Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

PSAC filing legal challenge against Canada Border Services Agency

Earlier this month, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) management at Toronto Postal Operations created new shifts and began assigning students – without managerial supervision – to work these shifts. CBSA management has also refused to offer these shifts as overtime to Border Services Officers (BSOs).

Our PSAC-CIU bargaining team has made proposals in national negotiations concerning protections against unilateral changes to schedules and to protect our bargaining unit work. We’re in favour of students getting training and opportunities for work experience, but they should not be used to replace trained officers at CBSA ports of entry. Our proposals in negotiations would ensure that students are not being used as cheap labour by the employer.

Labour law guarantees that while we are in bargaining, our current terms and conditions are frozen, unless the union consents to changes CBSA wants to make. We are opposed to BSOs being replaced by students. We do not agree with CBSA’s scheduling changes.

As a result, PSAC has filed a statutory freeze complaint with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board against CBSA and Treasury Board.

PSAC will also be taking legal action against CBSA over unilateral scheduling changes implemented at the Vancouver International Mail Centre.

We will uphold and defend our rights.

Negotiations

Last month, Treasury Board announced that its negotiator for the FB group is leaving. After our bargaining team reached out to Treasury Board demanding an update, we were notified that a replacement has been hired. We’ve proposed dates in September to resume negotiations. We are ready to get back the table and get CBSA/Treasury Board moving on workplace issues that need to be addressed.

To review the package of proposals that we tabled as well as those of the employer, visit psacunion.ca/fb-group and ciu-sdi.ca/issue/fb-group-bargaining. We’ll continue to provide updates throughout the bargaining process.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

COVID-19: Contact tracing

Image of border crossing with the words "COVID-19"

The Public Health Agency of Canada and Provincial Health Authorities are failing to conduct proper contact tracing. People continue to test positive after having travelled abroad and the CBSA is not always notified.

Although we are working with the CBSA on having these lapses rectified, members continue to process COVID-19 positive travellers without ever knowing they have.

The following page will help those working air, rail and marine modes to identify possible exposure.

Should you have any concerns, contact your Provincial Public Health Authority immediately.

PA bargaining update: Significant progress made, negotiations extended

Image conversation PSAC AFPC

After two weeks of discussions at the bargaining table, significant progress was made on contract negotiations for common issues,  PA group – PSAC’s largest bargaining unit – and Phoenix damages. Negotiations are still ongoing, and both the employer and the union team have decided to extend negotiations this week in order to reach a deal.

PSAC will provide an update to members shortly thereafter.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining on hold until new employer negotiator is assigned

Our FB bargaining team met with Canada Border Services Agency/Treasury Board last month in virtual contract talks. Our team was scheduled to meet with them again in July, but the Treasury Board negotiator assigned to the FB bargaining unit is no longer representing the employer.

Consequently, our dates for next month have been postponed while a new negotiator is assigned by Treasury Board. We have notified the employer that our team is prepared to schedule dates during the summer once a new negotiator is assigned. We’ll provide an update once we have more information.