The Canadian Border Services Agency reached an agreement with the federal government on Friday, providing relief to thousands of permanent residents and United States travellers gearing up to enter Canada for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The new deal includes wage increases of at least 2.2 per cent, better protection against “excessive discipline” in the workplace, a national committee to address “workplace culture problems,” as well as paid meal allowances.
Border restrictions are set to ease on Monday.
What could’ve happened?
Roughly 9,000 CBSA employees voted to begin a series of work-to-rule job actions across Canada on Friday, leaving semi-trailers and passenger vehicles idling for hours at some of the country’s busiest international gateways.
CBSA employees are recognized as essential workers, which prohibits them from fully striking and walking out on the job. But employees can enforce actions that cause major slowdowns, like refusing to work overtime, asking every traveller each question in the manual, and demanding to see receipts for everything bought outside of Canada.
This can cause hours-long delays, which could mean big hits for businesses looking to ship select goods.
In a previous statement to Global News, the CBSA told travellers to “plan for the possibility of additional processing time when crossing the border due in part to this labour action.”
“A strike at the border would have a negative impact on the movement of people and goods at a time when many businesses are already dealing with major supply chain challenges, growing labour shortages and reduced sales,” Canadian Federation of Independent Business national affairs vice-president Corinne Pohlmann told the Canadian Press.
“They cannot afford to lose any more business because of delays at the border, and Canada’s economic recovery cannot take another setback.”
What changes are coming?
Starting Monday, American travellers who are fully vaccinated won’t have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada, but fully vaccinated travellers from other places in the world will have to wait until Sept. 7 to enter the country.
As of Sept. 7, anyone fully vaccinated coming into the country will be exempt from quarantine.
The federal government will also end its quarantine hotel mandate on Monday for all travellers, vaccinated and unvaccinated.
Can you still leave Canada and come back?
Yes.
Although the federal government still advises against non-essential travel to U.S. and international destinations, there is no Canadian law currently prohibiting citizens from leaving the country.
Until Monday, anyone looking to enter Canada will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before and after crossing the border. According to the federal government, all travellers, including those who are fully vaccinated with a vaccine authorized by Health Canada, are still required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel pending negative COVID-19 test results after direct or non-direct flights.
Health Canada has authorized vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVIShield and Johnson & Johnson.
The federal government’s website says no one with symptoms of COVID-19 will be allowed to travel by plane unless they have a “medical certificate stating that their symptoms are not COVID-19 related.” Meanwhile, masks will still be required on flights unless a “medical exemption” can be provided.
— With files from the Canadian Press and Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea