YVR Airport workers vote 94% in favor of strike

[Yume-sama]

Just in time for Christmas and the Olympics. Gotta hand it to the union, they know how to pick their timing, which is essentially putting a gun to their head.

Hundreds of unionized workers at Vancouver International Airport have voted 94 per cent in favour of strike action, just in time to use the busy holiday season to gain some leverage during contract talks.

It is not yet clear how a potential strike might affect the thousands of travellers expected to arrive at the airport for the 2010 Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver from Feb. 12 to 28.

The 300 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are employed by Swissport and provide ground handling and baggage services for Westjet and Continental Airlines.

According to union spokesman Todd Haverstock, contract talks have hit an impasse and union job action could severely disrupt the operations of both airlines over the Christmas season.

He said a strike could affect the entire airport because Swissport employees maintain all of the airport's baggage-sorting equipment.

Haverstock said Swissport's final offer contained no wage increase for workers with less than two years of service, and just one per cent annually for longer-term employees, something he said is unacceptable when the average full-time wage is $11.30 per hour.

Last December, just days before Christmas, an estimated 3,000 people were stranded overnight at Vancouver International Airport after a snowstorm forced the closure of all but one runway.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...rt-strike.html

Note: I was going to post this in YVR thread, but thought it worthy of its own thread. If I'm wrong... sorry!

[The_Henry_Man]

I'll be flying back to YVR from Minneapolis on Dec 19th for the holidays from school. The union better not be on strike then. I'll be VERY pissed if they cause any serious disruptions and delays and loss of luggages to the passengers.

BTW, I've read some of the comments from that news link on CBC.com, I'm utterly shocked at a lot of posters saying that they rather hoped that strike would occur just before the Olympics to ensure maximum disruptions and delays to the game. The stuff that these far-left loons have been advocating is ABSOLUTELY disgusting and sick to the stomach.

[Metro-One]

I love how people on this forum always blame the unions and never the companies.

It is a two way street you know.

And at $11.30 and hour, i now know why they always throw around my luggage like garbage, at that wage, i would not give a shit as well.

[rather_draconian]

I'm opposed to unions when their demands are outrages, i.e. the TTC striking to raise their $25/hour wages to $26-30.

But $11.30? I would go on strike too

[Yume-sama]

I would ALMOST bet the $11.30 figure is false. Why would you even bother paying union dues to a union that can't get you a tiny bit more than minimum wage?

It doesn't compute. Like, really. What a crappy union.

[Metro-One]

That is probably why they are on strike, and without the union I bet they would be making minimum (or 10)

[Yume-sama]

Well, I would like confirmation of that figure. Because a search online doesn't reveal any jobs at Pizza Hut, Starbucks, etc. at YVR for that amount. So if you are a machinist, making less than a "barista"... your education failed you.

For that matter, even if you are just a baggage handler... and working way harder than someone at Pizza Hut, for less money, you need to just quit.

[eternallyme]

$11.30 in Vancouver is below the prevailing wage considering the high cost of living there. Although I don't like the thought of them striking, that is really low pay considering the job.

[Canadian Mind]

Good to know, I haven't booked tickets yet...

Maybe off to Abbotsford I go?

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Good to know, I haven't booked tickets yet...

Maybe off to Abbotsford I go?

You could fly with Air Canada But aren't they threatening a strike, too?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

I would ALMOST bet the $11.30 figure is false. Why would you even bother paying union dues to a union that can't get you a tiny bit more than minimum wage?

It doesn't compute. Like, really. What a crappy union.

I doubt the figure is false. Last time Aeroplan hired, it was around the same hourly wage.

Just bring carry-on.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

I would ALMOST bet the $11.30 figure is false. Why would you even bother paying union dues to a union that can't get you a tiny bit more than minimum wage?

It doesn't compute. Like, really. What a crappy union.

I know someone who quit working for Swissport to get $14.50 an hour as a security guard at a casino, so I don't doubt that wage. He said it was awful work too.

He was an architect in his home country of Taiwan.

[Rothwell]

$11.50 wages?? When did this happen? I used to work as a baggage handler at YVR and I got paid $8.84 starting wage. That was back in '06.

The unions for baggage handlers are not good though. At least the union for baggage handlers at the YVR. Some of the veteran guys have been milking the company for dissability checks for years.

Some unions are great like the teachers union. But not this one

[nova9]

I've been part of a workers union before in the retail sector - while not a direct correlation with the union here, there was a sliding scale in terms of union dues. While union protection is the same company/store wide, the amount you pay can be $0 if you make very little to a percentage.

[mezzanine]

Even though I am flying out this xmas, I support the workers on this. Swissport especially works their staff hard at a job that is very demanding physically...

Swissport’s emphasis on narrow-body aircraft brings significant savings, eliminating the need for costly equipment such as the hydraulic FMC container loaders, which, at the flick of a switch, can hoist up to 4,500 kilograms, or the equivalent of 140 containerized bags, into the cargo holds of wide-body planes such as the Boeing 777. It also means Swissport workers, who do virtually all the heavy lifting themselves, can be trained and on the job in just seven days; by comparison, it takes about five weeks for Air Canada to train new recruits. But since the top earners at Swissport make about $12.40 an hour, compared to $24 at Air Canada and $19 at Servisair, employee turnover is a constant challenge....

Read more: http://www.bcbusinessonline.ca/bcb/t...#ixzz0YVOLmwhX

[Political_R]

At 11.30 an hour, I think people should be thankful that they have a job during the downturn of the global economy. Would they rather see a wage increase or get laid off? Down south of the 49th, Boeing's union got the wage hike but the job security went out the door. Layoffs have been occurring and continue.

[go_leafs_go02]

I'm flying in with westjet on the 14th, from London, Ontario, and I'm thinking of seeing if I can rebook into Abbotsford just to avoid it. I'm off to Chilliwack anyways to visit my girlfriend for Christmas. So we'll see.