Canada has made strides in the race to vaccinate the population in an attempt to protect Canadians against COVID-19 and the emerging variants. As of today, 66% of Canadians have at least received one dose to protect against Covid -19. “As our vaccination rates continue to rise and more vaccines are being made available to Canadians, we need to see a plan on the safe restart of the air transportation industry. Our members deserve to know when they can expect to get back to work. Where’s the plan?”, asked a frustrated Stan Pickthall, IAM General Vice-President.
It is estimated that upwards of 400,000 Air Transportation workers in Canada lost their jobs during this COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of those workers are anxiously waiting to get some news on when they could be getting back to work.
“We need to see a plan from the government that deals with such issues as the easing of border restrictions, vaccination passports and what support for the industry is needed. We need to know that when the government provides their plan that reopens the industry, our workers interests and health and safety are keys to any reopening. We are hoping to see the plan sooner rather than later,” fumed Pickthall.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) is Canada’s largest union representing aviation, airlines, airports and aerospace workers. The union represents over 20,000 members in the air transportation sector across Canada.
