Dozens of Canadian Air Security (CATSA) agents gathered in front of Vancouver Airport on Monday to protest low wages and “very challenging” working conditions.
Waving placards reading “Stop Salary Theft,” they said they aimed to garner public support and shed more light on staffing issues that have contributed to the YVR’s recent hours of training.
“They have health and safety issues, poor management, higher job demand than ever before, and wages are not competitive compared to anywhere else on the airline,” said Dave Flowers, IAMAW’s national president.
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IAMAW, or the International Association of Drivers and Aerospace Workers, represents more than 40,000 Canadian workers. Workers who protested on Monday did so in their spare time and did not interfere with airport operations or increase existing delays, Flowers said.
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CATSA agents are hired by Allied Universal and hired by the federal government.
Global News has contacted Allied Universal for comment on this story and will update the article when it is received.
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According to Flowers, the pay range for CATSA screening staff is between $ 17 and just under $ 22 per hour. However, many agents have not gained the necessary experience or experience to exceed the pay scale, which means they earn less than what is considered a “salary for life” in Vancouver, he said.
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“There are many challenging working conditions that we are dealing with,” he told Global News. “It really comes down to detention and our members are in a very difficult position.”
Inspectors in Vancouver are currently negotiating a new contract, Flowers added, but Monday’s action is an unrelated campaign initiative.
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According to CATSA, before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were nearly 7,400 screening staff across the country. There are now 6,500, including new recruits, who are not yet fully certified.
Last week, Transport Canada and Public Safety Canada announced that about 400 new staff will be deployed between now and June to help tackle airport delays, and a more flexible inclusion process has been implemented to send them to the field. -fast. “Pre-certified” employees are also used to perform non-verification functions, the departments added in a May 27 press release.
Flowers said this was “fantastic” news, but would not address the root of the problem: the agent’s poor detention due to difficult working conditions.
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“They were one of the first industries to face major outbreaks of COVID-19. “They were not allowed to leave their jobs, they were forced to enter and in many cases they did not have the protective equipment to deal with it,” he said.
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“Now that it’s time to acknowledge this hard work, they are treated as if their work doesn’t matter.”
In a statement emailed Tuesday, CATSA said it aims to hire 1,000 new inspectors this year, in addition to more than 1,200 called to work last year.
The body said it was close to hiring its full number of new employees at several airports, including Vancouver International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
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