Union airport workers are gathering at Vancouver International Airport on Oct. 31 to oppose a federal proposal to hand airport operations to private investors.
The Story
Workers represented by the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE), a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), will rally at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Saturday, Oct. 31 from noon to 2 p.m. at Chester Johnson Park, outside International Departures.
UCTE says about 1,000 of its airport workers—mostly in operations—are affected by the proposal, including 70 aircraft rescue and firefighters at YVR.
The union says the federal government’s plan would involve private investors taking over operations at major Canadian airports—Toronto Pearson, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver—while the federal government keeps ownership of the land and assets.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a Sept. 15 keynote at the Toronto investment summit that the government is not looking to “privatize airports,” but instead aims to change how the airports are operated so private operators “manage the airports for a period of decades.”
Carney said the approach would involve reinvesting tens of billions of dollars into infrastructure and would support investment in regional airports, as well as “a better passenger experience.”
UCTE national president Barry Tchir said the union disagrees with the framing. He said that “regardless of who owns the land, the difference is the operator's agenda,” adding that an operator’s profit motive could interfere with priorities that keep safety and service at the top.
Tchir said current airport authorities are required to reinvest surpluses into airports and the community, while the union’s members are concerned that the proposed changes could create more pressure on airport fees, working conditions and public accountability.
He also said workers’ rights, jobs and well-being “could start taking a back seat to profitability,” and that members are “in the dark” because the federal government announced its intent without consulting unions or providing details on how services and working conditions might be protected.
Tchir said the union is calling for clearer information and consultation, including how any decision could affect travellers, employees, fees, safety and public accountability. He said YVR is already “run efficiently and with appropriate staffing” and that the airport is transparent with its finances.
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