In New Brunswick, CIU NB-PEI Branch President Marjorie Gavel stopped by the picket line in Woodstock earlier today to show solidarity with striking workers (and drop off muffins, donuts and coffee!). Despite the cold and the damp, spirits were high.
In British Columbia, CIU Young Worker Representative Kevin Kerr, along with his family, dropped by the CUPW local 728 picket line in Cranbrook to show support.
Support CUPW
While CIU members are not in a legal strike position, you can support CUPW members by joining picket lines during unpaid breaks and before/after your work day (FB members, please remember not to attend while wearing your uniform and tools). Let’s show solidarity with postal workers!
On November 11, we remember and honour the thousands of women and men who have laid down their lives for our country.
Remembrance Day presents us with an opportunity not only to recognize the dedication and sacrifices — past and present — of Canadians of all horizons, but also to reflect on how to build a better, fairer world where such sacrifices may no longer be necessary. To the women and men who have demonstrated courage and commitment in the face of adversity, we thank you.
In honour of all who have served, CIU will be half-masting the National Flag of Canada flying at the CIU National Office, in Ottawa.
The Customs and Immigration Union is aware of the tragic incident that took place earlier today (November 9) in Windsor, where a border officer took their life at work. We wish to express our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased — our thoughts are with all who are affected by these difficult circumstances.
Incidents such as this one bring to light the challenges public safety personnel may be confronted with throughout their career, and they remind us of the need for a comprehensive mental health support structure and of the importance of taking down barriers to access these services, both in professional and private settings. These tragedies also serve as a reminder of the value of supporting each other in the face of hardship. The death of a member is difficult for all, and we recognize the impact this sad event has on our community — should any member require support, please contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1.877.367.0809 (TTY: 1.877.338.0275) for confidential assistance.
Out of respect for the deceased and their family, CIU will not be commenting further at this time.
CIU members, including National President Mark Weber, joined federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on October 17, as the NPD announced a commitment to rehire 1,100 border officers in an effort to stop the flow of illegal firearms into the country.
“The men and women of the CIU can stop guns from entering this country. But because of Conservative cuts, ports of entry are chronically understaffed,” said Singh at the press conference in Toronto on Thursday. “The NDP will fight for 1,100 new border officers to be urgently hired and trained to replace the jobs Conservatives cut. If the Liberals continue to let people down, an NDP government will rehire those 1,100 border officers immediately and keep hiring and keep training.”
Thanking Singh for his commitment to properly staff the border and support frontline border personnel, the CIU National President was clear: The reality at CBSA is bleak. “Many of our members face exhaustion due to sustained understaffing” explained Weber. “Things desperately need to change at CBSA if we want to get serious about stopping illegal firearms: more frontline border personnel, expanded abilities for our border officers to patrol between ports of entry, improved training facilities, reliable tools that don’t break down, and even benefits in line with other law enforcement agencies to help with the workforce renewal.”
Mark Weber highlighted the positive commitment from the federal government to introduce pension reform for frontline personnel this fall, including border officers, which should help the Agency retain dedicated personnel and have a beneficial impact on the long-term. “That’s a first step” said Weber, “and there’s so much more work that needs to be done”, emphasizing the need for the Agency to stop relying on automated technology that only serves to make our border less secure, and hire officers to find the dangerous goods that threaten our communities.
“CBSA officers get in this line of work because they want to keep Canadians safe, and they deserve to be given every tool they need to be successful,” concluded Weber. “What we’re hearing today from the NDP is exactly the kind of support that we need.”
This is the second time the CIU National President addresses a parliamentary committee regarding the bill. Mark Weber previously appeared as a witness in front of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in June 2023 on the same subject. Thanks to CIU’s testimony and to recommendations from that Committee, the final version of the bill adopted by the House of Commons featured notable improvements, including around union involvement.
Reporting problematic behaviour from managers
Still, as the CIU National President pointed out to the Senate Standing Committee tasked with reviewing the bill, important questions remain. “The Agency is well-known amongst its employees for letting gross abuse by management run unchecked, and it is difficult for CBSA employees to see complaints about managers go addressed through existing channels” explained Mark Weber, highlighting that “CBSA managers often promote the very atmosphere that allows bad behaviour to flourish.” To help address this, it is important for Bill C-20 to include clear language around an employee’s right to report problematic conduct from managers, ensuring that CIU members can avail themselves of the recourses offered by the PCRC.
Concerns around time limits
The National President also brought forth pressing concerns around time limits, as complaints to the PCRC could be made up to two years after an incident allegedly occurred. “Some [of our members] are dealing with hundreds of travellers a day. Imagine a complaint coming in about a five-second interaction that happened 18 months ago. The odds of having an ability to recollect or know what happened are close to zero. That is not fair for the accuser or the accused,” said Weber to the Committee.
Further expanding on the issue around time limits, Mark Weber also added that “you need specific timelines in terms of when an investigation comes to a resolution. For every step, timelines need to be included. Right now, it looks like these investigations could go on for years with no real, clear deadlines as to when a decision has to be made.”
CIU submitted a brief to the Committee detailing the union’s concerns and recommendations. Read it here.
Pension legislation also needs to be updated
During his opening statement, the CIU National President also restated the need to overhaul legislation around early pension eligibility for CBSA personnel before C-20 is enacted, so that the benefits our members have access to are consistent with the additional oversight proposed by C-20. “CBSA law enforcement personnel are at a disadvantage compared to their peers working for other similar agencies,” explained Mark Weber. “They must work longer before retirement, often becoming sick or injured on the job, or unable to meet the physical demands of their work.”
The inconsistency between C-20 and existing pension eligibility is something that the National President had flagged to the House of Commons Public Safety Committee in June 2023. CIU was encouraged in June of 2024 when the government announced that legislation enabling such changes would be tabled this fall.
“We’re looking forward to these changes in the very near future” said Weber on Monday, emphasizing “how important it is that these occur before C-20 is enacted.”
See selected clips below. A full recording of the Committee proceedings can be viewed here(with interpretation language options).
