Swissport starting wage surpasses Air Canada with new agreement!

Monday March 4, 2019

For Immediate Release

Ottawa, ON – “It’s very difficult to ask a service company to pay a starting wage that’s greater than the wage offered by the industry leader, but we did and we were successful,” explained IAM Transportation District Lodge 140 General Chairperson Michael Corrado. “Our Ottawa Swissport members now have a starting wage that’s $1.25 an hour greater than the starting wage at Air Canada.”

The three-year agreement provides increases to all wages and wage scales with no wage scale below $15.00 an hour. “The Swissport starting rate is now far superior to Air Canada, Porter, Global Aviation, Strategic Aviation, Menzies Fuel, Menzies Ground and Innotech Aviation,” said Corrado.

For Ramp, PSA and OPS members with a starting wage of $14.59 per hour, they will now receive $15.25 per hour or an immediate increase of 5.3 per cent and 9.5 per cent over the life of the agreement. For Ramp, PSA and OPS members at level one they will receive an immediate 7.3 per cent increase and an 11.7 per cent increase over the life of the agreement.

For Blue Circled Ramp, PSA and OPS workers currently at $14.92, $15.37 or $15.83 per hour will advance to $16.30 per hour and will receive an immediate 9.3 per cent, 6.1 per cent or 3 per cent wage increase respectively. This translates to a 14.2 per cent, 10.9 per cent or 7.7 per cent respectively over the life of the agreement.

For groomers, advancing to $15.00 per hour as a starting wage, they will receive an immediate 5.9 per cent wage increase of 10.2 per cent over the life of the agreement, groomers advancing to level one at $15.30 per hour receive an immediate 8 per cent wage increase or 12.4 per cent over the life of the agreement. Groomers advancing to level two at $15.61 will receive an immediate 6.9 per cent wage increase or 11.3 per cent over the life of the agreement.

Mechanics advancing to $27.11 per hour will receive an immediate 3 per cent wage increase or 9.3 per cent over the life of the agreement. Mechanics Helpers advancing to $15.83 an hour will receive an immediate 9.3 per cent wage increase or 15.3 per cent over the life of the agreement.

Other agreement highlights include:

• Red Circled members advancing to $19.77 per hour will receive an annual increase of 2 per cent or 6.2 per cent over the life of the agreement
• Full time employees with 12 months of service or more will now receive 4 paid personal days each year
• Part-time employees with 12 months of service are entitled to 16 hours of paid personal time
• $100 will now paid to employees who obtain or renew their “D” License
• Improved waiting period for group insurance benefits which means IAM members will obtain their healthcare and dental benefits much, much quicker than before!
• Improved meal breaks
• Improved safety footwear coverage

“We were able to make Swissport understand that having a high rate of employee attrition translates to excessive training costs and significant safety and security concerns. Our wages are now among the best at Ottawa International (YOW) and we have definitely raised the bar in the Fight for $15 and Fairness,” said Corrado.

The 103 members of IAM Local Lodge 2413 provide ground handling, baggage and aircraft grooming services for United Airlines, Canadian North, Department of National Defense, Swift Air, Miami Air and Sunwing Airlines.

The IAM is the largest union in the Canadian air transport sector.

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For further information:
Michael Corrado – IAM Transportation District Lodge 140 General Chairperson
905-671-3192/416-407-6535
Bill Trbovich – IAM Director of Communications
416-386-1789 Ext#31/416-735-9765