A few days ago, we wrote that the re-opening of the Canadian border on Monday, August 9th was in jeopardy because thousands of border workers belonging to two unions vowed to begin a strike on Friday, August 6th.
Union representatives and employers were at the bargaining table, hoping for an agreement. Unfortunately they came to an impasse and the workers did begin a strike on Friday the 6th.
Most border workers are considered essential workers so they weren’t allowed to physically walk off the job. However they did begin a work-to-rule campaign – working slower, not answering questions if not required by their respective job descriptions, etc. That alone caused two to four hour waits for both shippers and travelers at Canada’s busiest border crossing points in Michigan, Vermont, New York, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington.
Happily, the unions and the Canadian government came to a tentative agreements late Friday night, as reported by the Associated Press.
“We are relieved that CBSA and the government finally stepped up to address the most important issues for our members to avoid a prolonged labor dispute,” said Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance, one of the two unions in question.
I’m sure that the thousands of vaccinated U.S. citizens who plan enter Canada when the border re-opens on Monday are just as relieved. 😉
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
