Industry braces for possible CBSA job action

Abe Fehr isn’t the only one hoping job action by Canadian Border Service Agents (CBSA) can be avoided.

“It’ll be a huge disruption,” Noted Fehr, whose Leamington company Uni-Fab feeds automotive, aerospace, and machine tool manufacturers.

Fehr said up to 70 per cent of their business goes over the border and the threat of job action by CBSA makes him, and others, nervous.

“It’s something that our team is working on right now but I’m not sure if we have a whole lot of options,” Fehr said. “We need to cross that border and if they are just being held up, there’s not much we can do about it.”

More than 9,000 members of the Public Alliance of Canada union (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union will be in a position to begin job action Friday at 4 p.m.

According to a PSAC representative, both parties are still in mediation.

“We have just in time delivery systems in many of our places here and a border blockage and border backup will affect the workplaces here. Some of them, almost immediately,” said James Stewart, president of Unifor Local 444.

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association, isn’t certain what job action will look like, but notes any back up at the border makes its way back to the plants.

“Does it at some point cause a domino to fall? One of those critical items doesn’t get to an assembly plant that then has to shut the line and affects everybody else. So I hope there’s a quick resolution,” said Volpe, who pointed out about $100 million worth of goods travel across the Ambassador Bridge every day.

Many, including Unifor Local 444, respect the right to bargain a fair deal, but feel the government needs to step in.

“They have to get in there and help resolve the issues, not mandate people back to work, not force something down their throats they don’t like,” Stewart said.

Windsor-West MP Brian Masse feels the requests are reasonable and consistent with other law enforcement.

“Every single day they have to carry a weapon on the job because it is not a secure place, and it’s not a safe place without the proper oversight and the proper conditions for the workers to be able to deal with the problems that can potentially be there,” said Masse.

He feels respect for agents is going to make trade better and help families feel safer.

“So keep these things in mind,” Masse said. “They’re not going out because they want to. They’re going out because they have to.”

PSAC tells CTV News a strike can take many forms and isn’t sure how this round will be dealt with. Union leadership will decide how to proceed based on how things evolve.

Volpe feels if there is job action, it won’t last long because both sides know how critical it is to settle their issues, “The federal government knows that, hey, listen, it might be a little bit slower on a weekend by the time we get to Monday, it’s incumbent on everybody to make this deal rather quick.”