Across the air industry, thousands of workers are in bargaining, and without better pay and working conditions on the table, the troubles may be just beginning, industry leaders say.
As delays and cancellations continue to plague Canadian air travellers, advocates say low wages and poor working conditions could be the final straw for many workers in the industry, leading to ongoing labour shortages and potential for strikes or work actions in the coming months.
It’s not yet clear what strike action by the screeners could look like, he said — it’s up to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine how much of their job is considered essential. So if workers do vote to strike, it may be a partial strike or other type of work action if they are considered too essential to fully walk off the job, said Lipton.screeners represented by Teamsters Canada are also up for bargaining at the Winnipeg and Edmonton airports.
A CATSA spokesperson said the agency respects the bargaining process, and said negotiations “don’t affect the security screening of passengers at the airport.” Some employers in the industry are raising pay outside of collective agreements, said Dias, which she characterized as rare. In bargaining, some workers are getting substantial increases, she added, such as a recent collective agreement signed with Airport Terminal Services that saw a $5 wage increase for those workers.
A July report by the centre found that in the transportation industry overall, wages have declined slightly over the past year, and inflation has taken an even bigger bite out of purchasing power. And as the industry ramps up to meet demand, the job is getting harder. This Tuesday, CUPE put out a statement condemning “mounting verbal and physical abuse against flight attendants and other airline workers” as airline delays and cancellations continue.
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