Tag Archives: FB

Tentative agreement reached for more than 9,000 workers at Canada Border Services Agency, strike action averted

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) have reached a tentative agreement for more than 9,000 workers at CBSA, avoiding potential job action at Canada’s borders.

“Our bargaining team has been working around the clock to secure the best contract for our members, and this tentative agreement is a testament to their incredible hard work and dedication,” said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President. ”This is a well-deserved victory for our members at CBSA who safeguard our nation’s borders and ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.”

Full details of the tentative agreement will be announced once the ratification kit is available for members Thursday, June 13.

“I’m proud of the solidarity our members have shown over that past two years of negotiations,” said Mark Weber, CIU National President. “Our bargaining team couldn’t have won this agreement without the strength and support shown by thousands of members across the country who took action to support our bargaining team.”

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

More than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency workers set new strike deadline for Friday, June 14 at 12:01 a.m. ET

More than 9,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) will begin job action across the country starting June 14 at 12:01 a.m. ET if an agreement is not reached at the table with Canada Border Services Agency and Treasury Board.

Job action was postponed Friday, June 7 after mediation talks were extended to reach an agreement.

“We are still hopeful we can avoid a strike and potential disruptions at Canada’s borders,” said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President.” No worker wants a strike, but we’ve set a firm deadline for this government to come to the table with a fair agreement.”

Workers at CBSA represented by PSAC-Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) have been without a contract for over two years. They include border services officers at airports, land entry points, marine ports, and commercial ports of entry, inland enforcement officers, intelligence officers, investigators, trade officers, and more than 2,000 non-uniformed headquarters staff.

Job action by CBSA personnel in 2021 nearly brought commercial cross-border traffic to a standstill, causing major delays at airports and borders across the country and a marathon 36-hour bargaining session to reach an agreement.

“Our members have overwhelmingly told us they are ready to fight for equitable retirement, fair wages and to make CBSA a better place to work,” said Mark Weber, CIU National President. “Now it’s time for the government to deliver a fair contract for CBSA employees.”

The two sides remain in negotiations this week with the assistance of a mediator. Due to the sensitive nature of ongoing negotiations, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union will not be providing media interviews during mediation.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB strike action on hold, mediation extended to June 12: A message from the CIU National President

Dear members,

On Friday June 7, 2024, moments before unleashing country-wide strike action, the union and employer agreed to extend mediation for the FB group until Wednesday, June 12, in order to continue working toward a fair contract for our members.

As a result, strike activities that were set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on June 7 have been put on hold while mediation continues.

I know many of you were poised to act and I wish to express my profound gratitude to all for answering the call and being ready to take the necessary steps to fight for your rights and support our FB bargaining team. Your readiness to act did not go unnoticed.

In the lead-up to the June 7 strike deadline, we witnessed a multiplicity of attempts by CBSA to undermine this solidarity through threats and misinformation so as to weaken the bonds that join us as union members. Your willingness to take action and report to a picket line showed how futile these attempts really were.

As our FB bargaining team keeps working towards a fair and equitable deal for our members through mediation, I encourage you to continue supporting each other, along with those who represent you at the table, in the same way as you have done until now.

The FB group could not wish for a better bargaining team, whose dedicated members, shouldered by excellent union staff, have spent nearly two years working hard on your behalf to lay the groundwork for a fair deal. Our team is only as strong as the members they represent and they could not ask for a better group of union activists.

I know that many of you will have questions. Due to the highly sensitive nature of ongoing negotiations, updates will be sparse, and it may be days before new information is communicated to you.

I thank you for your understanding and commend you once again for your readiness to act. United we advance the working conditions for all.

Thank you and in solidarity,

Mark Weber
CIU National President

Strike action for more than 9,000 CBSA workers on hold as mediation continues until June 12

Strike action for more than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers across the country is on hold as the union and the government agreed to extend negotiations with the assistance of a mediator until June 12 to reach a fair contract for workers.

“We’ve paused all strike action as talks continue to reach a fair contract for workers,” said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President. “Our members keep our borders moving, goods flowing and our families safe, and deserve a contract that delivers fair wages, equitable retirement and makes CBSA a better place to work.”

All strike activities have been postponed as mediation continues into next week. A new strike deadline will be set in the coming days, and job action remains possible for CBSA workers if an agreement cannot be reached at the table.

“I’m hopeful we can reach a deal and avoid disruptions at Canada’s borders,” said Mark Weber, Customs and Immigration Union National President. “Our members are essential – protecting our borders, preventing auto theft and stopping illegal drugs and firearms from entering Canada – and they deserve a fair contract that treats them with respect and dignity in line with other law enforcement agencies across the country.”

Due to the sensitive nature of ongoing negotiations, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union will not be providing media interviews during mediation.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining: Strike FAQ

The Border Services (FB) bargaining unit consists of over 9,000 PSAC-CIU members working at Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), who are responsible for protecting Canada’s borders and the planning, development, delivery, inspection and control of people and goods entering Canada.

The collective agreement expired in June 2022 and FB members have been without a contract for nearly two years.

The FB bargaining team is committed to reaching a fair contract that protects our hard-fought gains and provides new rights and protections for PSAC-CIU members.

Key issues at the bargaining table include:

Wage parity: FB members deserve fair wages that are aligned with other law enforcement agencies across the country – for both uniformed and non-uniformed members alike.
Stronger job security: CBSA’s approach to discipline is heavy-handed and leads to a toxic workplace culture. We need better protections for workers from management harassment and abuse of authority.
Access to telework: FB non-uniformed members deserve consistent and flexible access to telework options.
Protections from contracting out: The use of automated systems, untrained student workers and contracting out means higher costs, more risk, and reduced quality of services for Canadians. We need to end contracting out and fight for good, secure public service jobs.

We’ve also made it clear that if this government is serious about achieving a new collective agreement, Treasury Board President Anita Anand must honour the commitment made during the last round of bargaining and make equitable 25-and-out retirement a reality for FB members. Law enforcement personnel at CBSA deserve the same treatment and retirement benefits as their counterparts in other law enforcement agencies.

Following the release of our strike mandate, many of you are asking what happens now. Your bargaining team will be in mediation starting June 3rd.

To provide members with as much information as possible, we have compiled key questions and answers. This page will be updated periodically, check back for more information.

FULL FB FAQ ON PSAC WEBSITE CLICK HERE

Next steps

If you have any other questions, please contact your branch president, your PSAC regional office, or refer to the PSAC Strike Manual. You can also participate in a strike and essential services training session, which will expand on many of these themes in more detail. Training sessions are being scheduled. Stay tuned for more information.

We make tremendous gains when we exercise our right to strike. It’s one of our most effective tools to ensure the employer understands we deserve respect and listens to our demands. Keep these things in mind when you speak with your family, people in your community, and other union members. We are stronger together.

This article was originally posted on the PSAC website.