Canada’s customs officers reach tentative agreement, end work-to-rule campaign

Canada’s border services officers reached a tentative agreement with the federal government on Friday, after spending the day working to rule as an alternative to strike action. (Classified as essential workers, most border officers are prevented from striking.) Union and government representatives achieved the deal after 36 unbroken hours of mediated talks.

“Finally – after three years of negotiations – we’ve resolved long-standing issues that will go a long way towards making CBSA [Canada Border Services Agency] a better, safer place to work for our members,” said Mark Weber, president of the Customs and Immigration Union.

The agreement, if ratified by union members, will provide employees with wage increases retroactive to June 2018. It will also see the creation of a national joint committee to “tackle workplace culture problems at CBSA.”

The union bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement, saying in a statement that “there are no concessions in the new tentative agreement.”