Big public union strike in Canada could disrupt tax season

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canada’s largest federal public-service union and the federal government continue to negotiate as workers go on strike, triggering warnings of major service disruptions. Federal workers were hitting the picket lines across Canada after the union and the government failed to reach a deal by a Tuesday evening deadline. The bargaining groups involve some 155,000 federal public servants, including 35,000 workers from Canada’s tax agency. Since the strike involves nearly one-third of all federal public servants, both the union and the government have warned of disruptions, including what could amount to a complete halt of the tax season. Other concerns include slowdowns at the border and disruptions to Employment Insurance, immigration and passport applications.