April 8, 2015 at 1:50 PM
Unifor members and allies from across Ontario
rallied at the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) to protest proposed
outsourcing of services for seniors and passengers requiring wheelchair
assistance.
"Airlines can't provide top quality services with
bottom dollar wages," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "Unifor is
standing up for good jobs at Pearson International Airport."
Contract talks between Air Canada and Unifor were
derailed last week because the GTAA is demanding that all work involving
servicing passengers requiring wheelchair/special assistance be outsourced.
"Our members work hard to provide important
services to passengers," said Cheryl Robinson, Unifor Local 2002 President. "Job
security is not too much to ask. The GTAA must end its campaign to turn good
jobs into low-wage precarious jobs."
Earlier in the morning, Unifor members conducted an
information picket at Pearson terminals 1 and 3 to raise awareness among
passengers about the behaviour of the GTAA.
The GTAA has been in the media spotlight lately
after Unifor accused it of "contract flipping"—the legal but unethical practice
of switching service providers every few years to minimize costs. Every time a
new contract begins, employees must re-apply for their job and face uncertainty
and usually a pay cut. The GTAA was the target of two demonstrations about job
security and low wages in March 2015.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private
sector, representing more than 305,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend
2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers unions merged..
Source: Unifor
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