CIU National President Mark Weber sent the following letter to Harold J. Daggett, President of the International Longshoremen’s Association, on April 28, 2023.
Dear President Daggett,
On Friday, April 21, 2023, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), of which the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) is a component, held a picket line at the port of Saint John, New Brunswick, as part of the ongoing strike involving 155,000 Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency workers. CIU represents both a number of Treasury Board members who are currently on strike, as well as Border Services Officers who, while not on strike, support the demands of striking Treasury Board workers.
During the events of April 21, longshoremen — ILA members — working at the port refused to cross the picket line established by PSAC members, resulting in container examinations being unable to proceed and having to be cancelled, with Border Services Officers leaving the port. Shamefully, the port authority in Saint John eventually sought an injunction, causing the picket line to be moved, and normal operations to resume.
Nevertheless, the refusal to cross the picket line by ILA members is an exemplary display of cross-union solidarity, and we are indebted to the longshoremen for their unwavering support. Actions such as these signal to all employers that union actions are to be respected. They are crucial for the labour movement at large and are to be commended.
I would be thankful if you could share this letter with your membership, and in particular with the members who refused to cross.
With my most sincere thanks to you and your members, and in solidarity,
Mark Weber
National President
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