At this year’s Eastern Townships Branch Annual General Membership Meeting, members discussed the ongoing bargaining situation and expressed their support for their FB Bargaining Team, voicing their discontent at not being treated fairly by the government.
On December 19, 2017, in front of the offices of the Canada Border Services Agency, in Regina, CIU & PSAC members rallied for fairness and in solidarity with all FB members. After 3.5 years of bargaining, the employer is still pushing for concessions that devalues the work our members perform on behalf of all Canadians, and continues to refuse to provide parity with other law enforcement agencies.
The demonstrators had a clear message for Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale: Enough is enough – it is time to treat FB members with respect.
Present at the rally were members and representatives of CIU SK 40031, PSAC Regina Area Council Committee, DCL 40005, USGE, UNE, and CEIU, including: Brea Lewis, Branch President of CIU Saskatchewan 40031 and FB bargaining team member, Marianne Hladun, Regional Executive Vice-President of the PSAC Prairie Region, and Santa Claus.
Click here to view a video of the rally (on Facebook)
With the Public Interest Commision (PIC) mediation attempt having failed in October, our FB bargaining team proceeded to hearing on November 2, 6 and 23 at the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Employment Board (FPSLREB). Over the course of these three days our bargaining team made our case for compensation parity with other law enforcement agencies across Canada, including other federal agencies under the Ministry of Public Safety. We also made the case – repeatedly – that there are serious problems at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and that in light of these, we seek new rights for employees particularly as they pertain to discipline, hours of work and arming. CBSA management is not to be trusted. We need new protections.
Click here for PSAC’s written submissions to the Public Interest Commission for the FB group (PDF document).
A version of this article was first published on the PSAC website.
On December 14, 2017, our members in B.C. rallied in solidarity near the Peace Arch border crossing and sent a clear message to the employer: FB members deserve fair treatment at the bargaining table. These women and men are law enforcement, protect our borders, and deserve a fair contract.
Present at the rally with the members were local and national union representatives, including Rick Savage, CIU 4th National VP.
In another display of solidarity, members of CIU/PSAC in Niagara Falls rallied today to express support for their FB bargaining team, and to tell the employer that FB members keep Canada’s borders safe, and deserve a fair treatment. They’re law enforcement, and a fair contract must acknowledge it.
Among the members were CIU 1st National VP Mark Weber, CIU Niagara Falls Branch President Chris Schuurman, and CIU Toronto Branch President Frances Baroutoglou.
