22 April, 2020
Thunder Bay, ON – Bearskin Airlines in Thunder Bay signed a Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) agreement with the IAM that brings members back on payroll until June 6th. The agreement helps to keep Local Lodge 2413 members working and boosts the take-home pay for workers that had been previously off the job due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Dan Janssen, District Lodge 140 General Chairperson, who facilitated the agreement, said, “When the outbreak started, Bearskin felt they were in a good position as they had medical supplies prepared in advance to ensure the safety of staff and customers. Unfortunately, like many other businesses, they would later see a steep decline in passenger traffic leading to the decision to make cuts to staffing levels. The CEWS top-up helps to bring our members back on the payroll, where they will continue to receive benefits and make contributions to their pensions. This deal benefits our members working on the frontlines in Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout.”
“I have to thank my Chief Stewards, Brian Alguire, Gord Pattrosson and Maurice Shyntak, for their hard work with the members and for the assistance they provided throughout this process of setting up the CEWS program,” said Janssen.
The IAM has 47 members covered by two collective bargaining agreements with Bearskin, one for the Maintenance and another for Ramp and Groomers.
With its hub in Thunder Bay, Bearskin provides flights to Winnipeg, Kenora, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Dryden, Fort Frances, Kapuskasing, Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. The IAM is the largest union in the Canadian Air Transport Sector.
For more information:
Dan Janssen, DL140 GC
djanssen@iam140.ca
