Travelers could soon see delays at the Canadian border. More than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency workers are prepared to go on strike this week.
The members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union say they will strike at 12:01 a.m. on Friday if an agreement is not reached with the Canada Border Services Agency and Treasury Board.
"We are still hopeful we can avoid a strike and potential disruptions at Canada’s borders," said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president. "No worker wants a strike, but we’ve set a firm deadline for this government to come to the table with a fair agreement."
The workers at CBSA have been without a contract for more than two years, according to the PSAC-Customs and Immigration Union. They include border services officers at airports, land entry points, marine ports and commercial ports of entry, inland enforcement officers, intelligence officers, investigators, trade officers and more than 2,000 non-uniformed headquarters staff.
The Treasury Board of Canada released the following statement last week:
The union and the CBSA will continue negotiations this week along with a mediator.