COUTTS, Alta. — Striking workers from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) plan to block Alberta’s busiest border crossing today, which could play havoc with livestock haulers.

About 80 federal workers plan to block the Coutts border crossing, which is the most well-travelled border crossing in the province. Livestock haulers, in particular, frequent the border crossing into Montana, many carrying loads destined for packing plants that are just within their reach due to hours-of-service regulations. Delays could prove costly to truckers if they are forced to stop short of their destination to go off duty.

“We want to avert a general strike,” PSAC spokesman Steve Pellerin-Fowlie tells local media.

PSAC employees are calling for a nearly 15 per cent wage hike over three years. The union has turned down the “final offer” of a 9.5 per cent increase over three years, which was tabled earlier this week.

PSAC members have blocked other Canadian border crossings, but this will be their first attack on the Coutts crossing, located 300 kilometres south of Calgary.