Parks Canada staffers could strike

Parks Canada employees are in a legal strike position as of today, but Nunavut’s three national parks are not likely to be affected.

Negotiations between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Parks Canada have stalled over the employees’ demands for more money, job security, and better safety standards.

Kevin King, regional vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada for Alberta, Nunavut and N.W.T. did not want to “tip off our employer” by revealing details of a possible strike, but did say that staff in Nunavut would participate in some way in order to achieve a collective agreement.

“Certainly, when we’re in a legal strike position, they’ll be working to the exact parameters of their contract and nothing more, perhaps,” King said.

King had yet to discuss the removal of administrative staff with his counterparts in Ottawa.

The legal strike position begins seven days after the conciliation board reviewing the negotiations released its final report. The union has already rejected that report, saying that wage issues were not adequately addressed.