Tag Archives: Summer Action Plan

CBSA Summer Action Plan 2022: Information on grievances, and answers to frequently asked questions

The implementation of the 2022 Summer Action Plan (SAP) by CBSA in June of this year raises a number of questions for the union and its members.

As per the employer’s own documentation, the SAP was developed to respond to the anticipated summertime operational pressures on border operations—including a sharp increase in the volume of travellers—and aims to maximize resources while minimizing border wait times. Unfortunately, the measures introduced as part of the Action Plan fail to address long-standing issues within the Agency, including staffing shortages years in the making, and only serve to further stretch an already overworked and overloaded workforce.

As part of its response to the Plan, the union has recently filed a policy grievance. However, questions remain, and the following is intended to help both members and union representatives navigate different scenarios with regards to the SAP, as well as possible recourses where applicable.

When should members file grievances?

The SAP proposes a number of far-reaching measures—such as mandatory overtime, mandatory shift changes, and the denial of discretionary leave—and members may be faced with situations where they will want to file individual grievances. The following list covers a range of situations that the union considers to be grievable. As always, members should consult with their local union representative before filing a grievance, and should follow the ‘obey now, grieve later’ principle, unless facing an imminent risk to their health and safety.

A note about signing grievances

At all times, grievances should be discussed and signed in consultation with a local union representative or Branch President. All grievances regarding articles of the collective agreement need a union signature and a union representative participating in the grievance presentation. When in doubt on how to proceed, members should contact their Branch President.

FAQ – Mandatory Overtime

One of the union’s main concerns with the SAP is the threat of mandatory overtime. For more than two years now, CIU members have continued to fulfill their duties, protecting the border and serving the Canadian public despite challenging situations. The employer’s decision to force mandatory overtime on its officers as a solution to chronic understaffing is troubling, and the following aims to answer common questions about the ramifications of this policy.

FAQ – Shift change, sick leave and accommodation

Mental health in the context of the Summer Action Plan

The SAP introduces a number of measures that may have a detrimental impact on the health of our members. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel overwhelmed—be it due to stress, fatigue or anxiety—your union is there to assist you. As a CBSA employee, you and your family also have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through LifeWorks—be it for advice, counselling or treatment. LifeWorks offers 24/7 confidential assistance, and can be reached at 1.877.367.0809 (TTY: 1.877.338.0275). You can also go to https://login.lifeworks.com/ to create an account and get more information.

Delays at the border: CBSA lets border officers and travelers down

With no end in sight to delays affecting travelers at airports and border crossings across the country, it’s clear the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has no plan to to get travel back on track anytime soon. This is only made more evident by CBSA’s recently announced Summer Action Plan (SAP) for 2022, which lacks any long-term fixes to address the lengthy delays and staff shortages that threaten to burden an already strained system for years to come.

“We’re concerned the measures proposed by the Agency will only serve to further inconvenience travelers and undermine border security,” said Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU). “Minister Marco Mendicino and CBSA must commit to a real plan and increase the number of border officers as soon as possible to prevent any further reduction in service for travelers.”

CBSA’s action plan is meant to relieve summertime pressures on border services, but it fails to address the root causes of the issues affecting CBSA workers and travelers across the country: chronic understaffing and an over-reliance on inefficient, automated technologies.

Instead, the plan focuses on poorly planned half-measures including mandatory overtime for officers, suspending non-essential training and exercises, lengthier assignments, reallocating dedicated enforcement teams, and even reducing or outright denying discretionary leave.

“Despite facing insurmountable challenges, border services officers have never faltered in their commitment to keeping Canadians safe throughout the pandemic,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “But the federal government clearly doesn’t recognize their contributions and the incredible strain they’ve been under. As we head into the next round of bargaining with Treasury Board and CBSA, improving staffing levels and working conditions will be key issues for our members.”

The troubling staffing issues and considerable delays at the border have been years in the making. CIU estimates that there is a total deficit of 1,000 to 3,000 officers at all levels of border operations. Yet CBSA and the federal government have chosen to continue to stretch an already thinned-out workforce. By discounting the physical and mental well-being of border services officers, the government only risks alienating and losing dedicated personnel.

“While Canadians are ready to start traveling again, CBSA is ill-equipped to deal with the surge in border traffic, and the government isn’t prepared to address these issues effectively,” said Weber. “If the government wants to get serious about avoiding lengthy delays for years to come, the solution is simple: hire more officers, and rely on their expertise.”

CBSA’s Summer Action Plan 2022 — A slap in the face to our members

Recently, the Canada Border Services Agency announced its Summer Action Plan (SAP) for 2022, seeking to mitigate anticipated summertime operational pressures on border operations. The Plan makes it clear that the Agency is well aware of the mounting challenges around issues such as an increase in the volume of travellers, higher border wait times, and improper staffing levels, all of which have a direct impact on a wide range of border operations across the country.

Unfortunately, far from offering long-term sustainable solutions to the very real issues affecting CBSA personnel and travellers from coast to coast, the CBSA’s SAP is an exercise in rushed and ill-conceived measures that only risks further damaging the already frayed trust between management and officers.

As per CBSA, the SAP is intended as an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ endeavour with the goal of ‘maximizing primary inspection line capacity’ until mid-September. Unfortunately, this will not be achieved through any real bolstering of actual staffing levels, but rather through measures such as mandatory overtime, mandatory shift changes, lengthier Primary Inspection Line assignments, and even the threat of reducing or outright denying discretionary leave.

For years, CIU has called upon the employer to increase the number of trained frontline officers instead of simply relying on a variety of technological measures to address issues at the border. Of course, we know that these measures — including automated Primary Inspection Kiosks, Remote Traveler Processing and, as we have seen in recent months, ArriveCan — often have the effect of making the border noticeably less efficient by lengthening processing times while also contributing to a decrease in border security.

Simply put, the CBSA’s Summer Action Plan is both a testament to the Agency’s lack of vision and a prime example of its complete disregard for the well-being of its officers. Over the last few years, Border Officers have worked continuously to serve their fellow Canadians and ensure the integrity and safety of our border, despite serious understaffing affecting ports of entry across Canada. This new Action Plan is a slap in the face to our members: By continuing to stretch an already thinned-out workforce, the Agency makes clear its willingness to endlessly sap the mental and physical health of its officers.

We cannot and will not let the Agency proceed unimpeded. At this time, even though the employer has already started implementing the Plan in parts of the country, we understand that not all officers will have been briefed by management. We are also aware that the measures proposed under the SAP will be concerning to many of our members, and we are currently exploring all avenues to defend their rights and protect their health and safety. Further communication will follow in the coming weeks.