Around 100 federal public servants on strike lined the ditch in front of the Swift Current Research and Development Centre this morning despite the snowy conditions.

The strike was initiated by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Wednesday morning with about 155,000 workers hitting the picket line. According to the PSAC, the strike over proper compensation and an expired contract (from 2021), are affecting 115 employees in the Swift Current area.

Robinson Joseph, the president of Local 40054 - the Swift Current Research Station, said the group gathered today consists of up to four local unions with picketers travelling as far as Morse to Maple Creek. 

"People are fed up with the way negotiations are going and they just want to show solidarity with our bargaining team," he said. "That's why everyone's here today." 

Joseph is listed as a labourer for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and works on plant breeding. The strike for him comes at a very inopportune time.

"We're at the point of going to the fields, to really leave those things to be here is really heartbreaking," he said. "We don't want to be here longer than this. We want to get out of here as fast as we can."  

strike_swift_1Joseph is one of six strike captains 

PSAC is seeking a 4.5 per cent raise each year for 2021, 2022 and 2023 from the federal government to account for inflation. 

"Just wanted to say thank you for noticing our presence here and we're okay with everybody," he said. "We're just doing what we're told to do until we're told to get out of here."

Every PSAC member who partakes in striking for four hours per day is eligible for strike pay.