25 November, 2022
Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout, ON – On Friday Nov 25th, IAM Local 2413 ratified a new 3-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with Bearskin Airlines Ramp at the Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout airports.
These 13 members of IAM Local 2413 ratified their deal with a 73% acceptance vote.
The following is a list of most of the improvements to the current Collective Agreement:
- Increased wage scales and retroactive wage increases
- Signing bonuses – full-time $350 & part-time $150
- Increased paid sick days – now 10 days per year (instead of 4)
- Paid Personal Pays – 5 days per calendar year; 3 of which are paid
- Increased Overtime Meal Per Diem – Now $25.00 (instead of $16.00)
- Improved Bereavement Leave which allows 10 days to be taken during a 6-week period (3 paid).
- Improved Boot Allowance – part-time workers now provided with $125.00 allowance
- Increased Leads Premium – Now $2.00/hr (instead of $1.75/hr)
- National Day of Truth and Reconciliation officially added as a General/Statutory Holiday
This 3-year CBA increases the entry level rates each year to keep well ahead of the increasing federal minimum wage. It also raises the top rate each year and all the rates in between.
These new rates keep pace with and exceed the living wage that has been calculated by the Ontario Living Wage network.
“With the use of virtual technology, members at both airports were able to attend negotiation information meetings at the same time,” said Michael Corrado, General Chairperson for IAM District 140. “This is the first time ever that members from both bases were able to interact with each other in real time. It surely made the company take notice that the union had its stuff together and was increasing membership solidarity.”
It is also the first time that the members went through conciliation with the threat of a Christmas Day strike.
I would like to thank the IAM Bargaining Committee consisting of Maurice Shyntak (YXL Chief Steward) left in pic, and Brian Alguire (YQT Chief Steward) right in pic for persevering, and for all their hard work and dedication throughout the years.
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For more information:
Michael Corrado (mcorrado@iam140.ca)
General Chairperson, IAM District 140
Frank Saptel, IAM Canada Communications
fsaptel@iamaw.org
