Foreign service staff escalate job action at 15 missions, target travel visas

OTTAWA – Canada’s striking foreign-service officers took unprecedented job action Monday as about 150 visa officers walked off the job in 15 foreign missions.

The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers escalated the rotating job action after an attempt to seek binding arbitration with the federal government broke down last week.

Canada’s tourism association blamed the diplomats for walking away from binding arbitration.

David Goldstein, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, says he is disappointed in the union’s decision.

But union president Tim Edwards said it is still prepared to go to binding arbitration and that the ball is in the government’s court.

He said it is “patently false” to accuse the union of walking away from arbitration.