Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is asking passengers to be patient as Canada border services officers begin work-to-rule action just days ahead of the border reopening to fully-vaccinated U.S. travellers.
“We have staff positioned to support passengers and will provide updates on operations should there be any changes to the airport experience in light of this labour action or otherwise,” a spokesperson for the airport said in a statement.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents the roughly 9,000 border services workers alongside the Customs and Immigration Union, said on Twitter Friday morning that negotiations with the government continued throughout the night and into the morning.
“In the meantime, work-to-rule actions have started across the country,” PSAC said in a tweet.
Work-to-rule can entail a wide range of actions that slow down operations, like refusing to work overtime, asking each traveller or trucker every single question in the manual, and demanding to see documentation for purchases made while outside of the country.
PSAC said the work-to-rule action could have a “dramatic impact” on Canada’s supply chain and the plans to reopen the border to U.S. travellers.
As of Aug. 8 at 9:01 p.m. (12:01 a.m. Aug. 9 Eastern time), fully-vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents currently living in the United States will be allowed to enter Canada for leisure travel.
Travellers who are either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated can only enter Canada for essential travel.
YVR said it’s expecting a “high number” of passengers from the U.S. once the border reopens.
“We’re encouraging passengers to be prepared and be patient as we work with our many partners, including CBSA, to deliver a safe, seamless and efficient experience through YVR,” the airport spokesperson said.
Unionized border service workers, who have been without a long-term contract since 2018, are “seeking better protections against a toxic workplace culture at CBSA, and greater parity with other law enforcement agencies across Canada,” according to the unions.
Strike notice was served to the government on Tuesday, warning of the planned work-to-rule campaign. Some 90 per cent of front-line border workers are deemed essential, a designation that prevents them from walking off the job.
—With files from the Canadian Press
