700 ground crew, baggage handlers on strike at Pearson

About 700 ground crew workers at Canada’s busiest airport went on strike Thursday night after they rejected a contract offer from their employer. The members represented by the Teamsters union marched at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport waving picket signs and chanting “respect.”

“We’re hoping to have little or no impact on the public,” a union spokesperson, Harjinder Badial, told reporters after the membership voted.

“We’re not here to delay any sort of flights or anything like that.” HARJINDER BADIAL TEAMSTERS SPOKESPERSON

The labour dispute could have an impact on some operations at Pearson, but the Greater Toronto Airports Authority earlier said it had a contingency plan in place in the event of a strike or labour disruption but did not provide details.

The workers are employed by Swissport, a company that services 30 airlines at the airport including Sunwing, Air Transat, Air France and British Airways.

The workers include baggage handlers, cargo handlers, cabin cleaners and other ground staff, as well as some employees who tow planes for the airlines that Swissport services.

The members of Teamsters Local 419 rejected a contract proposal from Swissport by a 95-per-cent margin, Badial said.

Workers will be picketing at the airport but Badial said they would not interfere with passengers trying to catch planes.

“Our fight is not with the general public, it’s with Swissport management and we’re not here to delay any sort of flights or anything like that,” he said.

Some of the airlines serviced by Swissport also said they were prepared if workers walked off the job.