Member of the Canada Border Services Agency A strike will begin The union representing the workers said on Monday that a strike would begin on Friday if no agreement was reached.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), representing more than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency Workers said the strike would begin at 12:01 a.m. EST on June 14 if no agreement can be reached with the Border Patrol and the Finance Commission.
“We remain hopeful that we can avoid a strike and potential disruption at the Canadian border,” said PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa. “No worker wants to strike, but we have set a clear deadline for the government to reach a fair agreement.”
Prior to the issuance of this action notice, the agency suspended negotiations that were scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on June 7 so that negotiations would continue until June 12.
A strike by Border Services Agency workers could affect border crossings across the country.
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Last week, the Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said the federal government was “very concerned” about how the upcoming strike would affect the economy.
Asked how the border strike would affect Canada's economy, Freeland told reporters: “This is something our government is very concerned about. The parties are working hard on the negotiations and we believe that the best deal is made at the negotiating table.”
CBSA officers have been without a contract since the last one expired in June 2022. The union has been fighting for better pay and retirement benefits, including early retirement after 25 years of service, which they argue should be in line with other law enforcement agencies in Canada, including the RCMP and Correctional Service Canada.
They also want clear rules for remote work and assurances that vacant positions will not be filled with contract workers.
“These are not unreasonable, unrealistic demands,” CIU national president Mark Weber told Global News on Thursday.
The union noted in a statement that the 2021 strike “almost brought cross-border commercial traffic to a standstill,” leading to a “marathon” 36-hour negotiation process before the two sides finally reached an agreement.
The two sides are still negotiating this week with the assistance of a mediator, according to the union. PSAC and CIU did not provide further comment.
Global News has reached out to the Treasury Board of Canada for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
— With files from Sean Boynton and Naomi Barghiel of Global News
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