Unions representing workers at Canada Border Services Agency calls on provincial government to include CBSA in priority vaccination plan

VANCOUVER, BC, April 13, 2021 /CNW/ - The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union are calling on provincial health authorities to ensure that frontline Border Services Officers at YVR and other ports of entry are prioritized alongside other frontline workers as part of BC's vaccination efforts. 

"Border Services Officers operate in environments where they are likely to come into contact with COVID-19 and should be prioritized alongside frontline workers." Says Richard Savage, Customs and Immigration Union Fourth National Vice-President, "At YVR, one of the few international airports still open in Canada, flights from around the world are still arriving every day. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control over 120 international flights arriving at YVR from Delhi, Mexico City, and other hotspots have had a confirmed COVID case on board since January 1, 2021." 

Other provinces have included Border Services Officers in their provincial priority vaccination plans. Vancouver International Airport is the only airport in Canada open to international travelers where Border Services Officers are not prioritized for vaccination.  

"BC must follow other province's lead and CBSA management should work with provincial authorities to ensure their workers are included in accelerated vaccination efforts." Savage continues, "Border Services workers and officers have been playing a crucial role in keeping Canadians safe, all the while exposed to significant on the job risks. They must be adequately protected to continue this important work. Frontline border personnel must not be left behind." 

SOURCE Public Service Alliance of Canada - BC Region