April 7, 2015 at 4:00 PM
The Greater Toronto Airport Authority's (GTAA)
campaign to convert good jobs to low-wage jobs will lead to demonstrations on
Wednesday by the union representing customer sales and service agents. The
GTAA's demand that service for passengers requiring wheelchair/special
assistance be outsourced at Air Canada led to a halt in contract talks between
the carrier and Unifor last week.
"We will not stand by while the GTAA leads a race
to the bottom of the wage scale. We will defend good jobs at Pearson," said
Jerry Dias, Unifor's National President.
Agenda:
6-9 a.m. – Morning leafleting at Pearson airport
terminals 1 and 3
12:30 p.m. – Rally and speeches at the GTAA
headquarters (Unifor National President Jerry Dias, Unifor Local 2002 President
Cheryl Robinson, Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan, Workers'
Action Centre activist Deena Ladd, Toronto District Labour Council President
John Cartwright, Brampton and Mississauga District Labour Council President Jim
McDowell)
Location: GTAA headquarters, 3111 Convair Drive,
Toronto
3-6 p.m. – Afternoon leafleting at terminals 1 and
3
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 low
wages in March.
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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