Canada Border Services Agency workers mark Black Friday

HALIFAX, NS – Canada Border Services Agency personnel are speaking out at airports and border crossings across the country today in response to government cuts.  Many Canadians heading south to take advantage of Black Friday sales will be greeted with a call for safer borders.

In Halifax, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and its component the Customs and Immigration Union will hold an information picket at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.  Employees of the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency represented by United Steel Workers local 5319 will also be taking part.  Two recently laid-off CBSA detector dogs will also attend.

The unions are concerned that federal cuts to Canada’s borders are putting the safety of Canadians at risk and making borders much less secure. $143 million was cut from the Canada Border Services Agency this year alone. The Agency also plans to eliminate 1,349 full time jobs, including 625 plain clothes personnel, 100 intelligence officers and 300 uniformed border service positions.

PSAC has been in contract negotiations with CBSA for over a year and a half.   Given the high stakes nature of border service work, the union is calling on the government to address outstanding issues at the bargaining table immediately.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is a national union with over 180,000 members, most of who work in the federal public sector.

WHAT:            Information Picket

WHEN:           12:30pm, Friday, November 23, 2012

WHERE:        Halifax Stanfield International Airport terminal

Lesley Thompson, Communications Officer, PSAC, 902 471 6201