Canadian Border Workers Union Suspends Strike Action

Photo: Aaron Lynett The Canadian Press A Canada Border Services Agency officer speaks with travelers in Niagara Falls, Ontario, June 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press

Published yesterday at 7:34 p.m.

• Canada

The Canadian Border Employees Union announced Friday afternoon that the initiation of pressure tactics is suspended and that mediation with the employer will continue until Wednesday.

The more than 9,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) who work for the Canada Border Services Agency announced that they would go on strike at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, if the mediation process did not make it possible to reach an agreement.

“All strike measures by the 9,000 CBSA employees are suspended, because the mediation is will continue [until] Wednesday. Pickets will not be in place until further notice. Stay tuned for more details,” the union finally announced in a press release shortly after 4:00 p.m.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat responded in a press release on Friday, affirming that the Government of Canada was pleased that the PSAC remained at the negotiating table. “Discussions to date have been productive and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that is fair and reasonable for the members of the Border Services group as quickly as possible,” said the press release.

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• Majority strike mandate at the Border Services Agency

The two sides have been in mediation since Monday.

The union says key issues include pay parity with other agencies responsible for law enforcement, teleworking, retirement benefits, and enhanced workplace protections.

The government maintains that 90% of front-line border agents are designated as essential, meaning they cannot stop working during a strike.

But union members could resort to over-zealing, a tactic in which employees do their jobs exactly as outlined in their contracts.

Experts say this could make each border crossing take longer than normal and thus cause massive disruptions to traffic.