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LETTER: Maple Ridge PSAC worker struggles to survive on federal pay

Longtime civil servant lays out the math of her ‘cushy’ government job
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PSAC workers trying to keep dry on the picket lines during a rainy Friday, April 21, 2023. (Matthew Claxton/Black Press Media)

Dear Editor,

I would like to talk to you about the current Public Service Alliance of Canada strike from an employee’s perspective. I have been a member since Dec. 2, 1996. The public has some very real misconceptions relating to or our pay and benefits, which are not as glossy as many of the public thinks.

I am grateful for what I receive but it should be understood that the average annual salary for our PA members, which is our largest bargaining group, is about $68,000. My salary, being an administrator is public knowledge, it is $54,857. On this I only clear about $38,000.

It is a struggle to survive on this amount. I, like many unlucky people, also had to move due to a landlord taking back the space for family use. My rent went from $1,300 to $1,900 a month plus utilities. Considering I clear about $1,450 every two weeks, you can see the money does not stretch far.

I adopted my disabled nephew, if not for the fact that he is on disability, we would be homeless. He receives just over $1,400 monthly.

It is sad the anyone working almost 26 for an employer could be one step away of being homeless. I fear this greatly and being a caregiver to a 21 year old severely developmentally delay young adult increases the worry.

This is unacceptable for anyone working that long for an employer, public services employees included.

What about that great pension I am earning? Two per cent per year for a maximum of 35 years which at most is $38,340 per year. Yes, we can get our old age allowance but do you know that they deduct every penny of our Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) we receive off this pension we earn? That is $811.21 this year ($811.21 X12= $9,734.52) so my real pension is $28,605.47. To top it off we pay for it? It is not given to us. It is deducted from every paycheque. I pay almost $200 biweekly for this benefit. The money does not all come from the taxpayer. I can’t even think or retiring unless I want to be homeless.

Just so you are aware, teachers, nurses, health care workers, etc. that they like to compare us with do not have to deduct their CPP from their pensionable earning, but federal government employees have to. The RCMP staff do have this deduction as well.

Minimum wage, over the last few years, has gone from about $7 an hour to over $16 an hour this July here in B.C. In the meantime my salary until June 21 has not gone up at all.

All we are asking for is a livable wage. What we are asking for does not remove the threat of homelessness. The provincial workers recently have received a pay increase of a bit more than this.

I won’t even go into the Phoenix pay problem issues that is still occurring even though most of the public thinks has been fixed.

What we are asking for is not unreasonable. We deserve it. All workers deserve it.

Please see the real picture.

Monique Bakker, Maple Ridge

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• READ MORE: Striking union says negotiations at standstill

• READ MORE: Accountant starts petition to move tax deadline due to PSAC strike

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