To supplement the frequently updated PSAC Treasury Board strike FAQ, CIU has also prepared a complementary FAQ to further help CIU members navigate the TB strike mandate and the potential strike.
Always refer to the PSAC FAQ in addition to the documentation below to ensure you have all available information. Make sure to use the PSAC picket line finder. Should you have any questions, please consult your CIU Branch President and your PSAC regional office.
Using students to do the work of border service officers was a critical issue raised by our FB bargaining team when talks with Treasury Board/CBSA continued March 21-23. PSAC-CIU was particularly alarmed by remarks from CBSA President Erin O’Gorman who told a parliamentary committee, “I would say that our student BSOs become, to a large extent, our permanent workforce.”
Students have minimal training and are employed by the Agency for as little as $16 per hour to do the work of trained, professional officers. Students should not be performing the work of fully trained enforcement professionals and should not be doing union work without the union’s consent. We have made proposals to this effect in negotiations. CBSA should focus on recruiting and retaining staff, rather than bringing in cheap labour with minimal training to do our work.
Our bargaining team also discussed issues related to CBSA’s unilateral revoking of part-time agreements for union members in British Columbia; work on designated holidays; and CBSA paying work-related membership fees, such as law society fees, accounting designations, and range fees.
Management continued to insist that telework should remain a policy and outside of the collective agreement. We emphasized our position that employees must have the ability to grieve if CBSA management unreasonably denies such opportunities. The employer also proposed a reduction in compensation for callbacks, which we rejected.
These issues remain unresolved, but we will continue to fight for these important bargaining demands as we continue negotiations.
We are currently scheduled to return to the bargaining table in April, however, that could change if our fellow PSAC members employed by Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency are engaged in strike action. We have made it clear to the employer that we will not meet while our fellow union members are on strike. An injury to one is an injury to all.
In the meantime, we encourage you to read our bargaining proposals to ensure you know what we’re fighting for:
Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates about bargaining. If you have any questions, please contact your branch president or your PSAC regional office.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
The new year brought new bargaining dates for our FB team as we returned to the table with Treasury Board/Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) from January 31 to February 2, picking up where we left off in December. With the last day of this bargaining session coinciding with the FB day of mobilization on Feb 2 (see photos here), the team was re-energized with support from members across the country.
During bargaining, our team proposed the reintroduction of paid firearm practice time. We also discussed our proposal concerning paid time for members to tool up and tool down at the beginning and end of each shift. Unfortunately, no progress was made on these issues, even though grievances have been filed.
While at the table, we took the opportunity to once again rebuke Treasury Board’s flawed hybrid work policy, against which PSAC has now filed a freeze complaint to halt the policy, and policy grievances on behalf of members. Our team reiterated that we need telework language that allows us to grieve in our collective agreement, because the government’s botched rollout of their policy has made it abundantly clear that Treasury Board and CBSA are not to be trusted.
Meanwhile, CBSA continued to push for significant concessions, including their proposal to add new restrictions to Article 41, leave without pay for the care of family. We believe any restrictions on this leave will lead to management rejecting all requests, as ‘no’ is the default with CBSA management. The employer also wants to water down our variable shift schedule agreement (VSSA) and hours of work rights. Our team rejected these proposals and told the employer we are only interested in improving our collective agreement, not going backwards.
We are in the process of setting additional dates with the employer. In the meantime, we encourage you to read our bargaining proposals to ensure you know what we’re fighting for:
Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates about bargaining. If you have any questions, please contact your branch president or your PSAC regional office.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
On February 2 — Groundhog Day — our FB bargaining team was back at the bargaining table, where the employer continued to display the same inconsiderate attitude we’ve seen before, repeating a pattern we’re all too familiar with.
Luckily, CIU members from coast to coast to coast, in a display of solidarity reminiscent of August 6, 2021, were ready to step up once again and support their bargaining team, displaying signs, swag and stickers. Last round of bargaining, the employer saw what we could do when we’re united, and the message we sent on February 2 was clear: If they want to repeat the past, so can we. But we’re not going to wait three years.
See the gallery below for photos of the day.
Have you ever felt stuck in a loop? Our FB bargaining team knows the feeling all too well. As mobilization ramps up for this round of bargaining, it’s becoming increasingly clear that CBSA has little more to offer than a Groundhog Day-type scenario, with the same inconsiderate proposals and attitudes we’ve already seen countless times.
That’s why we’re asking you to show support for our team on Thursday, February 2, by wearing stickers and swag. To mark the day, PSAC-CIU has prepared “Remember August 6” and “I support fair bargaining for all” stickers as a reminder to the employer that we’re serious about our demands, are focused on getting a fair deal for members, and won’t go another three years without a contract.
The unprecedented work-to-rule action by FB members across Canada on August 6, 2021, caused major delays at the borders and showed the strength of workers when we work together. That pressure ultimately led to a strong new collective agreement That’s why we’re mobilizing early, to remind the employer what we’re capable of, and we need your support.
Please contact your branch president or your PSAC regional office to request the new stickers. You can also wear any PSAC-CIU swag you have at home and download our virtual background and signature block to use throughout bargaining.
This round of bargaining kicked off in June 2022 with our continued push for an early retirement regime comparable to other law enforcement agencies, which complements the work PSAC is doing with the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee.
The team is also focusing on other key issues this round, like entrenching the ability to grieve access to telework in the collective agreement for non-uniformed FBs; job protections in the context of new technologies, contract workers, and student use; and new rights with respect to discipline and protections against forced overtime to address CBSA’s heavy-handed management style.
Meanwhile, we’re closely watching the 120,000 PSAC members working for Treasury Board in the PA, SV, TC, and EB groups as they move forward with strike votes. Many of these members are in our workplaces supporting FB members daily and were there when we needed them on August 6. Now it’s our turn to be there for them!
We’re also mindful that what happens at those tables, and with the 35,000 PSAC-UTE members working for the Canada Revenue Agency who are taking strike votes, will inevitably influence our negotiations, so it’s important we support their efforts. We’re all in this together.
Read our bargaining proposals below, and please keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates.
Everything PSAC-CIU members do in the workplace to show employers we are paying attention to the issues and support our bargaining teams – no matter how big or small – makes a difference as we push for a fair contract.
Learn more about your rights in the workplace and refer to past rulings from the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) that reinforced our rights to represent the union in the workplace.
A 2018 FPSLREB ruling found CBSA’s arbitrary ban on wearing orange “I support my bargaining team” shoelaces anywhere except boots to be an unfair labour practice and a violation of the collective agreement. The judgment guaranteed members’ rights to wear these shoelaces as hair ties or bracelets, should they choose to do so. Another FPSLREB ruling from 2012 protected members’ rights to wear red “support the bargaining team” bracelets while on duty and rejected the claim that it was a violation of the uniform policy.
If management interferes with these rights or discourages you from exercising them, alert your branch president or your PSAC regional office right away.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
