Border workers issue strike notice to government, job action to start Friday: union

OTTAWA — A union representing about 9,000 Canadian Border Service Agency workers says its members will begin job action across the country on Friday.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada and its Customs and Immigration Union says it served strike notice to the government on Tuesday and is now warning the public to expect long lineups and lengthy delays at border crossings and airports.

PSAC-CIU represents 5,500 border services officers, 2,000 headquarters staff and other workers at Canada Post facilities and in inland enforcement jobs employed by the CBSA and Treasury Board Secretariat.


RELATED: Union representing 9,000 CBSA workers vote in favour of striking


The union members have been without a contract for about three years because they and their employers have been unable to agree on better protections for staff that the union argues would bring them in line with other law enforcement personnel across Canada and address a “toxic” workplace culture.

Union members voted to strike as early as Friday, if the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement, prompting their employers to agree to return to the bargaining table.

The dispute comes as Canada is preparing to allow fully vaccinated Americans to visit without having to quarantine starting Aug. 9 and will open the country’s borders to travellers from other countries with both doses of a COVID-19 shot on Sept. 7.

Commercial truck drivers awaiting more information about planned job action

Commercial truck drivers are among those waiting and watching how disruptive the job action by border guards will be.

Dave Earle with the BC Trucking Association says any disruption at the border would be concerning, noting the flow of traffic through the border through the pandemic has been relatively seamless.

“CBSA and CBP and every agency that’s been involved are really keeping their eye on the ball and making sure that while we protect ourselves and make sure that we’re not exposing anyone to COVID, that the flow of goods continues.”

The union representing border guards hasn’t said how many of its members — who are classified as essential service — might be off the job at any given time, but is warning of long line ups and waits at border crossings and at airports.

“When you look at the infrastructure for trucks — at Pac[ific] Highway, of course, they all get in that right-hand lane — So anytime there’s interruptions on there, it backs up a long way,” Earle says, adding it’s possible to see line ups to 8th Avenue.

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