Thursday April 2, 2009
For Immediate Release
Halifax, NS – Servisair tabled an illegal offer to the members of IAMAW Local Lodge 2797 the day before they were locked out.
“Servisair’s best and final offer tabled March 31, 2009 included a two year wage freeze for employees currently making $9.00 an hour,” said IAMAW District 140 General Chairperson Ken Russell. “The province of Nova Scotia will introduce two increases to the minimum wage in 2010 raising the minimum to $9.65 an hour, effectively placing these workers below the minimum wage during the wage freeze. Our legal department has advised us that the offer tabled was illegal and we will proceed with filing a bad faith bargaining charge against Servisair with the Canada Labour Review Board.”
“It’s bad enough that this employer has locked workers making $9.00 an hour but it’s more appalling that Servisair would attempt to freeze them under the minimum wage,” explained Russell. “The employer has really shown its true contempt for its workers.”
The 80 members set up information picket lines outside Halifax International Airport early this morning and will maintain the picket lines until bargaining resumes. 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 been attempting to maintain its service through the use of managers from other Servisair facilities across Canada.
For Immediate Release
Halifax, NS – Servisair tabled an illegal offer to the members of IAMAW Local Lodge 2797 the day before they were locked out.
“Servisair’s best and final offer tabled March 31, 2009 included a two year wage freeze for employees currently making $9.00 an hour,” said IAMAW District 140 General Chairperson Ken Russell. “The province of Nova Scotia will introduce two increases to the minimum wage in 2010 raising the minimum to $9.65 an hour, effectively placing these workers below the minimum wage during the wage freeze. Our legal department has advised us that the offer tabled was illegal and we will proceed with filing a bad faith bargaining charge against Servisair with the Canada Labour Review Board.”
“It’s bad enough that this employer has locked workers making $9.00 an hour but it’s more appalling that Servisair would attempt to freeze them under the minimum wage,” explained Russell. “The employer has really shown its true contempt for its workers.”
The 80 members set up information picket lines outside Halifax International Airport early this morning and will maintain the picket lines until bargaining resumes. 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 been attempting to maintain its service through the use of managers from other Servisair facilities across Canada.