Canadian border guards plan strike in early August
How will the border crossings work during the state of emergency?
The federal government's plan to open Canada's border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens next month is in danger of being derailed. This week, more than 8,500 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers, who have been out of contract since June 2018, are voting on whether they want to go on strike and not go to work in early August. The results of the vote will be known early next week.
What happens if there is a strike?
If more than half vote in favour, then an emergency situation could arise in early August, as CBSA officers are very important border officials. Their strike could cause massive delays to travellers and goods at both land and air border control points. And it could happen just as Canada prepares to welcome back fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and residents to its soil.
"Potentially a strike could slow things down," commented Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union. — We are not going on strike with joy because we really want to make sure Canada's border crossings run smoothly. For a year and a half, we have worked hard to ensure smooth operations at all border crossings. Working through some of the toughest circumstances any of us have ever faced."
What do Canadian border guards want?
Mark Weber said the Border Services union decided to go on strike to achieve 3 important things: equal pay with other Canadian law enforcement officers, better protection from harassment and discrimination for its employees, and to consider remote work for those officers who are not required by their job description to wear a uniform.
As Weber explained, their union doesn't want to cause hardship for Canadians and tourists at the border, but feels it has run into a wall in negotiations with higher authorities. And he added that border officers often face harassment at their workplaces, making the CBSA "a very cold and unattractive place."
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