A CBSA strike could soon cause major delays at the border. What to know
Just as the summer travel season gets into gear, Canadians and visitors could find themselves waiting in long lines at the border — delays that could also deal a blow to the economy.
It all depends on what happens with a potential strike by workers at the Canada Border Services Agency, which could start as soon as Thursday.
More than 9,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada members who work for the CBSA, including border guards, have secured a strike mandate. The two sides go into mediation on June 3, and the union will be in a position to strike June 6.
The union says similar action three years ago “nearly brought commercial cross-border traffic to a standstill, causing major delays at airports and borders across the country.”
But the Treasury Board says 90 per cent of front-line border officers are designated as essential, which means they can’t stop working during a strike.
Union members could use work-to-rule, a tactic where employees do their jobs exactly as outlined in their contracts.
Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University’s school of business, said that means a border crossing could take much longer than it usually does. That wouldn’t just be a problem for tourists, but disrupt the economy, given $2.5 billion a day in goods crosses the border, he said.
The Treasury Board says “employees in essential services positions must provide uninterrupted border services. They cannot work to rule and they cannot intentionally slow down border processing.”
A spokesperson said the CBSA will discipline workers who “engage in illegal job action.”
But Lee noted border workers have broad discretion when it comes to asking questions. He said it’s unclear how the government can argue a guard is “breaking the law by
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