June 10, 2024 

A potential strike by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers was postponed at the last moment on Friday, allowing further negotiations to take place.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), representing over 9,000 CBSA employees, released a statement just before the 1 p.m. PST deadline for the planned strike.

Mediation will continue until Wednesday, and all strike action by 9,000 CBSA personnel is on hold, the union announced. As picket lines will not be in place as of yet.

The union had warned that job action would commence on Friday afternoon if an agreement was not reached with the CBSA and the Treasury Board by then, potentially impacting border crossings nationwide. CBSA employees have been working without a contract since June 2022, pushing for higher wages and improved retirement benefits, including early retirement options after 25 years of service, to be on par with other Canadian law enforcement agencies such as the RCMP and Correctional Services Canada. Additionally, they are advocating for clear remote work policies and guarantees that vacancies will not be filled with contracted workers.

BCTA will be closely monitoring the situation as negotiations continue until Wednesday and will report any updates or changes to members.