Day 2 of Canada's public service strike underway

Thursday isthe second day of the national strike for more than 155,000 federal public servants under the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

Day one saw picket lines across the country and the disruption of services thatstriking staff would normally be working on, including taxes, passports and immigration.

Two PSAC groups are striking: a larger Treasury Board group of more than 120,000 workers across several government departments and agencies, and a smaller tax group of more than 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

About 110,000 to 120,000PSAC members can walk off the job when staff doing work designated as essential, such as employment insurance or pensions,are factored out.

Contracts for both groupsexpired in 2021. The union declared an impasse for both last year, took the matter to a federal labour board, wasn't happy with everything it offered and called strike votes earlier this year.

From what's been shared, both sides agree these workers should get a raise. They differ on how big that raise should be.

The union has proposed a larger raise because of the rising cost of living, saying its members need it and that the unionwants to set a precedent for other workers. The government has tabled a smaller one that it says balances the needs of taxpayers and the union's workers.

Another issue drawing attention is remote work: PSAC wants remote work rules included in a new deal while Treasury Board President Mona Fortieron Wednesday expressed a preference forcontinuing witha hybrid model and seeing how it goes.

There are other common proposals from the union andspecific issues insmaller bargaining groups.

WATCH | A recap of the strike's first day:

Scenes from the PSAC strike in Ottawa

1 year ago

Duration 1:36

Tens of thousands of federal public servants represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) started striking Wednesday. Here's what it was like on Day one in Ottawa.

At two lunchtimemedia availabilities Wednesday, PSACnational president Chris Aylwardcalled on the federal government to start negotiating "seriously" and said the union is ready to strike as long as it takes to reacha fair deal.

Fortiersaid that despite progress made over the last two weeks, a fair deal can't be reached if PSAC won't compromise.

In Ottawathe strike has caused traffic delays outside some government offices, and those of some MPs, promptingOttawa police to warn commutersto expect delays near three protestsites:Tunney's Pasture, Montreal Roadand Centrum Boulevard.

Mundadi Diabe, an Ottawa regional representative with PSACworking at theCentrum Boulevard site Thursday, said the union is trying to limit traffic congestion by staying on sidewalks.

"If someone is interested [in]stopping on their own, that's okay that's great, you know, honking for us. Thank you for that. But we don't want to be the ones partaking in stopping the traffic for any reason," she said.

Each side said Wednesdaythey were still negotiating. Neither side has called a news conference for Thursday.