to the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada centre, but they may find themselves back on the picket line before the year is out. The Public Service Alliance of Canada suspended strike action on Friday until the HRSDC employees vote on the federal government's latest offer. The union is printing copies of the offer, along with ballots, to be sent to members across the country. It's expected to take six to eight weeks for the vote to be completed. The union is recommending the workers turn down the offer, saying it offers unfair wages and rollbacks to benefits gained in previous deals. If the employees don't accept the offer, the union will then discuss what steps to take, including a possible return to the picket line. Until the ballots are counted, the workers retain the legal right to strike. The HRSDC workers began striking last Tuesday. In Flin Flon, that left just one designated worker to do the work of three people, slowing down employment insurance, income security and job hunting services. It was part of a larger strike involving more than 100,000 federal employees in several government departments. The HRSDC centre on Main St. was the only Flin Flon location to be impacted by the work stoppage.
