Customs and Immigration Union Possible Strike Action
Date: June 10, 2021
Classification: unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch/Agency: HRB/CBSA
Issue:
The National President of the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) has publicly signaled the union’s intention to encourage its members to vote for strike action in an attempt to push for a new collective agreement.
Proposed Response:
- 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 in order to maintain the security of our border and ensure that it remains open to legitimate travellers and goods.
- We expect that our officers will continue to fulfill their duties with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.
If pressed:
- Contract negotiations with the Customs and Immigration Union have recently reached an impasse, and there were three Public Interest Commission hearings held in May.
- The CBSA is presently anticipating the release of the resulting Report by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board in order to determine the next steps.
Background:
The Border Services (FB) bargaining process has recently reached an impasse, and Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings were held on May 10th, May 18th, and May 20th.
The Agency is presently anticipating the release of the PIC Report by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) in order to determine the next steps.
The Agency will need to prepare for the possibility of a FB Group strike should bargaining not be resumed and/or be unsuccessful in the foreseeable future.
The FB strike votes will be held from June 16 - 28, 2021 for represented FB employees which will inform the union regarding their intention to strike or not proceed with a strike situation.
For your reference, in order to be able to move forward with a FB group strike all of the following three (3) conditions need to be met:
- PIC Report – Needs to be released
- FB Essential Services Agreement – is presently being negotiated with the union and needs to be finalized
- Strike Vote – Needs to take place with final results from membership
Based on the above, there is a possibility that the FB group may be in a strike situation as early as August 2021.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Julie Burke, Director General, Wellness, Labour Relations and Compensation, 613-617-6449
Approved by: Louise Youdale, Vice President, Human Resources Branch, 613-325-7017
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