Unionized federal parks workers were picketing Parks Canada facilities in Queen Charlotte and Sandspit on Monday, although Parks Canada says Gwaii Haanas remains open.
The job action here is part of the Public Sector Alliance of Canada's (PSAC) general, nation-wide strike. The picture (preceding page) is the scene at 8:00 am Monday morning outside Gwaii Haanas headquarters above City Centre in Queen Charlotte.
While Gwaii Haanas is open, the morning orientation session in Queen Charlotte is cancelled; sessions are available every day at 7:30 pm, and in Sandspit at 3 pm except for Monday and Friday when they take place at 3:30 pm.
The general strike, set for one day only, comes on the heels of job action that began Friday.
The main issues are money and safety in the workplace. The union 's looking for a wage increase of close to 15-percent over three years, and says "the employer has forced us into a strike by refusing to negotiate a fair and equitable collective agreement". Parks Canada has offered 9-percent, and says accepting the union's demands would require that services be cut.
If you are planning on visiting Gwaai Haanas, please call 1-888-773-8888 or go to www.pc.gc.ca then click on 'current status' to determine what services are available.
The general strike Monday was to be for one day only, but that could change, if the union decides to keep workers off the job longer.