As strike action looms for more than 9,000 FB members at CBSA, take action to push for equitable retirement benefits for law enforcement personnel at CBSA in line with other law enforcement and public safety officers across Canada.
Almost all law enforcement and public safety workers receive “25 and out” early retirement benefits — the possibility of early retirement after 25 years of service without penalty. This includes most provincial and municipal firefighters, air traffic controllers, RCMP constables, operational employees of the Correctional Service of Canada, and more.
All FB personnel deserve access to the same retirement provisions, and have long called for the same benefits.
CBSA personnel work in stressful and physically challenging roles and face similar physical demands and risks as other law enforcement officers, yet are not afforded the same retirement benefits as their counterparts.
Maintaining the physical standards that come with these jobs becomes increasingly difficult with age. Currently, 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.
After pressure from PSAC and the Customs and Immigration Union during the last round of bargaining in 2021, Treasury Board has acknowledged this inequality, reiterating their long-held position that this issue could not be solved at the bargaining table. Now, in 2024, they’ve once again made it clear in their Public Interest Commission submission that the issue should be resolved through legislative amendments – not at the table.
If that’s the case, then why did Treasury Board President Anita Anand tell the House of Commons on April 30 that equitable retirement for members of the FB group was something to be left to the Public Interest Commission to resolve? Why did she tell the House of Commons that all agreements, including this one, are best reached at the table?
Let’s be clear: through her April 30 statement, Anita Anand either willfully misled Parliament, or unwittingly revealed that she’s been badly advised by her Treasury Board bargaining team. Either way, this sends a strong signal to PSAC members that the Trudeau Liberal government is no friend of labour.
Anand and the Liberal government can make this right and propose the necessary legislative changes that would enable CBSA law enforcement personel to access the same early retirement benefits as their counterparts, allowing them to retire with dignity after 25 years of service without facing any penalties.
FB group members have an overwhelming strike mandate and are prepared to take job action to reach a fair collective agreement. Anita Anand doesn’t have to wait. By taking action on equitable retirement now, she has the ability to show leadership on the issue and resolve a key workplace issue for FB members.
This article was originally posted on the PSAC website.
