Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Border guards stage wildcat strike

Emerson workers walk over new name-tag rule

By: Mia Rabson

Posted: 12/14/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 12/14/2012 7:36 AM | Updates

The Canada Border Services Agency�s Denis Vinette says workers who walked off the job will not face discipline. (CP)

OTTAWA -- Several border guards at the Emerson border crossing walked off the job Thursday in protest of a new policy requiring them to wear name tags.

The policy, instituted by the Canada Border Services Agency, was implemented Tuesday after more than a year of discussions with the Customs and Immigration Union, which opposes the policy.

Denis Vinette, director general of border operations for CBSA, said a significant number of guards who reported to work in Emerson Thursday withdrew their services, saying the name tags are a risk to their health and safety.

He said the agency was prepared for this possibility and deployed managers and guards who didn't withdraw their services. There was no service disruption for travellers or commercial operators, he said.

Throughout most of the day, there was no wait for travellers crossing into Canada and a 20-minute wait for commercial traffic.

This is the second time this week border guards have withdrawn services because of the name-tag dispute. Guards in Sarnia and Windsor, Ont., also withdrew services Wednesday. They returned to work after the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Labour Program reviewed the situation and ruled name tags do not constitute a workplace hazard.

Vinette said the program is reviewing the Emerson situation and he hopes for a ruling soon.

Erik Lupien, spokesman for the Customs and Immigration Union, said workers have a right to refuse to work if they think they are at risk.

"A lot of the officers are not happy with (the name tags)," he said. "They think it exposes to them to the criminal element."

The Winnipeg Police Service does not require a name tag as part of the uniform. The police successfully fought a city hall motion for police to wear name tags about seven years ago, citing instances where police were harassed, intimidated or assaulted.

Winnipeg police only are identified publicly by their badge number.

Officers in most other major Canadian cities, including Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver as well as the RCMP wear name tags. So do United States border guards and Canadian corrections officers, said Vinette. He said the CBSA changed the policy in an effort to improve service to the public.

"There is an expectation of the public that they will know the name of the person they are dealing with," he said.

The border guards' union did not suggest the guards withdraw services, noting in a Dec. 6 memo of the "Obey now, grieve later" approach to avoid being CBSA discipline.

Vinette said there will be no discipline, noting it is a workers' right to not work if they feel unsafe. However, he said he is confident the labour program will rule the name tags do not constitute a hazard and workers will be back on the job soon.

A spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said he was disappointed with the workers' decision to protest.

"We urge these workers to air their grievances in an appropriate manner -- not in a way that targets Canadian workers, travellers and Canada's economy," she said.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 14, 2012 A5

History

Updated on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 7:36 AM CST: adds photo

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.