CBSA Officers to Vote on Strike Mandate

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) continues to work with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to provide an update on ongoing reports of a strike involving CBSA border services officers (BSOs). The agency has clarified that the current vote would be to support a strike mandate, and not for a strike itself at this time.

In a statement to CTA, CBSA stated the following regarding these discussions, while reaffirming the agency’s commitment to continue to support the secure and timely movement of goods into the country:

  • The CBSA is a dynamic and responsive organization that will continue to deliver high quality border services. This means being prepared for anything – from unexpected events such as an accident, a flood, earthquake, power/network outage, to labour issues that could disrupt normal border operation services;
  • The CBSA will respond quickly to any job action/work disruption to maintain the security of our border and ensure that it remains open to legitimate travellers and goods;
  • The CBSA is presently anticipating the release of a report by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board to determine the next steps.

It’s CTA’s understanding that most border officers are deemed as occupying essential positions and would be prohibited from participating in any strike and continue to provide essential border services during any potential labour dispute.

CBSA will continue to provide additional information to stakeholders if/when further information becomes available.

References:

https://ontruck.org/cbsa-officers-to-vote-on-strike-mandate/