union accuses
greater
Toronto airport
authority
of 'contract
fl ipping'
ToronTo — Unifor is
speaking out against a move
by the Greater Toronto Air-
port Authority (GTAA) to
change providers for the con-
tract to assist passengers with
special needs.
The GTAA recently opened
a tendering process for the
contract, which was awarded
to Toronto Ground Airport
Services (TGAS). Unifor said
no formal commitment to any
of the employees working for
the contract's previous pro-
vider, Servisair, has been made.
The switch would lead to the
layoff of more than 260 work-
ers who service passengers
with special needs, according
to the union.
Unifor is accusing the
GTAA of "contract flipping" —
the practice of switching ser-
vice providers in an effort to
control costs. When each new
contract begins, employees re-
apply for their job and start at
the bottom of the wage scale.
The practice is legal, but the
union called it unethical.
"Unifor was formed to fight
back against the abuse of low-
waged and precarious work-
ers," said Unifor's national
president Jerry Dias. "We will
do whatever it takes to ensure
these workers are treated fairly
and aren't thrust into unem-
ployment by the whims of the
GTAA."
last group
of unifor
members
approve deal
with Cn
oTTawa — Unifor Local 100
members ratified the union's
final new agreement with CN
Rail.
Local 100 is the union's
largest bargaining unit at CN
Rail with 2,100 members. The
employees conduct safety in-
spections on all rail cars and
locomotives in addition to
maintenance and repairs.
The agreement included
wage increases in each of the
four years as well as improve-
ments to benefits and job se-
curity. The deal created stron-
ger apprenticeship ratios and
re-established the joint health
and safety committee.
Additional provisions will
see jobs in-sourced and new
jobs created. Unifor and CN
will also partner to create a
fund to support initiatives re-
lated to women's equality and
Aboriginal issues.
The deal — reached on Feb.
23 to avoid a lockout by CN —
was recently approved by 79
per cent of Local 100's mem-
bers. Voting took place over a
period of two weeks in 22 loca-
tions across Canada.
Unifor has six collective
agreements with CN covering
mechanics, clerical workers,
excavator operators, locomo-
tive engineers and truck
drivers.
lAboUr brieFs
2
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