(Ottawa) As the summer travel season gets underway, Canadians and visitors could find themselves lining up at the border.
These delays could also deal a major blow to the economy.
It all depends on a possible strike by workers at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which could begin as early as Thursday.
More than 9,000 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) who work for the CBSA, including border guards, have obtained a strike mandate. Both sides will enter mediation on June 3 and the union will be able to strike on June 6.
The union says a similar action taken three years ago “nearly paralyzed cross-border commercial traffic, causing significant delays at airports and borders across the country.”
But Treasury Board says 90 per cent of front-line border officers are designated essential, meaning they can’t stop working during a strike.
How disruptive could a strike be?
Union members could resort to work-to-rule, a tactic in which employees do their jobs exactly as outlined in their contracts.
Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University’s business school, said this means crossing the border could take much longer than usual. This would not only pose a problem for tourists, but also disrupt the economy, given that 2.5 billion goods a day cross the border, he said.
The Treasury Board states that “employees in essential service positions must provide uninterrupted border services. They cannot work by the rules and cannot intentionally slow down border processing.”
A spokesperson said the CBSA would take disciplinary action against workers who “engage in illegal pressure tactics.”
But Mr Lee noted that border workers have wide discretion when it comes to asking questions. He added that it was unclear how the government could claim that a guard was “breaking the law by using his discretion and authority.”
Stephanie Ross, an associate professor of social studies at McMaster University, said there is a logistical barrier to government action. She emphasized that work-to-rule means following job duties to the letter.
“People would do their job, even if they were very thorough. How can you discipline people who follow the procedure? »
Mme Ross said work-to-rule can be very effective.
A border crossing where crossing may take an extra 10 minutes because the officer does everything prescribed can “have a huge disruptive effect amplified by the thousands of individuals, semi-trailers and various types of transportation entering Canada “, she detailed.
What do CBSA employees want?
Mark Weber, national president of the Immigration and Customs Union, part of the PSAC, said the zeal could be disruptive, but the union is “not there yet.”
Weber said members want pay parity with other law enforcement agencies, with the union looking at the pay of entry-level Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers for comparison.
The CBSA is also short thousands of officers, and the union wants those positions to be filled with permanent employees, not contract replacements.
Other issues include retirement benefits and protections related to “harsh discipline,” Mr. Weber said.
Another concern for the union is that technology is taking over jobs that agents would otherwise do, such as the kiosks that have popped up in Canadian airports.
Mr. Weber argued that the CBSA is “almost trying to create a self-checkout system, like we see in grocery stores, at our borders.”
He said this amounts to “almost waiting for smugglers to self-report without officers present, which from a national security perspective is extremely concerning.”
And there is the link with the fight of public service unions over home working arrangements.
What does the new public service mandate at the office have to do with the border guards?
Ottawa recently announced that federal employees will have to work in the office at least three days a week, starting in September. Public sector unions responded by promising a “summer of discontent” over the new policy.
Chris Aylward, then president of the PSAC, indicated that this included the CBSA strike, telling an earlier press conference that “the government must prepare for a summer of discontent.” Whatever happens, whether at borders or at airports.”
Weber said teleworking is a key issue for the union, and more than 2,000 of its members are working remotely or have already done so, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The union wants home working to be included in the collective agreement.
He said the government had previously promised to set up panels and consultations on working from home arrangements, then broke that promise by announcing the three-day-a-week mandate for everyone.
This means the union would be skeptical if the government simply offered another letter of understanding. “What value does this still have? ” said Mr. Weber.
How likely is a strike?
“We remain at the negotiating table, determined to negotiate an agreement that is fair for employees and reasonable for the Canadian taxpayer,” Treasury Board spokesperson Martin Potvin said in a statement.
“With our shared commitment to good faith negotiations, we are optimistic that an agreement can be reached quickly. »
Mr. Weber argued that it was up to the government to “offer a contract to avoid a strike.” We are always willing to sit down and negotiate a fair contract.”
Mme Ross said that before a strike, there is always an element of posturing, but the 96% vote in favor of the strike was “very strong.”
Many of the issues are the same as when the union went on strike in 2021, she noted.
“If we take a longer-term perspective, there is reason to believe that things have gotten worse at the CBSA, which means that the mobilization we are seeing on the union side must be taken seriously. serious. »
Workers have been negotiating without a collective agreement for two years, which, Ms.me Ross, “that there is a lot of frustration built up over the delay in their salaries.”
She said this was the time when both parties were waiting to see which one would be willing to blink.
The government might not believe the union “has enough organization and unity to carry out a work-to-rule strike that would be disruptive,” she said.
“But they might find out.” We might all find out. »