SARNIA AND WINDSOR — Would Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers smell any different if you knew their names?

Management at CBSA thinks so, but the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) that represents CBSA employees is of a different mindset — which is why you may have been experiencing delays at the Blue Water and Ambassador Bridge crossings.

“Personalized name tags reflect our commitment to service excellence and reinforce the professionalism and integrity for which CBSA officers are known,” said CBSA in a press release today. “The implementation of name tags aligns our policy with that of our partners such as the Canadian Forces, Correctional Service Canada and United States Customs and Border Protection, whose frontline uniformed officers all wear name tags.”

The union, however, believes the nametags is a health and safety violation — one that would expose officers to “unnecessary risks,” they said in a statement.

In the meantime, the CBSA said it will be closely monitoring “the flow of traffic at the border and endeavor to mitigate and resolve any unwarranted delays.”

According to various reports, traffic coming into Canada is where the disruptions are having the most effect. For more, check out the CBC’s story on it here.