XPost: can.adiac.gen, can.arts.sf 
 From: istjohn@noemail.usa 
  
 Wed. Sep. 8 2004 6:00 PM ET 
 Revenue Canada workers begin rotating strikes 
 CTV.ca News Staff 
  
 Thousands of Revenue Canada employees have begun rotating strikes after 
 talks with the government broke down. 
  
 About 8,000 employees of the federal tax agency walked off the job Wednesday 
 in Ontario and British Columbia. A picket line went up this morning at the 
 regional taxation centre in Sudbury, Ont., where 1,400 workers are off the 
 job. But office in Ottawa were untouched. 
  
 About 25,000 employees of the Canada Revenue Agency are in a legal strike 
 position. The dispute involves members of PSAC, the Public Service Alliance 
 of Canada. They do everything from processing tax returns and GST refunds to 
 answering phones. The major stumbling block is wages. 
  
 The union says the job action will slow the flow of tax money into federal 
 coffers, but not the flow out. 
  
 Child tax credits and GST rebate cheques will head out in the mail because 
 those services have been declared essential. 
  
 This isn't the only dispute going on between the federal government and its 
 unionized staff. Parks Canada employees, who are also members of PSAC, have 
 been on rotating strikes since Aug. 13. 
  
 And many Customs Canada workers at border points across the country are also 
 working to rule. They've been waving many people across the border, often 
 without making them pay taxes on goods bought in the U.S. 
  
 The government is reportedly offering union members less than that 
 recommended by a mediator. Workers were asking for an increase of about 
 eight per cent over three years; the government offered around six per cent, 
 both sides said. 
  
 In a statement released Tuesday night, Revenue Canada called its offer 
 reasonable. 
  
 "The CRA's wages and benefits are already competitive with Treasury Board 
 and other federal public service employers," the statement said. 
  
 "In addition, some recent studies have shown that compensation for most 
 federal public service employees is also competitive with that of their 
 counterparts in the private sector." 
  
 PSAC's national president says no further talks are scheduled. 
  
 Martin comments 
  
 A small but noisy group of protesters forced Prime Minister Paul Martin to 
 shift a press conference at the end of his two-day cabinet meeting in 
 Kelowna, B.C. indoors. 
  
 "All labour negotiations, especially when they lead to strike action, are 
 very difficult," he told reporters on Wednesday. 
  
 "We have enormous respect for the dedication of the public sectors employees 
 and we really hope that we'll be able to arrive at a settlement fairly soon. 
 We certainly do want a settlement that is fair to everyone." 
  
 CTV's Rosemary Thompson told Newsnet besides the challenge of making a deal 
 on health care with the premiers next week, Martin has PSAC "poised for 
 strike action. 
  
 "It's a big contract, it's worth a lot of money. Obviously the government 
 doesn't want a prolonged walkout." 
  
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