Tag: staff layoffs

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Economic Ft Mac

More Staff Layoffs at Keyano College

Keyano College, staff layoffs

Keyano College has announced additional staff layoffs in a second round of cuts intended to help manage expenses and stay competitive in the current economy. The Trades and Industrial Safety Certifications classes have been cut, and these cuts and staff layoffs are a response by the college to increasing financial pressure as the local economy is still in a decline. Keyano College announced the cuts and cited various reasons for the cancellations and layoffs. The classes saw a declining demand, and the college is facing shrinking revenues. The economic downturn in the region was responsible for the previous and newest cuts according to Keyano College academic vice president Catherine Koch. The college has seen declining revenues from the services that were offered to the energy industry nd industry employees, making the latest cuts the obvious choice.

The most recent staff layoffs at Keyano College included 4 instructors and a coordinator, plus 8 positions of support staff. This means that the number of employees laid off by the school since the beginning of the year now stands at 31. According to Keyano spokesperson Matthew Harrison “When you have a cut in programing, you have to also align the different services and operations that you have as a college as a whole. So we did have a reduction in staff there.” Catherine Koch also reported that the certification programs that were cut by Keyano College can be found in other places in the community. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to make a cut if we were the only provider in the region and people needed it for their jobs.”

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Fort MacMurray International Airport Staff Layoffs Lead to Warning From Alberta Federation of Labor

Alberta Federation of Labor, Fort MaMurray International Airport, staff layoffs

Planned staff layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport has led to a warning from the Alberta Federation of Labour. Ever since the layoffs were announced by the facility many have been upset over the plan and have been very vocal about there dissatisfaction. In addition the company who has received the contract for the custodial services currently performed by the custodial staff at the airport has used foreign workers in the past. This has led some to claim that the contracted company plans to replace the staff being laid off with temporary foreign workers who will receive a lower wage. 23 full time employees and one part time staff member will be let go when Bill’s General Cleaning takes over custodial services at the airport according to the recent contract.

When discussing the staff layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport the Alberta Federation of Labor president Gil McGowan stated “Our message to the Fort McMurray Airport Authority is that if they proceed with this plan, there will be consequences. Our strategy will involve more than an information picket line outside of the airport.” CUPE Local 1505 president Les Collins said “The employer hasn’t proven otherwise, nor have they given the union any documentation in writing stating to that effect, that temporary foreign workers will not be used.” McGowan told the media “I can say that if the members of the airport authority make this decision, it is not an issue we will forget or something we will allow to blow over and fade away. Alberta’s unions will not stand for the plan the Fort McMurray airport’s CEO is trying to implement.”What is happening now in Fort McMurray and throughout Alberta is completely unacceptable. We will do what we can to stop this.”

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Economic Ft Mac

Staff Layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport Protested by Airport Workers

Fort MacMurray International Airport, staff layoffs

Staff layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport are being protested by airport workers in the hope that this will make a difference and prevent the layoffs from happening as planned. Dozens of workers at the facility spent last Monday picketing the airport and protesting the decision that was announced. It is not just that the staff layoffs are planned but also that these workers will be replaced by a company which has used temporary foreign workers in the past which adds insult to injury. According to airport management the decision to contract out the custodial services currently handled by a custodial staff of 23 full time and 1 part time workers was to save costs and lower the operating budget. This move means that the custodial staff will be laid off.

If the staff layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport actually occur many fear that the services outsourced will be performed by temporary foreign workers. The company identified to take over custodial services on June 1 of this year has been identified as Bill’s General Cleaning, Imported Goods and Consulting Ltd. Has a past history of hiring temporary foreign workers and some groups argue that the company has ties to Bill’s Recruiting which is in the business of recruiting and placing temporary foreign workers. If that is the case then it would make sense for the company to use foreign workers to fill the jobs opened by the staff layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport. The idea that Canadian citizens would be let go so that foreign workers can replace them does not sit well with many people.

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Economic Ft Mac

Staff Layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport Affect More Than 20 Workers

Fort MacMurray International Airport, staff layoffs

Staff layoffs at the Fort MacMurray International Airport has affected more than 20 employees at the facility. 24 members of the cleaning staff at the airport have been laid off from their positions, and the airport will be contracting out custodial staff services in order to lower the operational costs of the facility. Les Collins, the CUPE local 1505 president, said “The feeling was shock, obviously, and disappointment from the members.” Scott Clements, the Fort McMurray Airport Authority CEO, said “It’s a very material number. We didn’t do this because we’re in a downturn and we may not be done yet. We’re doing this because I need to present to the board the best long-term sustainability of my workforce.” The airport arrived at this step after reviewing the budget and trying to identify ways to reduce the facility’s operational costs.

Les Collins is disappointed with the staff layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport, and believes that the positions involved will be given to temporary foreign workers in order to achieve lower costs. This means that Canadians will be replaced with temporary foreign workers, and changes to this program may create problems with this model in the future. Gil McGowan, the Alberta Federation of Labour president, stated “It stretches the bounds of credibility that temporary foreign workers are not going to be used at the airport, and there’s certainly no way that this company can promise to keep costs down by only paying $14.50 an hour if they’re not using temporary foreign workers. There’s absolutely no way that they’ll find Canadians to work for those poverty wages even with the economy softening up in the Fort McMurray area.”