DATE : July 08, 2009
PRIORITY : For Immediate Release

“It needs to be clear in everyone’s mind that The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) has taken a categorical position and will never allow its members to work at the Cornwall Border-Crossing un-armed again”, said CIU National President Ron Moran from his Ottawa Office this morning. Moran also stated that “people need to further understand that the events which led up to the office closing are such that the Officers can never work at the current location again, armed or unarmed”.

Following the events that took place in Cornwall on May 31st, 2009, the Union reiterates its full support to Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, to make no exception to the government’s policy to arm all Front-Line Customs and Immigration Officers across Canada and to leave the Cornwall Border-Crossing closed until the situation is resolved.

The Customs & Immigration Union has for decades taken the position that the Cornwall Customs & Immigration facility should have never been set up on native land; the office’s historical tensions have always stemmed from the fact that the office was located on the reserve. Given that the current native-provoked situation is clearly irreconcilable, now, more than ever, the office must be moved off the island.

From the beginning, many Canadian Medias have released inaccurate and often false information about the manner in which the events unfolded at Cornwall/Akwesasne. To clarify and to better inform the population about the background of this situation, CIU has put together the attached fact-list.

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The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) is a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents Canada’s Front-Line Customs and Immigration Officers. CIU also represents Investigation, Intelligence and Trade Customs Officers, Immigration Inland Enforcement and Hearings Officers, as well as all support staff – all of whom work at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

For more information, please contact:

Ron Moran
National President, (613) 677-1090, ron.moran@ciu-sdi.ca

Jean-Pierre Fortin
First National Vice-President, (450) 357-6684, jp.fortin@ciu-sdi.ca

Carmen Filice
Second National Vice-President, (416) 523-8183, carmen.filice@ciu-sdi.ca

Jonathan Choquette
Communications & Political Coordination Officer, (819) 773-2511, jonathan.choquette@ciu-sdi.ca

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ATTACHMENT – The Cornwall Situation: Fact-Sheet