A long contract impasse involving the Canada Border Services Agency may be nearing an end.
The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), which represents border agents at crossings such as the Ambassador Bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel and the Blue Water Bridge, announced it had reached a tentative contract agreement with the Treasury Board and the border agency.
The CIU is part of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which posted news of the tentative deal on its official website.
All sides had returned to the bargaining table two weeks ago and the union says it had been bargaining almost non-stop for a week before the agreement was reached.
Border agents had been working for four years without a deal. The impasse resulted in two court challenges, a charter challenge, media campaigns, and demonstrations. The most recent demonstration in Windsor took place in January.
Wage parity was a huge sticking point in negotiations.
CIU National President Jean-Pierre Fortin told Windsor reporters in January that another concern was the CBSA using technology to cut positions and potentially place border security in jeopardy.
“We want to have the working conditions that police officers are getting because at the border we are police officers,” said Fortin.
The proposed four-year agreement calls for incremental wage increases each year of the deal. It also offers adjustments to members' rights to representation in meetings with management as well as improvements to pensions.
The bargaining committee for the PSAC is recommending the members ratify the deal.
