The Customs and Immigration Union says steps are being taken in an effort to reach a new collective agreement for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the Blue Water Bridge.
The union, along with the federal government, is in the process of establishing a Public Interest Commission, comprised of a union worker, a government official, and an agreed upon third party.
CIU National President Jean-Pierre Fortin says once the group is put in place, it'll have 30 days to table its report.
He's concerned that management staffing levels have increased while the number of officers remains stagnant.
"If these number aren't going up as far as the numbers of resources, people better get prepared for a hot summer," says Fortin. "There's not sufficient employees who are deployed, not only in Sarnia but Canada-wide."
Fortin says workers want to be given the same rights as the RCMP when it comes to early retirement, and salaries.
PSAC represents about 8,000 CBSA workers including those at the Blue Water Bridge. They have been without an agreement since June of 2014.
Late last year, nearly 50 toll collectors, currency exchange personnel and custodian and maintenance staff went on strike for three weeks before a new contract agreement was reached.
