The Bank of Canada is facing a challenge at the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) over its use of a third-party security company and requests for workers to cross the picket line during a strike by security officers, testing the federal anti-scab legislation that took effect on June 20, 2025.
Background of the dispute
Striking security officers, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), began their strike on June 23, 2026, after failed negotiations with the Bank of Canada. The union accuses the bank of violating the new anti-scab law by hiring a replacement security company and asking striking workers to return to work.
The CIRB hearing took place on June 29, 2026, to address the complaint. A decision has not yet been announced.
Details of the anti-scab legislation
The federal anti-scab legislation, passed in June 2025, amends the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated industries such as banking and telecommunications. It prohibits employers from using contractors to perform the work of striking or locked-out workers and from allowing bargaining unit employees to cross the picket line during a legal strike.
According to an internal Bank of Canada email obtained by the Ottawa Citizen, the bank offered workers before the strike “the opportunity to continue to work providing these basic services, maintaining your current compensation and benefits.” The email required acceptance by June 22, the day before the strike began.
Union response and impact
Patrick Tessier, local vice-president and bargaining committee member, said five PSAC members have continued to work during the strike. “The folks out here took it really, really hard,” Tessier said, citing sacrifices by members walking the picket line to oppose concessions on scheduling rights and cuts to parental leave top-ups.
Alex Silas, PSAC national executive vice-president and a former Bank of Canada security officer now on strike, said the bank began using a third-party security company on June 26. “There’s supposed to be a federal anti-scab law in this country, so we had already prepared a case against the employers’ actions here that violated the anti-scab law,” Silas said. “I think it’s pretty consequential. I mean, you know, the Liberal government bragged about passing an anti-scab law for the first time in Canada’s history in an effort to make sure that deals get worked out at the bargaining table.”
Next steps
The CIRB hearing represents a key test of the anti-scab legislation’s enforcement. The board’s decision will determine whether the Bank of Canada’s actions constitute a violation, potentially setting a precedent for federally regulated employers.
