P.E.I. union members join national rally for 'fairness' in contract talks

About 30 members and supporters of the Canada's largest public sector union gathered for a rally Wednesday afternoon across the street from the Veterans Affairs headquarters in Charlottetown.

It was part of a cross-country action by the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

The union is demanding a quick and fair resolution to contract negotiations with the government which have been ongoing for more than two years.

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Workers from several government departments, including Veterans Affairs, Treasury Board and Parks Canada took part in the demonstration as a way to show support for their bargaining teams.

Carl Gannon, the national president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees, which falls under the PSAC umbrella, called the proposed 0.5 per cent pay raise "peanuts."

"The federal government has to understand that my members are their employees and they should be treating them with the exact same respect as we treat them with and that's all that we're asking for," he said.

"We're not asking for anything major or great. We're asking for respect. We want the same same treatment our MPs are getting, we want the same treatment our senators are getting."

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