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CUPE Wants Clarification About Immigrant Workers and Working Conditions at Fort MacMurray International Airport

CUPE, the union that represents Fort MacMurray International Airport workers, has made accusations that the airport administration is either recruiting temporary foreign workers or else they are underpaying migrant workers. The union organization has demanded to know exactly what the working conditions are for the workers who replaced the hired custodial staff. CUPE has said that airport staff have reported that many of the new workers who replaced the full time custodial staff are using foreign passports as identification, including Philippine passports. Airport staff have stated that some of these new workers are custodial workers. CUPE is concerned that the move from the previous custodial staff to outsourced workers has replaced Canadian citizens with foreign immigrant workers. CUPE’s Alberta Division secretary treasurer Glynnis Lieb said “I would be very surprised if that wasn’t the case. What the airport authority has said is they will save money by moving to these private companies for custodial and now security staff.”

Even if Fort MacMurray International Airport is using foreign immigrant workers this does not mean that any laws have been broken. When Bill’s Cleaning took over custodial duties at the facility CUPE protested, because the company has a history of using temporary foreign workers and paying very low wages. Lieb explained “Regardless of the nationality, are people being paid fairly? Are they getting the benefits they deserve to get in Canada? What is happening?. We want to protect our members and the thought of our members losing jobs because they cost too much is a concern to us, and we want to make sure no one is being exploited to save money.” Now that the security staff at the airport will also be outsourced this just heightens the concerns that workers and the union has.

Fort MacMurray Airport Staff Have Low Morale According to CUPE

CUPE is saying that the Fort MacMurray Airport staff have low morale as a result of recent privatization of services that have resulted in staff layoffs and job losses. In recent months the custodial staff at the airport was laid off and replaced with outsourced workers from a private cleaning company. The wage paid to the company for the workers was less than what the hired staff was being paid, and many of the benefits previously provided were also cut when the positions were outsourced. Next the airport authority announced that the security staff would also be outsourced and this upset many people in the local community as well as the CUPE leaders. CUPE Local 1505 president Les Collins said “The morale of the employees is noticeably down. The employees are walking on eggshells. Losing a job right now could mean leaving your home and leaving town.”

CUPE is asking that the Fort MacMurray Airport stop looking at third party firms to outsource services as a way of cutting costs and saving money. There is also concern that the union has not yet seen the nw contract that was entered into with TAWS Security. Collins stated “Usually they’re quite cooperative about providing that. Anything that’s sensitive or confidential in documentation is blocked out, and we’re fine with that. To withhold all the information we’re requesting so we can do an apples-to-apples comparison, that is not cooperative.” CUPE Alberta Division president Marle Roberts explained “The Fort McMurray Airport is replacing skilled, experienced working people with people that it will economically exploit. Privatizing services always costs more in the end, as profit margins grow and working people and our communities are left with less.”