Tuesday July 29, 2008
For Immediate Release
Toronto, On – Under pressure from the IAM and other unions, Labour Minister Jean Pierre Blackburn has denied Air Canada’s request for a waiver under the Canada Labour Code.
That waiver would have allowed Air Canada to lay off more than two thousand of its employees November 1, 2008 without implementing a joint union-company committee prior to the layoff. This committee will study how to alleviate the impact of the cost cutting measures.
The IAM wrote to the labour board in mid – July objecting to the application and gave reasons why it should be denied. The IAM’s main interest in this issue is the labour adjustment program offered by the federal government which is covered in part three of the labour and not included in the Air Canada collective agreements.
The Minister stated that there are not enough grounds to grant the airline the waiver. He also ordered the department’s officials to monitor the events to ensure that all Air Canada employees to be laid off as part of these cost cutting measures, receive benefits provided under the Canada Labour Code.
Now that the minister has ordered the two sides to sit down and form a committee, we will be able to discuss and assist our laid off members. We think that the minister has made the right decision which will allow us to assist in every way possible those laid off members.
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For further information:
Carlos DaCosta – IAMAW Air Line Coordinator
416-386-1789 ext 6329/416-575-3492
Bill Trbovich – IAMAW Director of Communications
416-386-1789 ext 6331/416-735-9765