Thursday marks the start of two weeks of scheduled ratification voting for Canada’s border workers.
Votes can be cast until July 4 at 12 p.m. ET. All sessions are online.
Last week, a tentative four-year deal was reached during mediated talks between the federal government and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs Immigration Union (CIU).
There are approximately 9,000 unionized border workers in the country spread across the various port of entries.
After voting concludes on July 4, Patrick Bragg, spokesperson for PSAC, says he expects results shouldn’t take too long and will be made available in the afternoon.
The tentative contract is retroactive by two years and starts from June 2022.
Union officials say, if approved by the membership, the deal would see a 14.8 per cent pay increase. And that rise jumps closer to 15.7 per cent when you factor in compounded increases over the length of the pact — surpassing recent gains from other law enforcement agencies in Canada.
The contract also includes a one-time pensionable lump sum payout of $2,500 when the deal is inked — as well as improvements to things like shift premiums, scheduling, leave, vacation eligibility, voluntary telework and greater protections around technological changes.