Canada border guards vote to strike as country plans to reopen to vaccinated Americans
More than 8,500 unionized Canada Border Services Agency workers could go on strike as soon as Aug. 6 — three days before the country is scheduled to reopen.
“They’ve kept our borders safe, screened travelers entering Canada, and ensured the rapid clearance of vaccine shipments,” Chris Aylward, Public Service Alliance of Canada national president, said in a news release of the border agents. “Now it’s time for the government to step up for them the way they’ve stepped up for Canadians.”
The potential strike comes as the Canadian government plans to lift some of its COVID-19 related travel restrictions.
The U.S.-Canada border closed to nonessential travel in March 2020 as COVID-19 began to spread. On July 19, however, the Canadian government announced fully vaccinated Americans could visit the country again starting Aug. 9. Travelers will be required to show proof of full vaccination through the ArriveCAN app, the Bellingham Herald previously reported.
Aylward told Politico the strike, which seeks better work protections as the union has worked without a contract for three years could complicate the country’s plan.
“It could very well jeopardize Canada’s plan to reopen the Canada-U.S. border to fully vaccinated Americans travelers,” Aylward told the news outlet.
A CBSA spokesperson, however, told Reuters 90% of frontline workers involved in border services have been deemed “essential” and would continue to work even if there is a strike, the news outlet reported.
Regardless, the strike could significantly slow down commercial traffic at the border and other ports of entry and impact international mail, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada. It could cause delays of packages being delivered from major companies as well.
“It’s not favorable at all for a lot of small businesses relying on either goods coming across the border or people coming across the border,” Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, told Reuters.
This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 12:15 PM.