Canada’s Border Strike Averted with Tentative Deal

Canada’s border strike has been averted, thanks to a last-minute tentative deal.

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) announced today (Tues., June 11) that it and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) had reached a tentative deal with Canada’s federal government, averting the strike expected to begin on Friday.

The new contract details will be revealed after the ratification kit is shared with members on June 13.

Last week, PSAC announced that over 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers would begin job action on June 7 at 4:00 p.m. EST. That deadline was extended to June 14.

Most CBSA workers are deemed essential and therefore would not legally be able to walk off the job; however, work-to-rule job action would have caused significant delays at border crossings.

“Our bargaining team has been working around the clock to secure the best contract for our members, and this tentative agreement is a testament to their incredible hard work and dedication,” said PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa. “This is a well-deserved victory for our members at CBSA who safeguard our nation’s borders and ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.”

CBSA workers have been without a contract since June 2022.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said in a release that “an agreement was reached that is fair for employees and reasonable for Canadians.”