Canada border workers strike begins; expect delays at ports of entry

August 6, 2021

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Truckers who are crossing the Canadian border can expect longer lines and delays as border services employees on the Canadian side commence a “work-to-rule” strike on Friday, Aug. 6.

Big delays for truckers ???? now on I-75 going to Canada ???????? due to the Canadian border patrol strike. Still backed up in the Ambassador Bridge @WWJ950 @WWJTraffic @FOX2News #fridaymorning #Detroit #Truckers pic.twitter.com/uASwNJ3Xzm

— Charlie Langton (@charlielangton) August 6, 2021

The Public Service Alliance of Canada and its Customs and Immigration Union, which represents 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency employees, announced via Twitter on Friday that the strike was underway.

“Our FB bargaining team has been at the table all night, and we’re giving them a bit more time to negotiate,” the union said on Friday. “In the meantime, work-to-rule actions have started across the country. We’ll provide an update as soon as possible.”

Our FB bargaining team has been at the table all night, and we’re giving them a bit more time to negotiate.

In the meantime, work-to-rule actions have started across the country. We’ll provide an update as soon as possible. #cdnpoli

— PSAC-AFPC (@psac_afpc) August 6, 2021

Work-to-rule strike activity will take place at all Canadian airports, land borders, commercial shipping ports, postal facilities and headquarters locations and could have a dramatic impact on Canada’s supply chain and the government’s plans to reopen the border to U.S. travelers on Aug. 9.

The two sides returned to the bargaining table on Friday, but the work-to-rule action began at 6 a.m. EDT across the country.

“We’ve continued to serve Canadians throughout the pandemic – keeping our borders safe, screening travelers for COVID-19, and clearing vital vaccine shipments,” CIU national president Mark Weber said in a statement. “Now it’s time for the government to step up for CBSA employees.”

PSAC says unionized employees with the Customs and Immigration Union have been without a contract for over three years.

They seek better protections against a toxic workplace culture at CBSA, and greater parity with other law enforcement agencies across Canada.

The union declared an impasse in December and applied for a Public Interest Commission hearing after failing to reach an accord with the CBSA and Treasury Board. The commission released its recommendations for both parties to reach a deal, including many improvements to the working conditions of CBSA employees.

During work-to-rule strike action, CBSA employees will obey all of the policies, procedures and laws applying to their work, and perform their duties to ‘the letter of the law’. The union warns this may cause long and unavoidable delays at Canada’s borders as workers “carry out their jobs as they were trained to do.” LL