A message to the membership from the new CIU National President, Mark Weber.

Sisters and Brothers,

As your new National President, my first few weeks have been almost exclusively dedicated to supporting the efforts of our bargaining team. I had the pleasure of attending rallies in Windsor, Fort Erie, Lansdowne, Cornwall, Prescott and Toronto. Never have I seen greater solidarity than what you’ve shown these past few weeks. Whether attending demos, wearing your swag, volunteering, or contacting your MPs, you made it clear to our employer that we will no longer be disrespected.

Our August 6 Work to Rule campaign was a watershed moment for our great Union. Across the country, members came together and showed how powerful we really are when we act as one. Without you, we would not now have a tentative agreement to vote on. You’ve made this happen and I am so proud to represent you. The actions you took on August 6 will not be forgotten. With the next round of bargaining just around the corner, the employer will never again question our ability to mobilize.

I hope you will join me in offering my thanks to our bargaining team. They worked for years to get this agreement and, in the end, made gains that CIU had been seeking for a long time.

You will get more details about the tentative agreement in the coming weeks and will have an opportunity to ask questions of the bargaining team at your ratification meetings.

Thank you all for the amazing display of solidarity, and never forget what we accomplished together on August 6.

In solidarity,

Mark Weber
National President
Customs and Immigration Union

PSAC-CIU has given official strike notice to the government, which means effective Friday, August 6 at 6:00 a.m. (EDT), all FB members will begin work-to-rule action across the country.

This is our opportunity to cause significant disruptions to CBSA operations and force the government to come back to the table to address the toxic workplace culture at CBSA and provide parity with other law enforcement personnel across Canada.

Once the employer was served strike notice, they asked to return to the table August 4, which we agreed to, but it’s clear Treasury Board and CBSA still have no new mandate to address our core workplace issues, and we need to continue planning for strike action beginning Friday.

During a work-to-rule, we’re asking you to obey all of the policies, procedures and laws applying to your work, and to perform your duties to “the letter of the law.” Don’t work during your breaks or unpaid lunches. Don’t work past your scheduled work hours. Ask every question in your manual at ports of entry. This may cause long and unavoidable delays at Canada’s borders, but we know you take pride in your work and will rely on your discretion to not cut any corners while performing your duties.

We’ll send a clear and decisive message to the government: we’re prepared to do what’s necessary to make CBSA a better and safer place to work.

Beginning August 6, there won’t be picket lines organized at worksites. That’s because work-to-rule action will have a far greater impact on Canada’s critical supply chain and the federal government’s plans to reopen the border to U.S. travelers on August 9.

There’s no doubt our job action will result in slower processing and longer wait times. While unfortunate for travelers and commercial shipping, the blame rests squarely with Treasury Board, CBSA and the government for their inaction, disrespect and chronic understaffing. Taking strike action is always a last resort, but PSAC-CIU have exhausted all other avenues to reach a fair contract, and the government has forced us to take job action.

Work-to-rule action should never jeopardize the safety of Canadians or the security of our borders. All duties relating to the safety and security of Canada are essential and, in fact, should be done with greater diligence and in line with all enforcement manuals and legislation.

To be clear, we are asking you to do your job as you were trained to do it, in accordance with your collective agreement, policies, procedures, SOPs and laws, while adhering to all health and safety protocols. This applies to all FB members, including non-uniformed members.

This is just the first step in our strike activities. Other types of strikes, including a general strike, rotating strikes and strategic strikes, are all options under consideration for the next phases as we ramp up our strike action. Only then will essential and non-essential designations come into play.

During a work-to-rule, you will not receive strike pay because all FB members will remain at work for their regularly scheduled shifts and in your typical roles. Therefore for this first stage, there will be no loss of salary.

Our FB bargaining team has put together a comprehensive list of work-to-rule actions you can take in the workplace. Consult the list carefully and reach out to your PSAC Regional Office or your CIU Branch President at any time during this process with your questions and concerns.

For more information on the PSAC strike structures, please see the PSAC Strike Manual or our Frequently Asked Questions.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

More than 8,500 unionized staff with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have given their union an overwhelming strike mandate, throwing into question the federal government’s plans for a smooth reopening of the Canada-U.S. border this summer as a federal election looms. CBSA employees could potentially begin strike action as soon as August 6, 2021.

The employees — members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) — have been without a contract for over three years. They are seeking better protections against a toxic workplace culture at CBSA, and greater parity with other law enforcement agencies across Canada. The union declared impasse and applied for a Public Interest Commission ruling after CBSA and Treasury Board were unwilling to address these concerns.

“Our members at CBSA have been on the front lines throughout the pandemic, and many have contracted COVID-19 while working,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “They’ve kept our borders safe, screened travelers entering Canada, and ensured the rapid clearance of vaccine shipments. Now it’s time for the government to step up for them the way they’ve stepped up for Canadians.”

Risk of significant economic disruption

A labour dispute while borders begin to reopen could cause a significant disruption to the flow of goods, services and people entering Canada, and impact the Canadian economy by:

• Slowing down commercial traffic at the border and ports of entry;
• Impacting international mail and parcel deliveries from Canada Post and other major shipping companies;
• Impact the collection of duties and taxes on goods entering Canada.

“Taking strike action is always a last resort, but we’re grappling with systemic workplace harassment issues that must be addressed,” said Mark Weber, CIU national president. “The toxic workplace culture at CBSA is taking a heavy toll on the mental health and well-being of our members.”

The federal government recently reached a tentative agreement with RCMP members that closed wage gaps and provided more supports for its members, showing a clear willingness to negotiate from the government. CBSA employees deserve the same level of respect at the bargaining table.

“We’ve told the government numerous times that we’re ready to return to the table to negotiate a fair contract that addresses our members’ concerns,” added Aylward. “But their window to avert a strike is quickly closing.”

PSAC-CIU members at CBSA include border service officers at airports, land entry points, marine ports, and commercial ports of entry, inland enforcement officers, intelligence officers, investigators, trade officers, hearings officers and non-uniformed members. The strike vote was held between June 16 and July 23.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.