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Border strike averted after union reaches tentative agreement with Ottawa

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Jun, 2024 10:38 AM

Workers at Canada's borders are no longer planning to go on strike this week after their union reached a tentative agreement with the federal government.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada said Tuesday it reached a deal with the government for Canada Border Services Agency employees after working "around the clock."

If such an agreement couldn't be hammered out, the union had been planning for a strike of more than 9,000 members beginning 12:01 a.m. on Friday.

Sharon DeSousa, the union's national president, said in a statement that Tuesday's news is a "well-deserved victory."

The union said details of the tentative agreement would be released after they are shared with members on Thursday.

In its own press release, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said "long hours at the bargaining table" resulted in a deal that "is fair for employees and reasonable for Canadians."

The Treasury Board said the deal includes wage enhancements and other benefits, but it is not sharing further details until later.

A similar strike three years ago nearly brought commercial border traffic to a standstill and caused major delays across the country.

Union members will still need to vote to ratify and finalize the deal.

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