The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) welcomes the Liberal Party’s renewed commitment to provide equitable retirement benefits for thousands of frontline federal workers. Today, Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced plans to strengthen Canada’s border security through new investments, to hire 1,000 additional border services officers, and additional equipment to be supplied to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), should they form government following the election.
The Trudeau government previously committed to implementing equitable retirement to thousands of frontline federal workers, including border services staff and firefighters before the government was prorogued.
“These commitments reflect a clear recognition of the critical role our members play in keeping people in Canada safe and securing our borders,” said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President. “Equitable retirement for frontline workers has been a longstanding priority for thousands of frontline PSAC members.”
PSAC has long called for early retirement eligibility for frontline workers in line with other law enforcement and public safety roles across the country. The Liberals’ commitment would allow frontline federal workers to retire with dignity after 25 years of service without penalties, a significant victory for unions and workers who have been advocating for fair pension treatment for more than a decade.
While the announcement to recruit 1,000 additional CBSA officers is a necessary step forward, PSAC and CIU will also continue to push the government to meet the staffing needs of CBSA, and commit to the construction of additional training facilities to respond to emerging challenges at Canada’s borders.
We also welcome investments in new tools like scanners, drones, and canine units to support the vital work our members do every day to secure Canada’s borders.
“CIU is pleased to see the Liberal Party take CBSA staffing requirements seriously,” said Customs and Immigration Union President Mark Weber. “Ultimately, putting in place a sustainable staffing plan is crucial in the face of emerging border challenges, and we urge all parties to also consider the urgent need for additional training facilities to better meet current and future staffing pressures.”
PSAC calls on all political parties to support this long-overdue pension reform and these necessary investments as part of their election commitments.
We will continue to advocate for an expanded scope of eligibility for early retirement, additional resources to secure Canada’s borders, and the rapid introduction of the legislation following the election.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
