The growing trend and threat of contract-flipping at Canadian airports is a pressing issue and the IAM is at the forefront to ensure that outrageous practice ends now. This practice is a major concern to the IAM and our members working at airports. Many of our members are affected by it, especially our Sisters and Brothers working at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, the largest airport in Canada.
General Vice-President Stan Pickthall, Director of Research Aurélie Sarrabezolles and GLR, Political Action, Lou Pagrach met with Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour last week in Ottawa. They discussed in great detail how damaging contract-flipping is to airport workers who provide an excellent service to travellers on a daily basis.
The contract-flipping process starts when the airport authority puts out a request for proposal (RFP) for certain work to be performed. Once the contract is awarded by the airport authority, although the contract may be of a certain duration, usually covering a three-year period, the airport authority can decide to “flip” the contract by ending it early or not allowing it to be extended notwithstanding the quality of service provided by the operator. This is always at the expense of, and uncertainty for, workers.
The Union is denouncing this practice and alerting the federal government that airport workers should also get protected under section 47.3 of the Canada Labour Code. Section 47.3 currently provides protections to airport security officers; it ensure that they must be offered continuity of employment, and protects remuneration for such employees. The IAM argues that this section of the Code must apply to all workers in a contract flip situation.
Airport authority contract-flipping is a growing trend and there is an urgent need for expanding the provisions under the Canada Labour Code in order to protect the workers facing it. The IAM will keep on putting pressure on the Minister of Labour on this issue until our members get the regulatory safeguard they deserve.
Justice on the Job ~ Service in the Community
