Wednesday, May 13, 2026
ADVT 
National

Union representing Canadian border agents moves strike deadline to Friday at midnight

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Jun, 2024 03:41 PM
  • Union representing Canadian border agents moves strike deadline to Friday at midnight

The union representing more than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency employees says workers are set to strike on Friday if a deal is not reached with the federal government by then. 

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says it has moved its strike deadline to Friday at 12:01 a.m. after extending negotiations with the Treasury Board last week. 

Border workers were set to strike as early as 4 p.m. last Friday, but shortly after that deadline, a spokesperson for the union said negotiations would continue.

"We are still hopeful we can avoid a strike and potential disruptions at Canada's borders," said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC's national president, in a statement.

"No worker wants a strike, but we've set a firm deadline for this government to come to the table with a fair agreement."

The union has warned that similar job action three years ago nearly brought commercial border traffic to a standstill and caused major delays across the country.

The government says 90 per cent of front-line border officers are designated as essential, which means they can't stop working during a strike. 

But union members can work-to-rule, and experts say that could cause serious slowdowns.

MORE National ARTICLES

Freeland says feds will strike 'challenging' balance in fall budget update

Freeland says feds will strike 'challenging' balance in fall budget update
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday the government's fall economic statement will focus on housing and affordability within a fiscally responsible framework. "That is a challenging balance to strike. Our government is committed to doing it," she said.  The federal government's financial statements were published Tuesday, revealing the deficit for the 2022-23 fiscal year came in at $35.3 billion. 

Freeland says feds will strike 'challenging' balance in fall budget update

BC's final cruise ship sets sail today

BC's final cruise ship sets sail today
Big numbers are being reported for B-C's cruise industry. The Port of Vancouver says its final cruise ship of the 2023 season is setting sail today. It says the 2023 cruise season in Vancouver has been the port's biggest season on record, with an estimated 1.25-million passengers this year.

BC's final cruise ship sets sail today

Israel increases strikes on Gaza ahead of expected ground invasion

Israel increases strikes on Gaza ahead of expected ground invasion
Israel has escalated its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants.  The stepped-up attacks, and the rapidly rising death toll in Gaza, came as Hamas released two elderly Israeli women who were among the hundreds of hostages it captured during its devastating attacks on towns in southern Israel earlier this month.

Israel increases strikes on Gaza ahead of expected ground invasion

Macklem warned premiers about dangers of putting BoC's independence at risk

Macklem warned premiers about dangers of putting BoC's independence at risk
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem warned premiers who publicly asked the central bank to not raise interest rates last month that their requests could undermine the institution's independence. The premiers of Ontario, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador wrote to Macklem ahead of the Bank of Canada's Sept. 6 rate decision, outlining concerns about the effects of higher rates on their residents and asking the central bank not to raise its key rate further.

Macklem warned premiers about dangers of putting BoC's independence at risk

Canada's defence minister says Hamas a threat to world, must be 'eliminated'

Canada's defence minister says Hamas a threat to world, must be 'eliminated'
Defence Minister Bill Blair says Hamas is a terrorist organization that is a threat to the whole world and must be "eliminated." Blair also says he has no expectation that Hamas would respect international law, including any agreement on a ceasefire.

Canada's defence minister says Hamas a threat to world, must be 'eliminated'

Grocers called back to Parliament to testify about plans to stabilize prices

Grocers called back to Parliament to testify about plans to stabilize prices
A House of Commons committee is asking the heads of Canada's major grocery chains to appear before MPs and explain their plans to stabilize food prices. The agriculture committee passed an NDP motion on Thursday to invite the grocery executives, or summon them if necessary, to testify about the measures their companies are taking to address food inflation.

Grocers called back to Parliament to testify about plans to stabilize prices