How big was the government strike? Here's how it compares with past labour disruptions

The government strike involving around 155,000 workers lasted close to two weeks, and its size and length made it one of the most disruptive in recent memory.

Workers in the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union were fighting for wages to keep up with inflation, and flexibility around working from home. A tentative deal was reached on Monday for 120,000 workers, the union said. Around 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) workers nationwide remain in a strike position as of Monday morning.

In 2004, PSAC workers — including firefighters, coast guard workers and Canada Revenue Agency employees — went on strike, fighting for higher wages. It was similar in size to the current stoppage, though it ended in under a week. Parks Canada staff also walked off the job in a separate strike that year, but it lasted nearly two months.

Here is a look at how this year's government strike compares to some other notable nationwide stoppages in the past 20 years, which either ended with a deal or with back-to-work legislation.

Apart from the sheer size of the latest strike, it's also notable because work stoppages aren't as common as they once were.

There were a total of 2.2 million days of time loss in 2022 because of labour disputes, which is the highest figure since 2009. Time loss is measured in "person days," which is the total working days on which workers are on strike, multiplied by the number of employees involved.

That may seem high, but it's a fraction of the 11.5 million days in 1976 during sky-high inflation and major economic uncertainty. Since then, the numbers have trended down, according to data from Employment and Social Development Canada.

This is partially because union membership in general is declining in Canada, from 34 per cent in 1997 to 30 per cent in 2022. Membership in industries like manufacturing and natural resources have seen the most erosion of union coverage, according to Statistics Canada data.

There are several factors causing union decline, but one reason is an overall shift from occupations with high unionization rates — such as construction — to jobs in, say, professional services, for example, with less union coverage, Statistics Canada suggests. This is particularly true among men.

While most sectors have seen a decline in union membership, public administration (which includes government workers) has seen a modest rise in union coverage in that time. In fact, it's only one of two industries that saw union coverage increase.

The current strike disrupted about 30 government departments, affecting the passport application process and tax returns.

The union went into the strike demanding a 13.5 per cent pay hike over three years, though it had since said it has decreased that figure to an unspecified amount. The government offered nine per cent over three years.