The union that represents 9,000 CBSA workers said Friday they won’t strike until at least Wednesday, as mediation continues.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada initially said border workers were set to strike as early as 4 p.m. Friday if the two sides hadn’t reached a deal. But shortly after 4 p.m., a spokesperson for the union said negotiations would continue. The spokesperson said later Friday that a new strike deadline would be set in the coming days and job action was still possible if an agreement couldn’t be reached at the table.

Similar strike action three years ago nearly brought commercial border traffic to a standstill and caused major delays across the country; the union has warned as part of the latest contract talks.

The government says 90 per cent of front-line border officers are designated as essential, which means they can’t stop working during a strike. But union members could work-to-rule, a tactic in which employees do their jobs exactly as outlined in their contracts.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters warned Thursday a strike would affect the $3.1 billion in goods that cross the border each day. Members want pay parity with other law enforcement agencies.

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