Border agents reach deal ahead of Canada's reopening with U.S.
Police officers screen travelers moving between Ontario and Quebec at a checkpoint. Photo: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Canadian border agents reached a tentative deal on Saturday after 36 hours of negotiations as the country plans to reopen to fully vaccinated U.S. residents and permanent residents starting Aug. 9.
Driving the news: Two labor unions, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union, said union members have worked without a contract for three years in a toxic work environment.
- The four-year deal includes an average annual increase of more than 2% per year and has provisions for parental and caregiver leave, per Politico.
- "We are relieved that CBSA and the government finally stepped up to address the most important issues for our members to avoid a prolonged labour dispute," PSAC national president Chris Aylward told Politico.
The big picture: Nearly 9,000 border patrol workers started work-to-rule actions on Friday at Canadian airports, land borders, commercial shipping ports, postal facilities and headquarters, per Politico.
- The U.S.-Canada border was closed for nonessential travel beginning in March 2020.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with details about the deal.