Thousands of Canada Border Services Agency employeesCanada Border Services Agency) The strike could begin as early as Friday afternoon and could cause “significant delays” at airports and border crossings across the country.
If no agreement is reached with the Canada Border Services Agency and the Treasury Board by then, more than 9,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) will take strike action at the Canadian border starting at 4 p.m. ET Friday.
“We still hope to avoid strike “But we have set a deadline for Trudeau's Liberal government to develop a fair worker contract,” he said Public Service Commission National President Sharon DeSousa said at a news conference Tuesday.
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The union said that while essential CBSA workers cannot strike, Canadians will still feel the impact, highlighting that a brief strike three years ago “nearly brought commercial cross-border traffic to a standstill, causing severe delays at airports and borders across the country.”
The upcoming strike could mean Canadians and tourists will once again face long lines at the border during the busy tourism season.
PSAC said its main demands include higher wages, remote work options, better retirement benefits and stronger workforce protections for CBSA employees.
PSAC said mediation sessions between the union and the employer began on Monday and will be a “final effort to reach an agreement.”
“Our members have unanimously stated that they are ready to fight for fair wages, fair retirements and to make the CBSA a better place to work,” CIU national president Mark Weber said in a news release.
“It's time for the government to provide assistance to CBSA employees.”
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