Canadian Border Agency Guards Vote To Strike

Officers from the Canadian Border Services Agency, who have been working without an employment contract for years, have voted through their unions to authorize a strike.

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According to a report by CBC News, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), the two unions who represent more than 8,500 border guards, have authorized their members to walk off the job as soon as August 6, 2021, if a mutual resolution isn't reached.

CBSA Agents have been working without an approved contract for more than 3 years. Their last contract expired in June 2018 and workers have complained about harassment on the job and abuse since. In addition to those allegations, workers have also complained that they are not paid fairly when compared to other law enforcement officers in Canada.

Border Guards in Canada are considered essential employees, so they may not actually be legally allowed to walk off the job. However, there are major concerns that workers will begin to take work-to-rule actions, essentially a work slow-down until their demands are met.

In addition to guarding international border crossings and ports of entry in Canada; CBSA officers also guard airports in Canada, along with providing security services for the Canadian Post mail service and other logistics and shipping companies.

Any work stoppage or slowdown will have a major impact on travel as Canada is set to reopen its border to non-essential travel in just a few days.