Canada Border Services Agency officials are expected to decide whether or not they will strike between April 10 and May 14, 2024, according to a joint statement from Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and Customs and Immigration Union (CIU).
Negotiations between the two organizations reached a deadlock in September 2023, after going nearly two years without a collective agreement. PSAC National President, Chris Aylward, stated that the workers have been without a contract since 2022, and while wages have been stagnant and living costs have risen, the CBSA has still refused to negotiate a deal that safeguards workers and continues to insist on concessions.
Aylward says that the main demands are wage parity with law enforcement agencies, enhanced job security to guard against management harassment and abuse, remote work for certain job types, and protection from out-of-scope contracting services.
While the strike ballots are being cast, the Public Service Advisory Council and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) will attend Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings between April 10 and 22. At the conclusion of these hearings, the PIC will make recommendations to the board on how to proceed with the strike vote.
If members vote yes on the strike mandate, they will be legally able to strike 7 days after the release of the PIC report. For more information about the strike vote, please visit the PSACunion.ca.
