Sudbury's CRA employees in legal strike position

Canada Revenue Agency employees across the country, including 1700 employees at Sudbury's taxation centre, are now in a legal strike position.

Bob Campbell, national president of the Union of Taxation Employees, said tax workers have been without a contract for four years.

"It's very hard. I mean you know what inflation is like," Campbell said, "your buying power is going down, everything is going up, your wages have been the same for four years."

Campbell said one of the sticking points is severance pay.

"We're the only ones [civil servants] that have severance pay left in our agreement," Campbell said, "we're saying, if you want to take our severance pay, compensate us with something of equal value."

In an email sent to CBC Sudbury, the CRA said that in the event of a strike, itwould implement its Strike Contingency Planand essential services like the Canada child benefit and the working income tax benefit will still be distributed.

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"The CRAis confident that any activities employees engage in to support their union's bargaining demands will be orderly and conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect," the email stated.

"The CRA is committed to providing the level of service Canadians expect."

The union voted against a deal June 23, but both sides agreed to resume negotiations August 8.