Airport screeners need respect from employer
One of the biggest lessons the pandemic has taught us is that frontline workers are essential to our communities and economies; their work has given us a semblance of normalcy in uncertain times. Their sacrifices go unnoticed far too often, and their efforts are hardly recognized. It’s a basic principle, when good work is done and dedication exceeds expectations for the occasion, it deserves to be rewarded.
As you read this, workers in our community are fighting an uphill battle to secure a fair collective agreement. You may not have heard much about these frontline workers, nor, about their working conditions, but their story is not unlike the experience of many workers during the pandemic.
Their experience underscores the neglect common to all frontline workers, also highlighting the challenges working people face to earn a decent living for themselves and their families.
Imagine working in an environment where you’re exposed to a new virus, without access to personal protective equipment, without any improvements to your wages for two years, in uncertainty because a renewed collective agreement is nowhere in sight? And for most B.C. residents, it’s not hard to imagine the challenge of balancing household budgets due to rising costs of living and inflation.
This is the reality of screening officers across British Columbia’s airports. You may recall that screening officers were among the first workers to experience COVID-19. Despite the uncertainty and fear, screening officers continued working, putting themselves and their families at risk.
Like all other frontline workers, screening officers also lacked access to personal protective equipment, and continued working through COVID-19 outbreaks because their workplace could not be shut down.
How do we show our appreciation for their work, dedication and sacrifices? From the perspective of the IAM union, it’s easy; ensure screening officers have the right protections on the job, fair wages and job security.
The employer, a contractor for the federal government and paid for in part by public money, they’re demanding concessions on compensation and job security. This is not an employer on hard times, or one that’s suffered financially, it’s a large international corporation capable of giving screening officers a fair deal. Yet the federal government, which has granted them this contract is not placing any expectations on how Canadian workers should be treated.
These workers’ story is the story of many others across the country. We are still living in uncertain times; costs of living are increasing, and yet, employers are playing hardball, exploiting the circumstances to further exploit their workforce.
The employer is refusing to begin bargaining unless the union agrees to concessions. This is not bargaining, this is exploiting a situation where workers cannot go on strike. This is a call to the federal government to manage their contractor, and ensure workers are being treated fairly. This is a call to the community for support.
Dave Flowers, IAM&AW, Canada