Workers looking for wage parity, better job security, access to telework
About 9,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) who work at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will be conducting a strike vote across the country starting April 10, 2024.
This comes after, in September 2023, PSAC declared an impasse in bargaining. The union had been negotiating with the employer for two years.
“Workers at CBSA have waited long enough,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “Our members have been without a collective agreement since 2022. While wages have stalled and the cost of living has risen, CBSA has refused to negotiate an agreement that protects workers and continues to demand concessions at the bargaining table.”
Previously, the city government of Edmonton and Civic Service Union (CSU) 52 came to an agreement, according to City News, after the union issued a notice that about 6,000 workers would be on strike following their rejection of the employer’s offer.
What is the purpose of CBSA strike vote?
PSAC has been negotiating with the employer on matters that include pay, job security, flexible work and protections from contracting out.
Specifically, the union is looking for its members to have “fair wages that are aligned with other law enforcement agencies across the country – for both uniformed and non-uniformed members alike”.
PSAC also wants better protections for workers “from management harassment and abuse of authority,” claiming that “CBSA’s approach to discipline is heavy-handed and leads to a toxic workplace culture”.
The union also wants non-uniformed CBSA workers to have consistent and flexible access to telework options.
Lastly, they are looking for protections for workers from contracting out.
“The use of automated systems, untrained student workers and contracting out means higher costs, more risk, and reduced quality of services for Canadians. We need to end contracting out and fight for good, secure public service jobs,” said PSAC.
In March, a last-minute agreement averted the strike of more than 8,000 academic and support workers at the University of Toronto (U of T) represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Public Interest Commission hearings
While strike votes are underway, PSAC and CBSA are proceeding to Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings on April 10 and 22 with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board.
Following the PIC hearings, the commission will release its non-binding recommendations to reach an agreement. If members vote in favour of a strike mandate, PSAC will be in a legal strike position seven days after the board releases its report.
PSAC claims that CBSA workers are also still waiting for the government to deliver on its pledge to provide CBSA law enforcement personnel with the same retirement benefits – 25 and out – as other law enforcement and public safety workers.
“Law enforcement personnel at CBSA deserve the same treatment and retirement benefits as their counterparts in other law enforcement agencies,” said Mark Weber, CIU national president.
In March, more than 4,000 teachers in Saskatchewan walked off the job after failing to come to a contract agreement with the provincial government, specifically on the issue of class size. They also expressed disapproval of the provincial government’s election-year education budget, according to a CTV News report.
