Workers from such federal departments as the Canada Revenue Agency, Veterans Affairs, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada walked off the job early today in support of long-stalled contract negotiations.

The federal government has assured Canadians that such services as Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits will not be affected.

Passport applications, income tax refunds, RCMP criminal record checks and the immigration system will likely be impacted, however.

All the same, the Yukon Party is calling on the territorial government to tell Yukoners how the strike will affect the services they rely on.

“The Yukon Party official Opposition joins the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in expressing concern about the effect the potential strike will have on small businesses in the middle of tax season,” the YP said Tuesday afternoon, hours before the strike began.

“The Yukon Party is also concerned about how the job action will affect veterans who rely on services for everyday life and for potential new Yukoners, including those who are arriving through the Yukon Nominee Program.”

The Yukon Party introduced three motions in the legislature urging the territorial and federal governments to work together to ensure Yukoners don’t suffer from the disruptions of these services.

“As well, the Public Service Alliance of Canada/Yukon Employees’ Union (YEU) has told its territorial public service members they are welcome to join their federal counterparts on the picket line,” the Yukon Party said.

“A news release from the union sent on Monday informs members they do not have to cross the picket line if they work in the same building as federal workers, and if they do plan to join the picket line, the Yukon government will put them on leave without pay, and the union will instead pay their wages.

“The Yukon Party official Opposition is requesting the Liberal government tell Yukoners how they will fill those potential gaps at the territorial level.”

Yvonne Clarke, the YP’s critic for the Public Service Commission, called on the Yukon government “to lobby their federal counterparts to extend the tax deadline for small businesses, ensure services for veterans are not interrupted, and not delay the paperwork for new Yukoners arriving in the territory.”

Clarke told the legislature Tuesday, “Currently, the YEU is encouraging all its members to join the picket line and has noted that YEU will reimburse all lost wages for those Yukon government employees who join the strike.

“Can the Government of Yukon tell us what plans are in place to maintain services if Yukon government employees join the strike?”

Sandy Silver, the minister responsible for the Public Service Commission, replied that “identifying the risks and the issues is important.

“We know that there are only a few Government of Canada employees in the Yukon who will be affected.

“While some Yukon government services and employees are located in the federal building in Whitehorse, the vast majority of Yukon government employees and services will not be affected by a strike of the Government of Canada employees,” Silver added.

“We are in conversations on a regular basis with representatives of the federal government to ensure that the Yukon government employees and services are not impacted.”

If a Yukon government employee chooses to not cross a lawfully picketed line of another bargaining agent, Silver noted, the provisions of the Yukon government/YEU collective bargaining speak to that issue.

Clarke pointed out that YEU employees also have the right to refuse to cross the picket line.

“There are several workplaces across the Yukon where the Yukon government is co-located with federal offices.

“If Yukon government employees choose to not cross a picket line at one of these locations, are there work-from-home provisions or other accommodations in place to allow them to continue to work?”

Silver said the government addressed that issue earlier in the sitting, again citing the YEU agreement.

“We are in close working relationships with our federal counterparts when it comes to any action when it comes to a proposed strike,” the former premier said.