Officers at ports of entry across Canada will continue to operate as usual over the next few days.
A strike or walkout by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) staff was averted before a 4pm ET deadline on Friday after union leaders and the government extended mediation talks until Wednesday.
“We are hopeful that an agreement can be reached and chaos can be avoided at the Canadian border,” Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) national chair Mark Weber said in a media release.
“Our officers are essential, protecting our borders, preventing vehicle thefts, and stopping illegal drugs and firearms from being brought into Canada, and they deserve a fair contract in which they are treated with the same respect and dignity as other law enforcement agencies across the country.”
News of the extension provided breather for commuters, industry and small businesses who had expressed concern about lengthy and costly delays at the Canada-U.S. border.
Traffic was backed up on the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, Friday afternoon ahead of a deadline for Canada Border Services Agency officers to strike, as seen from the U.S. side of the bridge. The deadline for negotiations has since been extended until next week.
The Canadian Treasury Board Secretariat said in a statement that the government “remains at the negotiating table and is committed to continuing negotiations.”
“The discussions have been productive so far and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that is fair and reasonable for our Border Services Group members as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
More than 9,000 workers who have been on legal strike since Thursday could join the final walkout, including employees at airports and land and sea ports of entry.
The CIU and CBSA, which are affiliated with the Public Servants Alliance of Canada (PSAC), have been in mediation since Monday.
Workers have been without a contract since their last one expired two years ago.
Being in legal strike position does not necessarily mean that CBSA workers will strike once the deadline has passed.
The CBSA said in a statement that about 90 per cent of border agents are considered essential, meaning they must continue to work but are free to take part in protests when they’re not on duty.
As part of any labor dispute, there will likely be labor mobilizations that will have to follow the rules, he said.
“There could be huge queues of trucks and huge queues of people,” said Ian Lee of the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University in Ottawa. “There are so many people crossing the border every day that if they play by the book, it could be very disruptive.”
The union has cited job protection, pensions and automation as issues for negotiation, but it also wants to secure pay parity with other law enforcement agencies and a “retire at 25” retirement provision.
