(Photo: CUPE 1505 members and supporters picket at the Fort McMurray International Airport on April 13, 2015. Justin Daniels / REPORTER)
CUPE’s Alberta division is demanding clarification from the Fort McMurray International Airport Authority on how it’s using temporary foreign workers, if at all, as the airport privatizes custodial and security services.
Come September 4, Anzac-based TAWs Security will take over at the airport, putting 46 unionized workers out of a job and saving the airport $1.7 M annually. That move was announced July 17.
“In order to stay fiscally responsible during the current economic downturn, we made a close examination of our full spectrum of corporate expenses,” said CEO and President Scott Clements during a press conference when the move was announced.
“It’s a total of $4.7 million to operate with the CUPE contract and a total of $3.0 million with TAWs security,” he said.
Back in April, 26 custodial staff were laid off amid an earlier move by the airport to reduce costs during what they said was going to be an extended period of economic hardship.
“What we’re concerned about here is that the airport already has broken the rules of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program in order to replace the Canadian Workers,” said Glynnis Lieb, Secretary Treasurer of CUPE Alberta speaking by phone with MyMcMurray.com.
She said while they didn’t have concrete proof they had received several reports from people working in the industry that the firm now operating custodial services at the airport employs staff who use passports from foreign countries as their primary identification.
“If we can find some definitive evidence that something’s happening here that actually goes against how the Temporary Foreign Workers Program is supposed to work then we will have some legs to stand on,” she said, saying they would seek an investigation in that event.
Lieb said she is confident the airport authority will speak to them at some point to confirm or deny their suspicions, saying the workers and and the public have a right to know.
