Treasury Board president looks for 'creative solutions' as PSAC escalates strike action

Striking federal public servants escalated actions on picket lines across the national capital region on Thursday, limiting access to federal buildings and temporarily disrupting traffic on an interprovincial bridge.

Meantime, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says federal government negotiators are looking to find "creative solutions" to end the strike and get federal workers back on the job.

"I am trying to really find a way. I know Canadians and public servants are feeling the impact of the strike," Fortier said.

"We respect, of course, the strike, but we have to find a way to a resolution. As I said, trying to find how we can get to creative solutions to get to a deal."

This is day 9 of the strike by 155,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, affecting services under the Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency.

"We are escalating actions; we are escalating picket line postures here in the NCR and across the country," Alex Silas, PSAC regional executive vice-president for the national capital region, said on in a video on Facebook.

Silas says PSAC workers "shut down" the main building at Tunney's Pasture and "we are controlling entry" by public service workers. Workers were required to wait for a few minutes before entering the office.

"It's unfortunate this is stretching out like this," Tom said while on the picket line at Tunney's Pasture.

The city of Ottawa's traffic account reported temporary disruptions Thursday morning in the area of the Portage Bridge, connecting Ottawa and Gatineau over the Ottawa River.  City of Ottawa traffic cameras showed people marching across the bridge, with traffic stopped on both sides of the river.

Strike Public Service Alliance of Canada workers march across the Portage Bridge in the national capital region. (City of Ottawa/website)

"Just sticking to the same spots all the time doesn't put any pressure really on anything, but our feet I guess," Remi Savard, a government worker, told CTV News Ottawa.

"Our movement was to peacefully block the traffic for a little while. So softly apply pressure."

"People were honking for us; people were totally fine about it. I see people all around us encouraging us and it's great," Manix Pacheco said.

PSAC planned a protest outside Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Thursday, as part of an "escalation to pressure the federal government to address our key bargaining priorities." Toronto Pearson warned of possible delays for people trying to access the airport.

In Quebec, striking federal public servants held a demonstration near the Lacolle border crossing in the Montérégie region. A few buses carrying dozens of protesters arrived at the border crossing between Lacolle, Canada, and Champlain, New York, in the United States, usually one of the busiest in the country.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada launched strike action on April 19 to back demands for a new contract. The union is accusing the federal government of stalling in negotiations.

"This federal government is still inactive and not being proactive at the bargaining table to settle on a fair contract," Silas said.

"It's time this government get back to the table with a fair offer so that we can put an end to this strike and we can get back to work with fair working conditions and a fair agreement."

Earlier this week, the president of the Treasury Board said there are four main issues still unresolved in the talks: wages, telework, a ban on contracting out and seniority during possible layoffs.

The union originally asked for a 4.5 per cent raise a year over three years, while the government recently proposed a nine per cent wage increase over three years.

"We have come down twice on our position. The union is actively trying to find a middle ground with this employer, the employer needs to show some willingness to find a middle ground – we have not seen that," Silas said, adding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland need to get involved in the talks.

Fortier told reporters on Parliament Hill negotiators are looking for "creative solutions" to end the dispute.

"Well, one day you feel disappointed, the other day you put back people at the table and find creative solutions to see what maneuvers we have to get to a deal," Fortier said Thursday afternoon. "You have to make sure that it's reasonable and that it won't impact on the delivery of services to Canadians."

Fortier told CTV's Power Play with Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday that the government's wage offer is in line with the recommendation from the Public Interest Commission for a nine per cent over three years.

"Unless the union starts going down significantly to reach close to the recommendation of the Public Interest Commission, we'll be able to continue some conversation because there's a place at the table where we can be somewhat creative and maybe find ourselves in a position where we agree on salaries and other items," Fortier said.

The minister added the government needs to "find a balance" that is fair to workers and Canadian taxpayers.

PSAC national president Chris Aylward told CTV's Power Play that if the government is refusing to move off its 9 per cent wage offer, "it certainly sounds like we're at a stalemate."

PSAC set up picket lines at several locations in the national capital region on Thursday, including at the Treasury Board headquarters on Elgin Street, the Prime Minister's Office, Fortier's constituency office on Montreal Road and Place du Portage in Gatineau.

Striking members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) protest in front of 90 Elgin St., in Ottawa, Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (CTV News Ottawa)

In a statement to members, the union encouraged members to "consider how we continue to escalate our tactics in order to end the strike."

"Many picket lines in the National Capital Region are escalating, with the march to the Portage Bridge, delayed entry at Treasury Board Headquarters and the Prime Minister's Office, and marching in the streets near the office of Stephen McKinnon in Gatineau."

PSAC strike the focus of Question Period

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre kicked off Question Period asking why Prime Minister Trudeau has travelled to New York while one of the largest strikes in Canadian history continues.

"What's the prime minister's priority? Why another vacation. This time to New York to hang out with the people who have lots of money but not a lot of common sense," Poilievre said in the House of Commons on Thursday.

"When will the prime minister and his government get back to work?"

Fortier responded, saying the government continues to negotiate at the bargaining table with PSAC.

"We are trying to find a reasonable deal for public servants that will be fair, and we are working day in and day out to get to that deal," Fortier said.

"We know that the best deal that we will find is at the table."

Trudeau is in New York for an international summit championing sustainable development and human rights.

With files from The Canadian Press, CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau and CTV News Toronto's Sean Davidson