Trucks crossing border into B.C. facing worst waits in Canada amid CBSA job action
Posted August 6, 2021 6:43 pm.
Last Updated August 6, 2021 7:01 pm.
BLAINE, Wash. (NEWS 1130) — Commercial vehicles crossing into Canada from the U.S. are facing some of the longest delays in the country amid job action by border workers, with wait times of over five hours at the Pacific Highway crossing.
The lineup of semis stretches for miles along I-5 through Blaine. The Public Service Alliance of Canada and its Customs and Immigration Union started a work-to-rule strike Friday morning, meaning workers were at their jobs but strictly observing staffing and breaktime regulations. The union, representing about 9,000 Canadian Border Service Agency workers, voted late last month to authorize the strike. Members have been working without a contract since 2018.
BC Trucking Association President, Dave Earle, says while some disruption was expected, the delays are frustrating.
“What we’ve heard from our members and some of the information we can we can glean from conversations online as well, the delays have really picked up as the day’s gone on,” he says.
“We’re not happy to see it, always keeping an eye on it.”
RELATED: Trucks stack up at Canada-U.S. border as CBSA guards start work to rule campaign
Earle says the industry can adapt to handle one bad day, but delays this long are not sustainable.
“It can have an impact, depending on the route. If it’s a really long route there may be the ability to make some time up. If there’s a tight turnaround, it may be a bit disruptive. If it’s disruptive for a few hours one day that’s okay, it’s when it becomes many days, and things start to pile up that we become concerned,” he says.
“Delays of this nature do happen from time to time and the industry is very resilient and builds in some flexibility into trip planning. So, this is manageable in the short term but certainly, if it drags on we become increasingly concerned. We’re just really hopeful that everybody can come to a solution.”
The strike started just days before the Aug. 9 start of fully vaccinated U.S. citizens being able to visit Canada without having to quarantine for two weeks.
