From taxes to passports, how the PSAC strike will affect daily life in Sask.

Saskatchewan residents will face delays for a wide net of services, after members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada — which represents a range of federal public service workers — went on strike across the country on Wednesday.

Marianne Hladun, PSAC's Prairies regional executive vice-president, said residents can expect delays in accessing government offices with picket lines in front. There are some staff members in certain offices and departments that are deemed essential, she said.

"We totally recognize this is a disruption. Our members are Canadians … and this is disruptive for them as well," Hladun said.

"They don't want to be out on the lines. They want … a fairer collective agreement to be able to deliver services to Canadians."

Two PSAC bargaining groups are striking: a larger Treasury Board group of more than 120,000 workers across several government departments and agencies, and a tax group of more than 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency.

Their contracts expired in 2021, and the union has been calling on the Canadian government for pay increases to help public servants cope with inflation and the higher cost of living.

A Monday statement from the Treasury Board said it is seeking "agreements that are fair to public servants and reasonable for taxpayers," and it has "a good offer on the table … [with] enough common ground to reach consensus."

In a Wednesday news release, the Canada Revenue Agency also said it had made a fair, competitive offer.

As pickets began Wednesday, both sides said they were still negotiating.

Meanwhile, Hladun assures Saskatchewan residents that things like employment insurance and disability payments will continue as usual.

Essential workers at the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary in Prince Albert will still be present to support inmates. PSAC does not represent guards, but does represent administrative staff, parole staff and kitchen staff.

"Food, laundry ... that type of stuff will continue," said Hladun. "But some of the programming that our parole staff and our program officers do may be suspended during the strike because they're out on the picket line."

The union also represents many essential workers within the Department of National Defence, and Hladun said it recognizes that they need to be there. Essential workers will also be in place to process passports for emergency situations, but there will be some delays, Hladun said.

She also said it will be difficult to get through to many government call centres.

PSAC does not represent all federal workers — Parks Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency employees and border services officers are among federal workers who aren't part of the union.

It's also not directly involved with the rail lines, but does include rail inspectors with Transport Canada, said Hladun.

"But should there be an incident, like a derailment, they would be considered essential," she said. "For safety inspections, there are some staff online with that."

There may be delays with some inspections in the agriculture sector, she said, "but for the most part any transportation should be fine."

Tax season concerns

With the deadline to file taxes just over a week away, Canada Revenue Agency offices are closed to the public due to the strike.

However, tax returns are still due on May 1.

Michael Gorniak, a chartered professional accountant and small business and taxation partner at Thomson Jaspar LLP in Saskatoon, called the CRA help line Thursday afternoon. He received a message indicating that the agency does have some people still taking calls, but there are a limited number of workers and an extensive queue.

An automated message told him to call back at another time.

"I think it's going to make it difficult for those people that have waited to file their tax returns until the last minute and then phone the CRA with questions as to how they can fill certain sections of their tax returns out," said Gorniak.

The revenue agency said people may have to wait longer than usual for any tax returns to reach their bank accounts.

"I'm not sure as to how long the delay is going to be," Gorniak said.

"Some tax returns that get filed with the CRA automated system … if they're fairly straightforward and simple, they get automatically assessed and notice of assessments get generated fairly quickly," he said.

"What we don't know is if you're in that situation and you get the notice of assessment quickly, whether or not the payments will be automated to get you your refund, or if people actually have to approve those payments to be sent out," said Gorniak.

"And if so, are people in those positions still working behind the scenes? We don't know."

'These are also your neighbours'

Hladun, who has worked in the federal public service for 35 years, will be visiting multiple picket lines in the coming days. If there is no new collective agreement by next week, she said she will travel to Saskatchewan to visit those picket lines.

"I am so proud of our members in the Prairies. Whether it's a snowstorm or 20 degrees, they're out there."

Hladun said she is asking for respect and support from Saskatchewan residents as PSAC members continue to picket.

"We're not the MPs, we're not senators, we're not executives. We're the lowest-paid in the federal public service. We're the cleaners. We're the plumbers, we're the mailroom clerk that opens your envelope to process your taxes."

Federal public service workers can have salaries as low as $40,000 a year, she said, so a cost of living allowance "is critical for their families."

"They're people just trying to raise their family and they don't want to do this any more than … people want to see us out there," Hladun said.