Jul 4 - Almost 9,000 Canadian border workers will begin work-to-refine strike action on Friday, union announced on Wednesday, days before Canada begins allowing fully vaccinated U.S. visitors in the country for the first time in 16 months.
Talks between two unions representing Canadian border guards and staff - the American Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union - 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 came back to the table after the strike notice, but the unions said on Wednesday they were unable to reach an agreement and their members would begin working to rule as of Friday.
The action means staff will perform their duties according to the letter of the law, a union statement said. This will include not collecting and answering questions about border regulations from travelers or answering customs duties and taxes.
We truly hoped we wouldn't be forced to take strike action, but we've exhausted every other avenue to reach a fair contract with the government, Chris Aylward, PSAC's national president, said in a statement.
The unions have claimed that a strike would slow down international traffic at the border as well as impact land-granted mail and collection of duties and taxes.
From 1 August 2010, Canada will permit fully vaccinated U.S. visitors to the country.