Toronto, On – There is a new chapter in the saga of the closure of Aveos: Manitoba has joined Quebec in formerly accusing Air Canada of not respecting the 1988 law requiring it to maintain aircraft maintenance and overhaul centres in Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto.
In a decision of the Superior Court of Quebec on September 24, 2012, Manitoba now has intervener status in this case that will be heard for seven days from November 19, 2012.
“This is a significant turn of events,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Dave Ritchie. The IAM represents more than 1,700 workers at the now-defunct overhaul company.
Basically, the Department of Justice of Quebec argued that the carrier has breached its duty of the 1988 law that allowed the federal Government to privatize Air Canada and its maintenance centres across the country. It asked the judge to force Air Canada to execute or enforce the work that did Aveos until its closure.
Since 1988, however, Air Canada disposed of its heavy maintenance division which eventually took the form of a private company called Aveos.
Manitoba has requested to be able to intervene in the superior court, to which Air Canada opposed. In his decision, Justice Martin Castonguay was extremely clear. “Recall that the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba is specifically named in section 6 of the Federal Act. This article is at the heart of the debate,” he wrote in a seven-page ruling. At the same time, he refused the request for Air Canada return the case to the Federal Court.
“The field of competence of the federal authority in relation to aeronautics aims to regulate and standardize everything key to air transport,” wrote Castonguay, “conflicts with trying to import the concept of air transport in an Act whose purpose is the privatization of Air Canada. He added that as the Superior Court has jurisdiction in the folder, the debate is “well underway” and that the cause will be heard soon.
“With the added weight of the province of Manitoba, this is far from over,” said Ritchie.
For further information:
Dave Ritchie – IAM Canadian General Vice President
416-386-1789 ext#6323