Border union, Canadian government back at bargaining table
Jul. 30—PLATTSBURGH — Days after a majority of Canada's Customs and Immigration Union voted to go on strike, and about a week before membership could legally do so, Union Vice President Rick Savage says the phone rang.
"Today, the government called and we are back at the bargaining table. I have no updates on how that is going."
WITHOUT CONTRACT
In mid-June, shortly after the Canadian Government announced it was pondering a border reopening plan, Canada's Customs and Immigration Union launched a strike vote.
To move forward with strike action, the union needed a majority, or 51%, of its membership to vote in favor of the move.
Then Union President Jean-Pierre Fortin, who was later replaced by Mark Weber, had said the union was without contract for three years and that membership had been "very patient" in that time.
"They (union members) are saying that when it was the time, they were there to protect Canadians during COVID for the past 15 months. They were on the frontlines (and) they did try to keep Canadians safe to the best of their ability," he told the Press-Republican last month. "But now time has past.
"There are talks now of the border reopening and immediately it, kind of, triggered, 'Hey. What about our contract now?'"
BORDER REOPENING
Since, Canadian leadership has announced its border reopening plans.
Beginning Aug. 9, fully vaccinated Americans will be able to cross into Canada for nonessential travel.
The nation plans to open the border in the same way to fully vaccinated peoples of other countries come early September.
CHANGE OF HEART
According to Savage, as of Tuesday more than 51% of union members voted in support of taking strike action.
It was two days later, on Thursday, that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat offered to return to the bargaining table, something union leadership said they had been unwilling to do since the strike vote began in June.
The union has said negotiation topics include wage parity, workplace violence and/or discrimination protections, as well as remote work policies for non-uniform members.
Though Savage did not know how bargaining was going as of Thursday afternoon, he noted progress was in the hands of the employer.
"If they're not going to move on the sticking points that we have, what's the point of negotiating? That's what we've been negotiating for the past three years," he said.
"Unless their minds have been changed on what we've been negotiating on, then it's just going to be useless talks. We're hoping that they're coming with an open (mind) to it."
STRIKE ACTION
The union could legally, per Canada's Federal Public Sector Labor Relations Act, begin taking strike action as of Aug. 6.
"Things that we could do would be a, work-to-rule, which would slow down mainly commercial travels, whether they be through land borders, air borders or even seaports," Savage said.
"We could have strategic strikes in specific locations, limited strike action — there are a variety of things that we could do."
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat provided a statement on the situation's current standing Friday morning.
"The government of Canada has great respect for border services officers and the important work that they do; We remain committed to reaching agreements with all bargaining agents that are fair to employees, mindful of today's economic and fiscal context and reasonable for Canadian taxpayers," the statement said. "We are disappointed that PSAC rejected a fair offer for its members at the Canada Border Services Agency that included wage adjustments and provisions in line with recent agreements reached with PSAC and other bargaining agents that cover over 88% of public servants. Going forward, our goal is to take constructive steps to advance negotiations and we are encouraged by our return to the bargaining table with the union today. "
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