Bank of Canada Accused of Continuing Replacement Worker Pay Amid Strike
A strike by security guards at the Bank of Canada has entered its third month, and negotiations between the union and the bank remain stalled. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) filed a fourth complaint against the Crown corporation, claiming it is still paying replacement workers.
The PSAC claims that despite two orders from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), the Bank of Canada continues to use private security firms to replace striking guards.
According to Ruth Lau MacDonald, regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region, 'employees who crossed the picket line continued receiving compensation while members exercising their legal right to strike went without their regular pay and benefits.'
The Bank of Canada has signaled that there are two outstanding issues holding up negotiations: whether a security guard already working at its head office should receive overtime for covering a colleague's shift, and whether security guards in the Montreal office should receive higher job grades or compensation.