VANCOUVER, Aug 6 - Delays at the Canadian border have slowed the processing of commercial and domestic border documents to a crawl, government data shows, as federal border workers begin work-to-fine strike action in the midst of contract negotiations with the federal government.
The wait time for commercial traffic across the Pacific Highway from Surrey, British Columbia and Blaine, Washington was over five hours as of Friday night, according to government data. Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, the busiest land crossing between the two countries, had wait times of two and a half hours.
Talks between two unions representing Canadian border guards and staff - the Customs and Immigration Union and the Public Service Alliance of Canada - and the federal government reached an impasse in December 2020, and the unions served the federal government on July 27 with a strike notice.
Both sides returned after the strike notice to the table but the unions said on Wednesday they had been unable to reach an agreement and their members would begin working to rule as of Friday.
The action means that staff will perform their duties to the letter of the law, a statement from the unions stated. This may include not collecting questions from commuters about border regulations or answering sales tax payments.
Union demands included higher wages and the ability to carry their guns in some areas such as airports. Their members have been without contract for three years.
Both the federal government and unions confirmed that negotiations had continued until Thursday night and into Friday, but no progress was reported.
The federal government will not walk away, Genevi ve Sicard, spokesperson for the federal government, said in a statement on Friday.
Toronto Pearson Airport, Canada's busiest airport before the pandemic, said on Twitter that travelers should expect delays due to the strike action.