Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

COVID-19 vaccination audits: FAQ

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In the fall of 2021, CBSA employees were asked to complete a vaccine attestation, confirming that they had been vaccinated against COVID-19. The requirement to attest formed part of the Treasury Board’s Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which came into effect on October 6, 2021.

The Treasury Board policy was clear that while the attestation would be sufficient to show compliance with the vaccine mandate, the attestation could be subject to a future audit. In other words, employees might be required, at some point, to prove the claim that they had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

CBSA has now begun their vaccination audit. To best answer the many questions our members might have, CIU has prepared the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

Had this audit been conducted while vaccinations were still a requirement, it could have been deemed a health and safety measure. We are disappointed that the Agency has chosen to question its employees’ attestations now when it can only be happening with an eye to discipline.

We invite our members to review the following FAQ and reach out to their local Union representatives should they have any further questions.

COVID-19 vaccination audits FAQ

The audit process is entirely random and is required by the Treasury Board vaccination policy. The policy requires all governmental organizations to develop a verification process to audit employees who have provided an attestation. Most such organizations are auditing approximately 5% of all attestations. At CBSA, this means 633 people across the Agency.

Yes. 100% of those at the Executive level (Directors and above) have already been audited and asked to show proof of vaccination. Lower levels of the management team form part of the 5% random audit.

No. The audit is only for employees who attested to their vaccination status prior to June 20, 2022.

You will be informed by your local manager if your name has been randomly selected for audit.

If you are selected for audit, you will need to show proof of vaccination. This means the QR code or certificate that you were issued when you were vaccinated. If you no longer have a copy, you can access this information online in most provinces and territories using your health card number.

In most cases, complying with the audit will not incur any expenses. You should not need to see a health care professional and should be able to access your records and print a copy of your QR code online. If, however, you incur additional expenses be sure to keep a receipt and submit a claim. Be prepared to demonstrate why the information was not available to you without incurring this cost.

The employer will give you two weeks to come up with the required proof of vaccination. If you require more time, speak to your manager and explain your situation. Be sure to keep a written record of any extension that you may be granted.

Unless you can show that it is impossible for you to provide the proof that the employer is seeking, a refusal may be viewed as an admission that you are not vaccinated. If you attested that you are vaccinated but did not receive the required vaccines or can’t prove that you complied with the vaccine mandate, the expected consequence is discipline up to and including termination.

If you believe that the employer is acting in bad faith or that you have been subject to harassment or discrimination, you must comply first and grieve later. Provide proof of your vaccination status and then speak to a union representative who will assist you with the grievance process. The audit process itself, however, cannot be the subject of an individual grievance.

Anti-racism action plan: Membership consultation

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Dear members,

You may have received an email from Environics Research (publicaffairs@environics.ca) inviting you to participate in the membership consultation process commissioned by the Public Service Alliance of Canada as part of their Anti-Racism Action Plan.

As a labour organization, the Customs and Immigration Union is committed to addressing issues stemming from systemic racism and discrimination affecting Black, Indigenous, Asian and racialized members. Human rights are workers’ rights, and the principles of inclusion, diversity, and equity are intrinsic to our core mission of advancing these rights. The PSAC Anti-Racism Action Plan seeks to reinforce our capacity to uphold these principles at all levels through a review of how we serve and represent members of all horizons. The ongoing consultation process plays a key role in providing the union with the necessary membership input to do so.

The consultation process consists in a short two-minute survey, and members who take part may also be invited to join a subsequent focus group session to share their experiences in more detail. This PSAC endeavour supports the work being done by our own CIU Human Rights Committee to address racism and discrimination — both in our workplace and within our own union — and we strongly encourage you to participate.

No action is too small in the continuing fight against racism and discrimination, and we thank you in advance for taking the time to share your experiences and help us build a strong, inclusive labour movement.

In solidarity,

Mark Weber
CIU National President

Murray Star
Chair, CIU Standing Human Rights Committee

SV bargaining: No movement from government on key issues in mediation

After a week of mediation, Treasury Board made no effort to find common ground in bargaining with our more than 10,000 SV group members, refusing to budge on any key issues, especially when it came to fair wages and market adjustments.

The employer’s revised wage offer was initially proposed during Common Issues mediation in September, and would average 2.06% per year over a four-year agreement. Treasury Board held fast to this wage offer during mediation October 11-14.

The SV team proposed that, in the event that the parties are unable to come to an agreement on market adjustments at the bargaining table, the issue be sent to binding arbitration. However, the employer rejected this proposal.

Our team made it clear: closing the gap between SV members’ wages with those in similar positions outside of the federal public sector is the number one priority in this round of negotiations. Unless the government comes back to the table with a new mandate, we will continue to push for this issue to be sent to arbitration or we’ll be forced to settle the dispute on the picket lines.

Government stalling negotiations

Treasury Board seems intent on delaying negotiations and dragging their feet on our most important issues, setting back our members who have been without a new contract since June 2021. In response, PSAC has launched both in-person and online strike training for our more than 165,000 federal public service workers to ratchet up the pressure on the government to bargain fairly.

PSAC will now raise these issues at Public Interest Commission hearings, to be scheduled this fall by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. If an agreement cannot be reached during the Public Interest Commission process, PSAC members should be prepared to continue escalating our actions, up to and including taking strike action if necessary to reach a fair contract.

Stay informed and engaged

Getting involved and taking action are key as we push for a fair contract. Be prepared, get mobilized, stay engaged, and be ready to take action:

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all latest bargaining updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

ArriveCAN: Border officers were never consulted, says CIU National President to House Committee

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On Thursday October 20, 2022, the National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, Mark Weber, addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates as part of the Committee’s study on the ArriveCAN application.

Speaking to the Committee, the CIU National President was critical of the Agency, pointing to the utter lack of consultation with frontline officers — both in the context of  ArriveCAN and in general. “What’s perhaps most vexing about ArriveCAN is how it was developed without any meaningful consultation with, or input from, frontline officers. Not when the idea was first proposed; not when the app was initially developed; and definitely not at any point during one of the more than 70 updates that the app had to undergo” the National President told the Committee, explaining that it “defied reason” to develop an application designed for the frontline without involving those who serve at the border. Had officers been involved, they would have been able to flag potential issues — of which ArriveCAN saw plenty — before they arose.

‘Like putting up wallpaper before pouring the foundation’

The CIU National President also pointed to the decision to fund the development of ArriveCAN at the expense of more pressing issues, such as the ongoing severe staffing crisis, as highly problematic, comparing it to “putting up wallpaper before pouring the foundation”, and highlighting that “by choosing to sink dozens of millions of dollars into ArriveCAN while its border services workforce is understaffed and overworked, the federal government is simply gambling with Canada’s ability to maintain a safe and properly functioning border.”

ArriveCAN is not the only issue

ArriveCAN is certainly not unique at CBSA. It is only one example in a long line of technological band-aid solutions that ultimately fail to enhance border security and effectiveness in any real way: Primary inspection kiosks, E-Gates, remote reporting, etc. What these also have in common is that they are always developed without involving the frontline personnel who actually works at the border.

“What the government and CBSA can learn from the ArriveCAN experience is that, if they want to effectively and properly manage our border, while ensuring that the projects designed to do so are sound, they must rely on and seek out the expertise of frontline border officers in a meaningful way” concluded Mark Weber. “Our members are proud of the work they do, they’re proud of serving Canadians, and I know they would jump at the opportunity to help improve our border processes.”

A recording of the Committee proceedings can be viewed here.

Changes to the FB bargaining team

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Since it was formed earlier this year, our FB bargaining team has seen some changes to its membership. The bargaining team is now comprised of the following members:

Brea Baresinkoff, Michael William Fraser, Marjorie Gavel, Sophie Martin, Jacqueline Monk, Lisa Morgan, Keith Palmer, Shane Paul, Stewart Saunderson, and Jordan Smith.

Morgan Gay and Darren Pacione remain as Negotiator and Research Officer, respectively.

Welcome to the new members and thank you to everyone on the team for the work you’re doing on behalf of FB members.