2 October, 2019
For Immediate Release
Vancouver, BC – Ramp workers at Envoy Air in Vancouver joined the IAM on October 1 after more than 70% of workers signed membership cards. The Canada Industrial Labour Board recognised the vote and certified the IAM as their bargaining agent.
Ron Fontaine, Canadian Territorial Organising Leader said “we tried for some time to meet with the workers, but just couldn’t get meetings. We finally met and informed them about the IAM and the certification process. They were highly motivated and it showed.”
The main issues of concern were shift scheduling, a lack of policies and procedures, and wages. Those procedures which were in place weren’t being followed by members of the management team. All in all, there was a lack of respect for the work being done by the workers.
Todd Haverstock, General Chairperson for IAM District Transportation 140 was, “amazed at the speed at which they went out and signed the cards. It was very clear they wanted and needed IAM representation,” he said.
Envoy Air Inc. (formerly American Eagle Airlines) is an air carrier headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group that, along with several carriers outside the group, feeds the American Airlines route network under the American Eagle brand. With over 1000 flights a day, serving 150 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Envoy is considered to be one of the world’s largest regional airline systems.
With files from Wikipedia
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Contact:
Ron Fontaine, Grand Lodge Representative
Cell: (604) 340-2083
Todd Haverstock, General Chairperson, District 140
Cell: (604) 518-0029
