March 5, 2015 at 8:31 AM
Unifor’s District 362 bargaining committee, representing 73 ramp attendants at Porter Airlines, has met six times with the company since negotiations officially commenced on January 20, 2015.
Elected representatives (Eddy Candia, Courtney Chick and Greg Hume) along with Unifor Staff Representative Joel Fournier and Local 2002 Assistant to the President Theresa Amicarelli are confident that they will achieve a collective agreement that reflects the needs of their members.
Photo: Porter ramp attendant bargaining committee working hard on getting the best deal for our members
Ramp attendants at Porter load and unload baggage and tow, de-ice and marshal aircraft at Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport; it’s hard physical work in extreme temperatures. They joined Unifor in October 2014 because they wanted fairness and respect in the workplace. Through surveys and proposal meetings members of the newly formed bargaining group identified issues and processes that they felt needed to be addressed in order to produce a progressive and healthy working environment.
To date, your bargaining committee has made steady progress at the bargaining table, reaching agreements on many non-monetary items (such as work rules and conditions). When we resume negotiations in April, 2015 we will present our monetary proposals to the company.
Through continued, respectful dialogue we hope to have an agreement in place for the 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games. Porter Airlines is the official Canadian airline for the event which takes place July 10-26 and August 7-15. Over 7,600 top athletes will participate and our members are looking forward to the honour of being of service to so many esteemed athletes.
Between contract negotiations and the lead-up to the Games, this is an exciting time for workers at Porter Airlines. We will continue to keep you informed once bargaining recommences.
In the meantime, stay united, stay safe and stay warm!