Tag Archives: retirement

The fight for equitable retirement benefits for FB members

bargaining-FB-négos

PSAC and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) have been advocating for over a decade for equitable retirement benefits for CBSA law enforcement personnel working at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). In the last round of bargaining, FB members won a commitment from Treasury Board to support this – it’s time the government follows through.

Almost all law enforcement and public safety workers — both provincially and municipally — receive “25 and out” early retirement benefits, with very few exceptions. This includes firefighters, air traffic controllers, RCMP constables, operational employees of the Correctional Service of Canada, and more.

Allowing CBSA law enforcement officers to access the same early retirement benefits would allow our members to retire with dignity after 25 years of service, without any penalties.

CBSA law enforcement personnel work in demanding and physically challenging roles, and face similar physical demands and risks, yet are not afforded the same retirement benefits as their counterparts in other law enforcement agencies.

Instead, many older employees are given limited duties as they near retirement, as firearm and use of force certification become more difficult.

Without the prospect of fair retirement benefits, it can be challenging for CBSA to attract and retain talented workers at a time when the agency is already short-staffed.

It’s time the Treasury Board did the right thing and implemented pension reform.

Providing equitable and early retirement benefits will not only improve the overall well-being and job satisfaction of PSAC-CIU members working at CBSA, but also ensure a sustainable workforce by improving recruitment and retention.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Push continues for ’25 and Out’ Retirement Plan: Campaign for pension reform underway on several fronts

FB Bargaining

Last month, the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee (PSPAC) met to discuss retirement-related issues in the public service. The PSPAC is the body that provides input concerning the managing of public service pension funds. It includes several unions and Treasury Board representatives.

In the meeting the PSAC successfully pushed to have early retirement reform for Border Services employees and Department of Defence Firefighters (also PSAC members) prioritized to be addressed by the committee. Dates for follow-up meetings have not yet been set.

In a recent meeting with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, CIU National President Jean-Pierre Fortin raised the need for there to be pension reform for CIU-PSAC members working at CBSA. The same message was communicated in a recent meeting with newly-named CBSA President Linda Lizotte-MacPherson.

PSAC National President Robyn Benson and Jean-Pierre Fortin also spoke recently with Treasury Board President Scott Brison to impress upon the government the importance of this issue to our union and membership.

At the bargaining table, our FB Bargaining Team continues to push for a commitment from CBSA and Treasury Board in support of an early retirement regime for CBSA employees. In light of the work that we do, and the employer’s legal duty to accommodate, we believe that such a retirement arrangement is not only in the interest of employees of the FB group, but also the Agency.

We call on CBSA and the Treasury Board to support the amending of our pension plan so that we might have access to the same retirement benefit as other federal workers who are required to maintain similar physical standards. It’s in the best interests of everyone involved – union members, the government and CBSA.

We’ll be sure to provide update as things progress. For more information, contact your Branch President or go to ciu-sdi.ca or psacunion.ca/employer/fb-group.

Download the PDF version of this update (bilingual document).