PSAC’s National President Chris Aylward told media on Saturday that the union had presented a comprehensive deal to the employer on Thursday night.  A proposal which he says they thought could get them to a deal but the union hasn’t heard back from the federal government.

“That was Thursday night.  Yesterday morning the employer told us that we would receive a response on one of those issues. I stand here today and I tell you that we still have not heard from the Treasury Board on a package we gave them Thursday night.”

The Government refutes the information provided by the Public Service Alliance of Canada and in a statement says their negotiators tried to contact the union on Friday to discuss the proposal but they were unreachable.  The federal government says they reached out again through the mediator to let PSAC know a new offer would be presented at 1 p.m. Saturday.  They say the union waited three hours to respond then at 12:31 p.m. accepted the meeting but ten minutes later said they wouldn’t be available at that time. And then the statement from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada says Chris Aylward chose to call a news conference.

Union members were not on the picket lines on the weekend but Aylward says they are still on strike including members who are regularly scheduled to work on the weekend and if a deal isn’t reached today (Sunday), workers will be back on the picket lines Monday morning.