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CEUDA 18-point
position regarding Canada Customs employment of students as Customs Officers With respect to Canada Customs' employment of students, CEUDA submits the following objections to the employer's handling of the Program. 1. CEUDA is opposed to the facts that Customs employs students as Customs Officers at Primary Inspection Lines and that students are left to carry out release functions alone in the travellers’ stream. 2. CEUDA is opposed to the manner in which Customs employs students as Customs Officers. CEUDA maintains the manner in which the Customs employs students is largely indicative of the fact that students are a form of cheap labour. 3. CEUDA also maintains Customs does not follow the intent of the current Treasury Board Policy with respect to the government's employment of students and CEUDA is concerned Customs will continue, rather than amend, its ways with the staffing of students, regardless of Treasury Board Policy. 4. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs students as Customs Officers on a year‑round basis. 5. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs provides students with Customs Inspector badges. CEUDA feels students must be identified as students. 6. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs students as Customs Officers to perform Secondary Inspections. CEUDA maintains students should assist seasoned Customs Officers. 7. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs students as Customs Officers to work alone at one-person ports. 8. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs students as Customs Officers with little training that is not based on a pass/fail standard. 9. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs students as Customs Officers in a manner that encourages the replacement of seasoned indeterminate Customs Officers. 10. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs, as Customs Officers, students who have not been administered nor passed the Customs Inspector Recruitment Training Program test. 11. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs employs students as Customs Officers in cases where students are not studying law enforcement courses nor intend to pursue a career in law enforcement. 12. CEUDA questions the validity of awarding Peace Officer status to untrained, unqualified students with powers of arrest, search and seizure. 13. CEUDA is opposed to the Customs position that students make more seizures and are more aggressive and enthusiastic since Customs steadfastly refuses to produce evidence or statistics to that effect. In addition, CEUDA maintains the number of seizures is less important than the quality of the seizure made. 14. CEUDA is opposed to the fact that Customs believes employing students as Customs Officers costs less directly to Customs and indirectly to Canadian taxpayers than does seasoned Customs Officers. CEUDA maintains that the social costs of employing students are greater than those of employing seasoned Customs Officers who have had extensive training and gained insightful experience. Seasoned Customs Officers can target more effectively and efficiently than students employed as Customs Officers. 15. CEUDA is concerned with the negative impact on the law enforcement culture at the border as a result of Customs’ continued employment of students as Customs Officers. 16. CEUDA is concerned with the negative impact on the morale of our Members that results from Customs’ continued and increasing employment of students as Customs Officers. 17. CEUDA is concerned with the health and safety of students employed as Customs Officers, and of Customs Officers, when students may be required to exercise powers of arrest, search and seizure after having had little training; injury to the students, other Customs Officers who may be required to assist students, or to members of the public may result. 18. CEUDA members requested to train students can do so only at the appropriate level of acting pay or as designated Customs trainers. Revised: June 2004 |
