Canadian travellers could face disruptions at the border this summer after the union representing border workers voted 96 per cent in favour of strike action, placing union members in a legal strike position as of June 3.
The vote by members of the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), which is a division of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, covers 9,000 workers, including officers at airports and land entry ports, intelligence officers, trade officers and non-uniformed headquarters staff.
Border agency employees are considered essential and must continue to provide services during a strike. Job actions at the border will likely take a work-to-rule form. Workers could stop collecting taxes and duties, ask travellers more questions and more fully inspect vehicles, which could increase waiting times.
The workers have been without a contract for almost two years. In April, both parties met for a hearing at a Public Interest Commission, where a panel of three people listens to each side. The commission’s report is expected to be released before mediation sessions in June.
“Taking job action is always a last resort, but this strong strike mandate underscores that our members are prepared to do what it takes to secure a fair contract,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president.
Even a minute of border disruptions could have almost a million dollars of economic impact, said Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition. The coalition is a bi-national organization of businesses, transportation, tourism, researchers and academics.
Trade constituted 68 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product in 2022, according to the latest figure from the World Bank.
Ms. Dawson said Canada relies on having a functioning border and a big part of this is achieved by supporting border workers.
“It‘s the conditions under which those border officials work that make a successful border experience or not,” Ms. Dawson said.
“It is horrendous, the implications of not having a functional border in Canada. There’s probably no other economic action that would be as significant for Canada.”
Disruptions will also affect border communities, Ms. Dawson said. Many residents of border communities need to cross into the U.S. for school or work regularly.
“If suddenly that border is closed, then that part of their community life is shut down,” she said.
Workers at the border last took strike action in 2021. The union said their work-to-rule measures almost brought commercial cross-border traffic to a standstill.
The strike votes were collected between April 10 and May 23. CIU national president Mark Weber said voter turnout was overwhelming, with nearly 70 per cent of the union’s members casting a vote.
“Members are indignant,” Mr. Weber said. “They’re really, really mad that they are being told by the employer they should accept so much less than everybody else gets.”
Mr. Weber said wages for officers with the Canada Border Services Agency are in the lower-middle range of what is paid to the broad law enforcement community. CBSA personnel are also some of the only law enforcement and public safety employees who cannot retire after 25 years, he said.
The union did not say how far the two sides are in the negotiations.
NDP MP Alistair MacGregor said the Liberal Party has turned its back on border agency workers.
“They’re setting the stage for unnecessary disruptions this summer,” he said during Question Period.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked Friday about the labour standoff, but declined to comment on the details of the disagreement.
“We know when it comes to CBSA the work they do is extremely important and extremely difficult,” he told reporters at a news conference in Truro, N.S. “But we also know that the best labour agreements happen at the bargaining table and that’s exactly where the ministers are focused and we will continue to do that.”