The union had threatened to strike on Friday if negotiations continued to stall
Canadian border agents have reached a tentative agreement with the government of Canada, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Customs and Immigration Union announced Tuesday.
The deal, which must still be ratified by union members, averts a strike that was set to begin at 12:01 a.m. ET Friday. A strike could have led to longer processing times for shippers trucking freight between the U.S. and Canada as well as traffic back-ups at more than two dozen border crossings.
“Our bargaining team has been working around the clock to secure the best contract for our members, and this tentative agreement is a testament to their incredible hard work and dedication,” Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said in a statement.
Details of the agreement will be released following ratification by the 9,500 represented members of the Canada Border Services Agency. Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Customs and Immigration Union have been without a contract for two years.
The Canadian government in a statement said the agreement reflects that common ground was found. The tentative deal includes “wage enhancements and other benefits for employees,” according to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, which represented the government during the negotiations.
Paul Brashier, vice president of drayage and intermodal with ITS Logistics, in an email to Supply Chain Dive said with a tentative deal in place, “it should be a quick return to normal.”