July 22, 2020 at 6:00 PM
As a follow up to our communication from July 16th, your Unifor Bargaining Committee is continuing discussions with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and looking at all options concerning the recent announcement of job reductions.
On July 14, the GTAA announced that due to the ongoing global pandemic, they were forced to make the difficult decision of significant reductions to the workforce. Our collective agreement calls for one hundred and twenty (120) days’ notice to the union prior to any layoffs and ninety (90) days’ notice to the effective member. Since this time, both the union and the employer have been meeting daily to find mitigation solutions to reduce the impact of involuntary layoffs. At this point, all members that may be impacted by these layoffs have been contacted and the lines of communication are open to continue to support the membership during these difficult times.
Additionally, the GTAA has offered Voluntary Severance Packages (VSP). The deadline for these packages is July 26, 2020. More information concerning the VSP process – including a Question and Answer document – can be found on the GTAA internal portal. As of this morning the GTAA advised the bargaining committee that the minimum amount of severance (regardless of service) will be eight (8) weeks.
Any member that has been notified verbally by management that their job is being downsized will receive an official letter on August 7, 2020 stating that their position is subject to layoff. The member will then be able to exercise their rights under Article 26.06 of the Unifor Collective Bargaining Agreement. A joint infographic has been developed with the GTAA to help better explain the process under Article 26.06 and give some expected timelines.
Click to download the infographic as PDF or JPG
Please know that Unifor and your GTAA bargaining committee is doing everything in their power to mitigate these layoffs. Moreover, they are working to ensure that collective agreement is being honored and that you are supported throughout this uncertain timeline.
More information will follow in the days and weeks ahead. In the interim, if you have any questions, please contact a Unifor Bargaining Committee Representative.
In solidarity,
Your GTAA Bargaining Committee
Antonios Kourteridis, Bargaining Chairperson
Mario Di Nardo, Bargaining Representative - Airside
Rick Pucilowski, Bargaining Representative - Skilled Trades
Pauline Leloudas, Bargaining Representative - Professional & Support
Adriana Ragoonath, Bargaining Representative - Operations
Tony Brown, Bargaining Representative - Facilities
Ashley Watkins, Assistant to the Local President
Gary Ellis, Unifor National Representative
For more information, please contact:
Ashley Watkins, Assistant to the Local 2002 President
/20-07-22 GTAA update en.txt