Tag Archives: Strike

CIU members supports CUPW on the picket line

As Canada Post workers from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) begin their strike for fair wages and fair working conditions, CIU members joined picket lines from coast to coast to show support with striking CUPW members.

In New Brunswick, CIU NB-PEI Branch President Marjorie Gavel stopped by the picket line in Woodstock earlier today to show solidarity with striking workers (and drop off muffins, donuts and coffee!). Despite the cold and the damp, spirits were high.

In British Columbia, CIU Young Worker Representative Kevin Kerr, along with his family, dropped by the CUPW local 728 picket line in Cranbrook to show support.

Support CUPW

While CIU members are not in a legal strike position, you can support CUPW members by joining picket lines during unpaid breaks and before/after your work day (FB members, please remember not to attend while wearing your uniform and tools). Let’s show solidarity with postal workers!


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

bargaining-FB-négos

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.

Support striking Non-Public Funds workers

Non-Public Funds workers are the backbone of services for Canadian Forces members, veterans, and their families.

But despite generating profits from the programs and services NPF workers provide, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) refuses to offer fair wages to more than 500 workers currently on strike in Bagotville, Kingston, Montreal–St-Jean, Ottawa, Petawawa, and Valcartier.

Send a letter supporting striking workers

CFMWS has pushed PSAC-UNDE members to the brink by forcing us to stay on strike for more than 60 days. That’s why we are calling for a nationwide boycott of CFMWS services and programs.

The boycott of CFMWS is more than a protest. It’s a declaration that all workers matter — not just those in the highest pay bands.

How to participate in the boycott

For military staff on Canadian Forces bases throughout Canada, as well as community members around the bases who utilize the same services, boycotting CFMWS means actively choosing not to use their services and programs and encouraging others to do the same.

By making conscious choices about where to spend our money and which services to use, we can put financial pressure on CFMWS and send a clear message that our troops and communities support us in our fight to be treated with dignity.

Here are some examples of what the boycott looks like in practice: 

  • Instead of using CFMWS-operated gyms and recreational facilities, seek out local community centres or private gyms.
  • Organize or participate in community sports leagues and recreational activities outside of military bases.
  • Avoid purchasing items from CANEX stores and look for alternative retail outlets and local businesses to support off-base instead.
  • Choose local restaurants, cafes, and bars over CFMWS-operated facilities for meals, group outings, and events.
  • Attend events, concerts, and activities hosted by community organizations or local businesses instead of those organized by CFMWS.

If nothing else, talk about the strike with military personnel, community members, and CFMWS staff. Engage in a dialogue about the reasons for the boycott and the importance of fair wages for workers. Encouraging understanding and empathy can broaden support for striking workers and help us reach a fair resolution.

Other ways to support the strike

Even if you don’t live near a Canadian Forces base, you can still demonstrate solidarity with striking PSAC-UNDE members and help apply pressure on the employer.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Treasury Board strike: Deadline for reporting scabbing activities

Photo of CIU flag

As communicated on June 9, 2023, CIU has established an Investigation Committee to look into allegations of members in non-essential positions who continued to work during the Treasury Board strike, earlier this spring. This Committee must report its findings to PSAC’s Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) no later than six months after the signature of the PA, EB, TC and SV collective agreements.

As the PA and TC agreements were signed on June 28, this means that the Committee must report its findings to the AEC by December 28, 2023. As a result, in order to provide the Committee with sufficient time to investigate complaints and issue a report, CIU will only accept allegations of scabbing activities until July 30, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Allegations received after the deadline will not be investigated.

Should you have witnessed or be aware of any CIU PA, EB, TC, or SV member who performed work during the strike (April 19-28, inclusively) while occupying a non-essential position, you may file an allegation to that effect by emailing us at complaints@ciu-sdi.ca using your personal email address (and not your CBSA email address), until July 30. Please include the relevant name(s), work location(s), witness(es) and date(s) along with a basic description of the incident(s), as well as your own contact information.

As per the PSAC Constitution, Section 25, Sub-Section (4), members found to have engaged in scabbing activities may be disciplined, which could include a suspension of membership and a “fine that equals the amount of daily remuneration earned by the members, multiplied by the number of days that the member crossed the picket line, performed work for the employer, or voluntarily performed struck work”.