For Immediate Release
Halifax, NS – Members of IAMAW Local Lodge 2797 have formed an information picket line outside the Halifax International Airport this morning after being locked out by their employer Servisair
The 80 members were locked out after contract negotiations stalled following rejection of a company demand for a two-year wage freeze. “These are the lowest paid workers in this industry anywhere in Canada,” explained IAMAW District 140 General Chairperson Ken Russell. “To ask an employee making from nine to a maximum of $12.77 an hour to accept a two year wage freeze when anyone else in the industry is making substantially more, is just criminal. These members can’t afford to be locked out and they can’t afford the status quo; the situation is terrible.”
The members provide passenger service operations, ramp support, baggage handling, de-icing and mechanical upkeep of equipment. Servisair provides these services to West Jet, Canjet, Air Transat, Sunwing, Skyservice, Purolator, Porter Airlines, Finair, Jetex, Thomas Cook, ABX Cargo and various other International airline arrivals. Servisair has replaced the locked-out workers with managers from other Servisair facilities across Canada.
“These workers move multi-million dollar aircraft around the airport and get paid Burger-King wages to do it,” said a disgusted Russell. “These workers can’t make ends meet on nine dollars an hour today, imagine what it would be like two years from now; that’s what this employer is asking them to do. As an added insult, they’re offering no contract language and no pension.”
“This information picket was necessary to expose Servisair for the type of employer they really are and we’ll keep at it until we get back to the bargaining table,” said Russell.