Border strike vote a threat to reopening

August walkout would delay goods, travellers

Canadian border guards and customs officials voted Tuesday to go on strike just days before fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents will be allowed into Canada — another setback for businesses, industry and the tourism sector.

A strike would slow down traffic at the border causing long lineups for travellers, while businesses complained it could add to costs and cause delays in shipping times.

“It’s not favourable at all for a lot of small businesses relying on either goods coming across the border or people coming across the border,” said Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Pohlmann said the timing of the strike was “extremely unfortunate.”

“We cannot afford to have points of entry backed-up for the movement of people or goods across any mode of transportation,” said Mark Agnew, vice president, policy and international, Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

He said it was critical for the government to provide details on its mitigation strategy should a strike occur.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) said in a joint statement that strike action could begin as soon as Aug. 6 after 8,500 members voted in favour of the action. Contract talks reached an impasse in December 2020, the unions said.

Last week, Canada announced plans to allow entry to fully vaccinated Americans on Aug. 9, and fully vaccinated international travellers starting on Sept. 7. The border has been shut for non-essential travel for more than 16 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A strike would slow down commercial traffic at the land border, the unions said, as well as impact international mail and collection of duties and taxes. But a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said 90 per cent of employees had been identified as “essential” so would continue to work in the event of a strike.

Prior to the pandemic, tourism was the fifth-largest industry in Canada, contributing $105 billion to the GDP and providing one in 10 jobs, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

CIU president Mark Weber said the union didn’t plan the strike to coincide with the reopening of the U.S. border, pointing out that the unions began the strike vote “before we even knew what day the borders would be opening on.”

Weber was still hopeful they would be able to make a deal without going on strike. Demands include higher pay, the ability to carry their guns in areas like airports and to address issues of “toxic” workplaces, he said.

The federal government was “disappointed” that PSAC rejected a “fair offer for its members,” but remained “open to returning to the bargaining table at any time,” a government spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

CBSA spokesperson Judith Gadbois-st-cyr said officers had proven their resilience since the beginning of the pandemic by helping to prevent the spread of the virus and its variants.

“We expect that our officers will continue to fulfil their duties with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.”

Dennis Darby, president of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, said it was imperative to avoid a strike that would threaten thousands of businesses.

“Canadian manufacturers cannot take another hit at the border and our economy cannot afford another trade disruption especially now,” he said in a statement.

“For the manufacturing industry, for international trade, and for the entire Canadian economy, it is imperative that we avoid a strike at the border. Any disruption will have significant impacts on our economic recovery and on the flow of essential goods into Canada. Therefore, CME is calling on all parties to return to the negotiation table and find a solution as quickly as possible.

“We’ve seen the damage caused to our economy by strikes at the Port of Montreal, imagine the impact of a strike across all the entry points of our border. Crossing the border is already complicated because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, and disruptions will worsen with labour disruptions. This situation will hamper manufacturers’ ability to get the essential components and goods to sustain global supply chains, and threatens thousands of Canadian businesses.”