October 30, 2020 at 6:00 AM
Aviation workers will hold a rally and distribute leaflets in two provinces on Friday, to urge the federal government to create a national aviation recovery strategy.
Media are invited to attend the events that will feature Unifor leadership and front line workers.The rally will also be livestreamed on Unifor’s Facebook page.
"Over the past seven months we have seen a transformation in the aviation sector like no other," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "The facts are now clear. If we want to save our aviation industry from total collapse, we need the federal government to implement an aviation strategy that focuses on workers and building the sector as a whole."
Unifor represents more than 16,000 members working in the air transportation sector, including pilots, customer service representatives, aircraft groomers, catering staff and air traffic controllers, to name a few. The union continues to push the federal government to act and create a plan to prevent the current crisis from collapsing the industry entirely.
Canada needs a plan to ensure the aviation industry is able to weather this storm and come out the other side intact. Any recovery strategy must focus on three main pillars: an updated approach to border controls that is rigorous, safe and reflects scientific evidence; an industry-specific corporate support package that ensures benefits flow through workers and communities and continued government support programs for furloughed employees until recovery is secured.
Canada's aviation industry is an essential strategic resource that contributes to our economy and social fabric. It employs 141,000 workers and contributes $35 billion in GDP annually. Aviation also moves imports and exports worth more than $110 billion. Furthermore, airports and other support businesses employ thousands of people in road and rail transportation and hospitality inside airports and the surrounding area. COVID-19 has had a profound impact on this industry, with no clear end in sight.
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