Members of the Canada Border Services Agency are set to vote on whether to potentially strike. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

CBSA workers to vote on potential strike

Apr 3, 2024 | 10:09 AM

Officials with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will soon decide whether they could hit the picket lines.

Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) who work at the CBSA are set to issue a strike vote from April 10 to May 14, 2024.

The PSAC says they reached an impasse in bargaining back in September 2023 after nearly two years of negotiations.

PSAC National President Chris Aylward says the workers have waited long enough.

“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,” says Aylward.

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The union states that the main issues at hand are wage parity with other law enforcement agencies, stronger job security to protect workers “from management harassment and abuse of authority,” access to remote work for some job types, and protections from contracting services out.

While the strike votes are being conducted, the PSAC and CBSA will take part in Public Interest Commission hearings from April 10-22. Following those hearings, the commission will release its recommendations on how to reach an agreement.

If members vote in favour of a strike mandate, members will be in a legal position to strike seven days after the report is released.

More details on the strike vote are available on PSACUnion.ca