As the PSAC strike wrapped up a sixth day, the president of the Treasury Board sent an open letter to public servants and Canadians on Monday evening identifying the remaining sticking points in the government’s mediated contract talks with the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Mona Fortier details these as wage increases, teleworking, outsourcing contracts, and seniority rules in the event of a layoff.

She says any settlement with the union representing 155,000 civil servants must be reasonable for all Canadians.

“I encourage employees to speak with their PSAC representative so they can get a full understanding of all the issues that remain to be resolved,” she wrote.

“We call on the PSAC to urgently work with the government to negotiate the final key proposals at the table.”

Signs of a deal, however, did not appear imminent.

Just as Fortier sought to reach striking staff directly, their union leadership upped the ante by starting to move picket lines around in an effort to block access to government infrastructure and make the Trudeau Liberals feel the pressure.

PSAC President Chris Aylward said he believes that pressure is working, but panned the government’s latest offer.

“We came to the table with demands that reflect the need for significant change in our members’ workplaces. Workers deserve fair wages that keep up with rising costs, remote work to be spelled out in their contract and better job security,” he said in a statement in response to Fortier.

“Those demands haven’t been met at the table, and we will continue to prioritize the needs of our members until we reach a fair deal.”