Some off topic but on topic about PAFSO strike... 
DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS | QMI AGENCY
OTTAWA - Visa processing and diplomatic staff won't feel any financial pinch during their partial strike in Canada and abroad.
The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) will give 100% strike pay to all its members now off the job at 15 visa processing centres around the world and also refusing to help federal ministers with international travel.
"We are quite prepared to take this deep into the fall if necessary," PAFSO president Tim Edwards said.
With a partial strike, the union will deplete its strike pay fund more slowly than during a full stoppage.
Meanwhile, strikers with an average yearly salary of $86,000 can still get thousands of dollars in other help from taxpayers, like housing allowances or kids' educational expense coverage.
The latest work stoppage is another step in the long-running campaign by embassy and consulate staff for "equal pay" with others doing comparable work.
Edwards said what the strikers "will not stand for is looking at somebody working in the neighbouring office making up to $14,000 more than them."
The union predicts Canada's economy will suffer because tourist, student and other visas won't be processed.
"We're talking about a potential impact ... maybe over $2 billion," Edwards said.
The government insists other employees and temp workers are picking up the slack in visa processing.
PAFSO wants the dispute settled by binding arbitration, but the feds won't accept comparing foreign service officers' work to others.
"These jobs are substantively different from public service lawyers, economists or commerce officers," said a spokesman for Treasury Board President Tony Clement.
