Achi news desk-
Border workers have voted in favor of a strike mandate that could lead to “significant disruptions” to the flow of goods, services and people through Canadian ports of entry, their union said Friday morning.
Members voted 96% in favor of the mandate, which cleared the way for a possible strike during the summer.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) represents border officers at airports, land and sea crossings and commercial points of entry. Members also include law enforcement, intelligence and commerce officers, as well as investigators and other staff.
PSAC says its members have been without an updated collective agreement for two years, and that negotiations are deadlocked.
The strike may begin in June
Strike action may come as early as June, coinciding with a busy travel season between the US and Canada.
Mediation meetings are scheduled to begin on June 3.
Most border workers are considered essential workers, meaning basic services will still be provided during a strike.
In 2021, a short but influential labor campaign for power left long lines of semi-trucks and passenger cars idling at entry points into the country.
Semi-trailers wound up waiting for hours to get through the gate in Surrey, BC Travelers crawled across southern Saskatchewan.
Negotiations continued through the night and day, and the union reached a deal with the CBSA and the government after 36 grueling hours.
What do the employees want?
This year, the union says it wants “fair” pay in line with other law enforcement workers in Canada, and an “equitable retirement regime.”
“When you look at the RCMP,” or other public enforcement agencies, “after 25 years, they have the option to retire,” explained Pierre St-Jacques, spokesman for the Customs and Immigration Association, a subsidiary of PSAC, in a conversation with CTVNews.ca.
“The CBSA doesn’t have it,” he said.
“These are hard jobs. People have to maintain their training. As people get older, sometimes it gets harder.”
The union is also asking for “flexible” work options online and remotely.
The union accused the government of “demanding concessions” and said it was “unwilling” to negotiate.
“Unless they want to repeat 2021, the Treasury Board and CBSA must be prepared to come to the table,” PSAC National President Chris Aylward said in a press release.
“The window to prevent a strike is closing quickly,” he added.
What does the government say?
Just hours after the union announced it had obtained the strike mandate, the federal government released its response, saying it was ready to return to the negotiating table “at any time.”
She called a possible strike “unnecessary”, and promised that she would “do everything to reach a responsible and competitive agreement”.
The government also said it had already renewed agreements with 80% of the public service, and “if the union is willing to negotiate in good faith, we can do the same”.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also responded to the union’s mandate during a press conference on Friday.
“We recognize the hard work they do every day, keeping Canada safe at our borders,” he said, referring to CBSA employees.
“We also know that the best labor agreements happen at the bargaining table, and that’s exactly where the ministers focus.”
