Last Updated On 17 June 2024, 10:52 AM EDT (Toronto Time)
CBSA Strike Latest Updates: The CBSA strike averted as of June 11 and workers at Canada’s borders will now not do the job action as part of the strike.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), and the federal government have tentatively reached an agreement to prevent a possible job action by more than 9,000 employees of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
The announcement of the agreement addressed worries about job action that might have seriously hampered travel and upset supply systems nationwide.
It was designed to be equitable for workers and reasonable for taxpayers.
June 7 update: All strike action has been put on hold until Wednesday, as per the most recent statement released by PSAC.
“All strike action by 9,000 CBSA personnel is on hold as mediation will continue until Wednesday. Picket lines will not be in place until further notice. Stand by for further details.” PSAC tweeted
More than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) employees were expected to start job action as a form of strike today, June 7, at 4 p.m. EST (Toronto time) as previously conveyed by PSAC.
Workers that are members of the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) were supposed to be participating in this job action as an agreement has yet to be reached with the Canadian government.
On June 5, the Treasury Board of Canada, the government body responsible for negotiating agreements with unions, said,
“90% of front-line Border Services officers occupy essential services positions and must continue to provide uninterrupted border services to protect the safety and security of the public. While the government fully respects the right of employees to gather and demonstrate lawfully, unlawful job action will not be tolerated.”
In a news release on June 4, PSAC stated that a CBSA strike would start nationwide on June 7 at 4 p.m. if an agreement is not reached.
On June 3, the Canadian government and PSAC entered into mediated negotiations, aiming to reach an agreement on a renewed collective agreement for the CBSA workers.
How can CBSA strike effect travellers?
90% of Frontline Canadian Border officers are designated as essential which means they cannot stop working during a strike.
However, they can sort of slowdown the traffic by asking multiple questions to travellers than usual.
For example if normally a border agent would ask a traveller 3 questions, then they may be asking around 10 questions to slow down the border crossing and increasing the wait times.
This is within the limits of the officers’ job description and is part of their job to inquire travellers.
Previously, CBSA personnel took a job action in 2021 that nearly brought commercial cross-border traffic to a standstill and resulted in major delays at airports and borders.
An agreement was reached after a 36-hour bargaining session to end the strike in 2021.
What are the demands?
The primary demands of this round of bargaining are the following:
- equitable retirement benefits for CBSA law enforcement personnel,
- fair wages that are consistent with those of other law enforcement agencies nationwide.
- enhanced workplace protections,
- flexible telework and remote work options, and
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