After more than two years without a contract and a tremendous display of solidarity from FB members across the country, PSAC and the Customs and Immigration Union have reached a tentative agreement for more than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency workers.  

Members in the FB group will now have the opportunity to vote on the tentative agreement. The FB bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification.

The vote will begin June 20 and end July 4 at 12 p.m. ET.

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How do I register and vote on the tentative agreement?

PSAC will be holding mandatory virtual information sessions, and you can vote at any time after attending a session up until the voting deadline July 4 at 12 p.m. ET.  

All FB group members will have received an email from communications@psac-afpc.vote on June 14 with the link to PSAC’s voting platform and the credentials needed to log in.

Use your ballot number and pin to register for an online vote session.

Once registered, you will be sent a reminder to log in ahead of your mandatory vote information session. After you have attended, you will be able to vote in the online portal.

Once you attend a mandatory information session, you will then be provided with a link to vote. Following the information session, you can vote immediately or stay on to participate in a live Q&A session with members of the FB bargaining team, held within the vote platform.

What if I did not receive an email with my ballot number and PIN?

If we only have your home address on file, your voting credentials will have been mailed to you.

If you did not receive an email June 14, check your junk mail, and/or promotions folders on a laptop or desktop computer. If you’ve checked those folders and still don’t have the email, or if we don’t have your personal email on file, you can fill out a PSAC membership form to update your contact information. 

Once you submit the online membership form, PSAC will issue your voting credentials to you as soon as possible.

I require an accommodation and/or technical support

Please log in to the platform and join the information session a few minutes early to make sure you can address any technical problems in advance. 

If you require an accommodation to participate fully in the mandatory information sessions (such as ASL interpretation), please contact your PSAC regional office as soon as possible.  

Can I use the employer’s equipment or network for the ratification vote?

It is preferable to use your own computer, tablet, or smartphone, using your home network or mobile data. The vote platform works in all modern browsers and is optimized for mobile devices and tablets.

Can I participate in the ratification vote if I’m on an acting assignment in a different bargaining unit?

If you are on an acting assignment outside the FB bargaining unit, you are not eligible to participate in the ratification vote.

Will there be an opportunity to ask questions after the mandatory information session?

Yes, bargaining team members will be available after the information session to answer members’ questions. This Q&A session will be held immediately after the information session.

What is the wage increase that was negotiated?

PSAC negotiated wage increases totaling 14.8% over four years – representing a compounded increase of 15.73% – retroactive to June 2022. These wage increases greatly exceed increases provided across the broader law enforcement community in Canada – including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – for the years of the agreement.  PSAC also secured a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment for all employees in the bargaining unit upon the date of signing.

PSAC also secured these monetary gains:

• A 12.5% increase in shift and weekend premium – from $2.00 to $2.25 an hour. Our shift and weekend premiums are now the highest in the federal law enforcement community, and greatly exceed other major law enforcement organizations such as the OPP and  Sûreté du Québec.
• Members in Intelligence, Investigations and Inland Enforcement will be reimbursed up to $500 a year for the purchase of plain clothes.
• A new annual Hearings Officer allowance of $500.
• A new pensionable, annual $1,000 allowance for non-uniformed employees.
• The employer must now reimburse employees for the cost of medical certificates up to $35.

For more information, see the full ratification kit.

When will the new collective agreement be implemented?

Non-monetary items become effective upon signing of the agreement. Compensation increases, including premiums, will be implemented within 180 days after signature where there is no need for manual intervention. If CBSA is unable to meet this deadline, there is a lump sum of $200 payable to all FB members if the outstanding amount is more than $500 owed.

When will the wage increases be implemented?

CBSA has 180 days from the date of signing the new collective agreement to raise pay according to the new rates and provide retro pay for the time elapsed since the expiry of the previous contract. 

If CBSA is unable to meet this deadline, there is a lump sum of $200 payable to all FB members if the outstanding amount is more than $500 owed. 

All non-monetary terms of the collective agreement will come into effect immediately after signing.

Who will get retroactive pay for the negotiated economic increases?

The annual economic increases included in the new collective agreement are retroactive to the date the former collective agreement expired (June 20, 2022). This means that you are entitled to retroactive pay for the period you were employed and a member of the FB bargaining unit, regardless of current employment status (e.g. retired or no longer member of the bargaining unit).

Will retroactive pay be taxable?

Yes, retroactive pay is subject to tax deductions.

Who will get the $ 2,500 lump sum payment?

As part of your economic package for this tentative agreement, a one-time, pensionable, lump sum payment of $2,500 will be paid to each employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on the date of signing of the new agreement.

Additionally, the one-time lump sum is to be paid to employees on Leave Without Pay (LWOP). Part-time employees working more than 1/3 of full-time hours will receive the full lump sum. The employer has 180 days after the date of signing to issue the lump sum payment. 

The payment will be based on the substantive position occupied by the employee on the date that the collective agreement is signed. As such, an employee who is on an acting assignment outside the bargaining unit but whose substantive position is in the bargaining unit will receive the lump sum.

The lump does not apply to:

• An employee who is on an acting assignment in the bargaining unit but whose substantive position is outside the bargaining unit;
• Excluded employees who are eligible to receive performance pay; 
• Non-unionized employees who are eligible to receive performance pay; 
• Casual employees, students, term employees (less than 3 months), and part-time employees (working less than 1/3 of full-time hours)  

If I retired recently or left the bargaining unit, will I get the lump sum payment?

Unfortunately, no. The lump sum payment is only given to members of the unit who are employed in the bargaining unit on the date the collective agreement is signed.

Will I receive the $2,500 lump sum payment if I am in an acting position on the date that the new agreement is signed?

You must be in the bargaining unit as of the date of signature of the agreement to receive the $2,500. As such, if you are acting in a position outside of the bargaining unit, you will not receive the $2,500 lump sum payment.

I still have more questions about voting. Who can I contact?

Contact your PSAC regional office.

When will the virtual ratification vote meetings take place?

Here is a list of virtual vote meeting dates and times.

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