Unions representing hundreds of Canada Border Services Agency employees at the Blue Water Bridge and Walpole Island Ferry headed back to the bargaining table with federal government representatives Thursday.
The CBSA border agents and other employees approved a strike mandate earlier this week that could see a work stoppage at land border crossings as soon as Friday, August 6.
Sarnia Customs and Immigration Union Local 19 President Alana Baarschers said there are about 200 members between the Sarnia port of entry and the Walpole Island Ferry.
"That impacts border services officers, inland immigration enforcement officers, intelligence officers and our criminal investigators," said Baarschers.
She said if bargaining is not successful, traffic would certainly be impacted and only the essential portions of jobs would be done after the 6th.
"Anything that's not for the safety and security of Canada would not be done. Duties and taxes would not be collected and we would have members who would be on the picket line."
Baarschers said their previous collective agreement expired three years ago.
"We're looking for new protections and protections for our members surrounding discipline and harassment in the workplace, remote work provisions for our non-uniformed officers and we're looking for better parity with other law enforcement agencies, so we're looking at wages, firearms practice times. As well, the employer has a bunch of concessions on the table that we're not willing to take."
Land border crossings are set to reopen to fully vaccinated Americans August 9, but Baarschers is optimistic a deal will be reached before that date.
Around 8,500 border guards and other workers employed by the Canada Border Services Agency are represented by PSAC and the Customs and Immigration Union.