Border unions, Treasury Board should immediately resume negotiations, panel recommends

A labour panel has recommended that the union representing border workers and their employer — the Treasury Board of Canada — resume negotiations immediately and start to reduce the number of outstanding issues between both sides.

Thousands of border workers — members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)-affiliated Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) — are predicting disruptions at airports and land crossings this summer after voting in favour of strike action.

The workers are seeking wages more in line with law enforcement agencies like the RCMP, access to telework for members who can work from home and better retirement options — including the option of retiring after 25 years without penalty, one they say is available to almost all other law enforcement and public safety personnel.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers have been without a contract for nearly two years. A public interest commission (PIC) — a panel that includes the union, employer and a representative of the labour board — was struck to resolve the impasse. Unlike the recommendations of an arbitrator, the PIC's recommendations are non-binding.

In its recommendations released Wednesday, the PIC urged the parties to use improvements achieved during negotiations at other PSAC tables to determine "how those resolutions might be adjusted or adopted" to reach an agreement for the border services group, which includes front-line officers and other CBSA staff.

In a news release on Thursday, the Treasury Board of Canada said it welcomes the PIC's report and looks forward to entering into mediated discussions beginning June 3.

"We remain at the bargaining table, committed to negotiating a deal that is fair to employees and reasonable to the Canadian taxpayer. We are optimistic that an agreement can be reached quickly with a shared commitment to good faith bargaining," the Treasury Board of Canada said in the release.

"Without question, employees in the border services group provide important services to Canadians. We are fully committed to reaching an agreement at the table that is fair for them, fair for their colleagues across the public service for whom agreements have recently been signed, and reasonable for taxpayers."

The Treasury Board of Canada said it has already reached agreements with more that 80 per cent of the public service, "and we are committed to doing the same for the Border Services employees."

Union response

PSAC-CIU members voted 96% in favour of taking strike action earlier this month, according to the unions.

"The clock is ticking," said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president-elect, in a statement.

"At every opportunity, Trudeau's Liberal government has refused to put the needs of workers first, and time is running out to avoid sweeping job action."

"Taking job action is always a last resort, but the overwhelming support for our strike mandate ...  shows that we are prepared to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract," said Mark Weber, CIU national president.