News release

February 22, 2007

New bargaining unit at Canada Border Services Agency:
Frontière-Border Services (FB)

Ottawa — PSAC members at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) received their own bargaining certificate from the federal Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB). They are now part of the unit called Frontière-Border Services (FB).

The new bargaining unit includes approximately 7,000 members and represents all PSAC members employed by the CBSA inland and at points of entry. The new unit also includes PSAC members providing immigration and food inspection services at CBSA.

For these PSAC members, the new certification represents an important step towards solving many issues that are specific to their place of work and duties.

“Our members at the CBSA provide very specialized services to Canadians in all regions of the country,” said PSAC National President, John Gordon. “Because of the ever increasing complexity of their functions, the members needed to be united at the bargaining table to better address their unique work issues”.

Upon receiving the receipt of the Board Order recognizing the new unit, the PSAC served notice to bargain to Treasury Board.  The notification was sent on February 21, 2007.

The President of Customs Excise Union Douanes Accise (CEUDA), Ron Moran, believes the new bargaining certificate is huge step in the right direction though the new group has also brought on a series of classification concerns.
  
CEUDA is one of the seventeen (17) PSAC Components. It represents approximately 9,200 members dispersed throughout Canada.

For information:
Alain Cossette, PSAC Communications
(613) 560-4317, (613) 293-9210 (cell)