YVR watching for potential impacts as Canadian border workers warn they could strike as soon as next week

VANCOUVER -

Canadian border workers have voted in favour of job action which could start as early as next week, according to the union, and Vancouver-area officials are watching closely in case of impacts to travellers.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada and its Customs and Immigration Union says its members may strike as soon as Aug. 6, three days before fully-vaccinated U.S. citizens will be able to visit Canada without having to quarantine for two weeks.

Ninety per cent of Border Services Officers are deemed essential workers, meaning they cannot walk off the job. Any strike action would involve work deemed non-essential.

“Duties that are not essential would be collecting duties and taxes, providing information, providing guidance,” said Mark Webber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union. “It could mean slow-downs at borders, it could mean slow downs for Canada Post parcels and courier, essentially any activity that doesn’t directly affect the safety and security of Canadians.”

The members employed by the CBSA and Treasury Board began holding strike votes in June, after they had been without a contract for nearly three years and talks broke off between the two sides in December.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/you-ll-see-disruptions-union-warns-strike-vote-could-jeopardize-border-reopening-1.5464921

Long-term issues like wage parity with other law enforcement agencies, paid breaks and a toxic workplace culture have been sticking points in negotiations, according to the union.

“We are not a good place to work and we want to see that addressed, people shouldn’t be going into work scared,” Webber said, adding there are also issues around scheduling.

“The CBSA wants, essentially, our jobs to matter more than our families. They want our shift change notice down from seven days to 48 hours, they want non-negotiated schedules so imposing the times we work at 24/7 operations rather than choosing the times that we work.”

The union is now waiting for a report from the Public Interest Commission, a non-binding, mandatory part of the bargaining process. Webber expects the report to be handed down this week and any job action can begin seven days later.

CBSA declined CTV News’s request for interview, instead issuing a statement. In part it reads, “The CBSA, as a dynamic and responsive organization that delivers high quality border services, will respond quickly to any job action/work disruption in order to maintain the safety and security of our border, ensure compliance with our laws, and keep the border open to legitimate travellers and goods… Ninety per cent (90%) of Border Services Officers have been identified as essential, meaning that they will continue to offer essential services if there is a strike. We expect that our officers will continue to fulfill their duties with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.”

A spokesperson for the Vancouver International Airport also wrote in an emailed statement: “We understand that 90 per cent of Border Services Officers are essential and will continue to offer essential services should there be a strike. The efficient journey through YVR is our priority as we welcome back more international travellers under Canada’s safe, risk-based and measured approach to re-opening Canada’s borders. We will continue to work with our partners and will monitor any potential impact should there be job action.”