Mr. Speaker, the civilian employees at our military bases have not had a negotiated agreement since 1989 and no wage increases since 1992. Their military counterparts have received small increases, which they do not begrudge, but it is a daily reminder of how poorly they have been treated.
Since 1997 they have had 15 days of direct bargaining and 7 days of conciliation. These civilian employees have been in a strike position since January 18. The conciliation board reports that while the union made its offers and counter proposals in full, the government did not.
It is plain that the government is relying on its established track record of legislating the workforce instead of bargaining in good faith. When will the government get back to the negotiating table?