Air

The approximately 281 members of the Canadian Air Navigation Specialists Association (CANSA) at Unifor Local 1016 are preparing for a strike vote next week after NAV Canada failed to reach an agreement with the union over wages and concessions.

Unifor welcomes 69 new members working at Concorde Airport Services in the Calgary International Airport, who voted almost 85% in favour of joining the union.

“We are thrilled these aviation workers have exercised their right to join a union, and have chosen Unifor,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. 

“Democracy at work starts with having a say in your working conditions.”

The certification for this unit took place March 8, 2024, and is assigned to Unifor Local 4050.

TORONTO—The Canadian Air Navigation Specialists Association (CANSA) at Unifor Local 1016 filed a Notice of Dispute last week to enter conciliation after hitting an impasse with NAV Canada in bargaining that began in May of last year.

“This filing is a continuation of the bargaining process with outside assistance,” said James Walker, president of CANSA and Unifor Local 1016. “We are committed to negotiating the best possible deal for our members during these challenging times.”

TORONTO – Unifor aviation members are gathering today at Pearson International Airport during the busy holiday travel season to bring awareness to poor working conditions in the sector that lead to delays, cancellations, lost baggage, and packed airports.

“We all know that travel chaos is common, even without the holiday rush,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

Editorial by Lana Payne, Unifor National President

Holiday travel often comes with dread and anxiety for many. Delays, lost baggage, packed airports. 

As a union representing aviation workers from baggage handlers to air traffic controllers, we and our members understand that these busy times expose and amplify many of the underlying problems in the sector. 

We reiterate our call for the federal government, airports and airlines to work together to tackle the root problems causing disarray in the aviation industry.

Unifor members in the aviation sector are rallying at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Dec. 18 as a Day of Action for better working and travelling conditions.

Low wages, unpredictable hours, multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet and harassment are just a few of the issues faced by thousands of air transport workers at airports across the country.

These issues are wreaking havoc across the industry causing a worker attraction and retention crisis that industry and government refuse to properly address.

Unifor extends a warm welcome to 38 new Porter Airlines employees based out of Ottawa International Airport (YOW).

“At a time when Canada’s aviation sector needs more workers, not fewer, I am thrilled to have Unifor fighting on behalf of these new members,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

“These workers are concerned about job security, wages, and decent work – the same issues in aviation Unifor has been consistently vocal about. We are ready to fight for them.”

TORONTO – Unifor has released its own Air Transportation Workers’ Charter of Rights asserting that the actions taken by the federal government and airport authorities to solve travel chaos are not enough to solve the root of the problem— inadequate working conditions. 

“Our members’ working conditions are the public’s travel conditions,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.