Air Canada employees staged a quiet protest at the Ottawa airport Thursday afternoon in the midst of labour strife.
Cheryl Robinson, the president of Unifor local 2002, the union representing Air Canada employees, said about 75 Ottawa members met in the departures area of the airport around 1:30 p.m. for the demonstration.
The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations across the country since talks with Air Canada broke down in March, Robinson said.
“The message is that Unifor is prepared to stand up for good jobs and we will do whatever it takes to do that,” Robinson said.
Ottawa police were called to the airport around 2:30 p.m. but said Air Canada employees were “quietly” demonstrating.
Robinson said they were asked by police to leave the departure area of the airport around 2:30 p.m. Service at the airport was not affected by the protest, Air Canada said.
Contract negotiations broke down after the union told Air Canada they wouldn’t reach a deal since the wheelchair services that were once operated by airline employees were taken over by the Greater Toronto Airport Authority.
“We are fearful that we could see other jobs, the check-in work, kiosk, the gates, everything that our membership does,” Robinson said. “If the airport authority at Pearson is arbitrarily allowed to tell Air Canada that they are taking that work away, what’s next?”
In a statement to the Citizen, Air Canada said the Greater Toronto Airport Authority exercised its authority to take over wheelchair services. It’s common practice at many airports, including many in the United States, said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick said affected staff members will keep their current wage and benefits and will be reassigned to other duties.
Fitzpatrick said Air Canada and Unifor have suspended talks but expect to resume negotiations in the near future.
