After nearly four years without a contract, the union for Canadian border guards has reached an agreement with the government for salary increases and improved working conditions.
“CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) are the second largest law enforcement in Canada,” said Jean-Pierre Fortin, national president for Customs and Immigration Union. “We were looking to close the gap and have that recognition from the government to make like we’re in the major league like the others.”
He said there are 6,500 armed CBSA officers, second only to 17,000 RCMP officers stationed across the country. CBSA staff are based at seaports, airports, national borders and inland. There are 200 CBSA staff in northern B.C.
Prince Rupert has one of the largest border service offices on the west coast, partially due to the development of the container terminal. Glenn Bonnett, chief of Prince Rupert marine and container operations, said anecdotally, prior to 2007, they were running with about six full-time permanent staff supplemented with some seasonal workers in the summer months. Currently, there are 22 officers in Prince Rupert.
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Once the contract is ratified, CBSA employees will receive a 17 per cent increase in pay, Fortin said. The employer, the Treasury Board of Canada, will have to pay employees a lump sum within 150 days after the tentative deal is voted for in the next couple of weeks. All salary increases will be paid retroactively for the four-year period.
“If I would do an average, that’s somewhere a little over $10,000 each,” Fortin said.
For years, the union has fought for a better contract for the front-line officers who have seen increasing responsibility since Sept. 11.
Fortin has over 36 years of experience with the border services, and prior to Sept. 11, 2001, he said the main duties involved collecting taxes on cigarettes and liquor.
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“There wasn’t much enforcement,” he said. Then officers were provided with more power to arrest people. “Now, we are truly the front line of this country.”
However, the agreement will be short-lived. The contract expires June 21, 2018, and the union will be back at the negotiating table.
shannon.lough@thenorthernview.com
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