Air Canada flights at Pearson airport cancelled over airlines-fuel company dispute
Jul 3, 2015, 6:07 am
#1
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Air Canada flights at Pearson airport cancelled over airlines-fuel company dispute
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toront...pute-1.3136801
Dozens of flights out of Toronto's Pearson International Airport were cancelled this morning in what airport officials are calling a "disruption between the airlines and their fuelling company."
The cancellations, which began around 6:30 a.m. ET, involve multiple Air Canada flights out of Terminal One, and may affect other airlines as well, airport officials said.
"Due to a labour disruption between the airlines and their fuelling company, there may be some delays and cancellations today," airport officials said in a tweet.
Dozens of flights out of Toronto's Pearson International Airport were cancelled this morning in what airport officials are calling a "disruption between the airlines and their fuelling company."
The cancellations, which began around 6:30 a.m. ET, involve multiple Air Canada flights out of Terminal One, and may affect other airlines as well, airport officials said.
"Due to a labour disruption between the airlines and their fuelling company, there may be some delays and cancellations today," airport officials said in a tweet.
Jul 3, 2015, 6:55 am
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Fun how the CBC headline makes this out to be an AC issue, when the gtaa website clearly shows that numerous airlines (including AC, Westjet, American, United, Korean and more) have been impacted.
Jul 3, 2015, 7:19 am
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The Toronto Star has a more brand-neutral article:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015...ts-friday.html
By: Jackie Hong Staff Reporter, Published on Fri Jul 03 2015
Dozens of flights to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport are either delayed or cancelled because of a “labour disruption between the airlines and their fuelling company,” the airport announced on Twitter Friday morning.
As of 7:45 a.m. Friday, 35 arriving flights and 29 departing flights from Pearson have been cancelled.
A spokesperson for Pearson said the delays and cancellations were the result of a dispute between Consolidated Aviation Fueling of Toronto, a part of Allied Aviation, and several airlines. Pearson’s website showed that the majority of cancelled flights were Air Canada flights to other parts of Canada or the U.S.
The disruption comes just months before Service International Group is set to take over fuelling services at the airport from Allied Aviation, with 300 airport workers set to lose their jobs in the switch.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015...ts-friday.html
By: Jackie Hong Staff Reporter, Published on Fri Jul 03 2015
Dozens of flights to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport are either delayed or cancelled because of a “labour disruption between the airlines and their fuelling company,” the airport announced on Twitter Friday morning.
As of 7:45 a.m. Friday, 35 arriving flights and 29 departing flights from Pearson have been cancelled.
A spokesperson for Pearson said the delays and cancellations were the result of a dispute between Consolidated Aviation Fueling of Toronto, a part of Allied Aviation, and several airlines. Pearson’s website showed that the majority of cancelled flights were Air Canada flights to other parts of Canada or the U.S.
The disruption comes just months before Service International Group is set to take over fuelling services at the airport from Allied Aviation, with 300 airport workers set to lose their jobs in the switch.
Jul 3, 2015, 8:07 am
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As a backgrounder this matter has been building since May:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-rel...um-2017526.htm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 7, 2015) - Air Canada walked away from long-term agreements with aviation fuel providers in Montreal and Toronto this week. When it was joined by West Jet, Air Transat and others, it meant the dismantling of the Canadian airline fuel consortium and the loss of hundreds of good paying jobs.
"Consolidated Aviation Fueling informed me, that three years ago Air Canada signed a ten year commitment, subject to senior Air Canada management approval, that Consolidated Aviation Fueling, would provide its fuel in Montreal," said IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson George Kuehnl. "Wednesday afternoon, representatives of Allied Aviation, Consolidated's parent, informed members of IAM Local Lodge 2301 that 90 per cent of their jobs would be terminated July 1st because Air Canada was switching to a non-union supplier - Swissport. Air Canada broke its promises and walked away."
Air Canada will exercise a similar move today in Toronto where it is responsible for more than 60 per cent of the fuel volume at Pearson International Airport. "The members of IAM Local Lodge 2413 are going to be furious because Air Canada led us to believe they were committed to Consolidated as its sole fuel provider," explained an irate Michael Corrado, IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson.
The Montreal-Toronto fuel consortium is the oldest and most experienced in the country supplying Canada's major airlines for more than fifty years of first class services. "We have members with as much as 47 years experience and now they're faced with a job that has no pension, no benefits and near minimum wage," said Corrado. "Why do 300 people have to lose their jobs just so an airline can squeeze another dollar into their pockets, it's another example of corporate greed."
The IAM caught wind of Air Canada's intentions as far back as mid-October 2014. In the first week of December the IAM filed a Common Employer Application and Unfair Labour Practices with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. "The IAM also asked the board for an interim order requesting the prevention of any tendering of contracts which would affect members' jobs, until the board has reviewed the matter," said IAM District Lodge 140 President and Directing General Chairperson Fred Hospes. "Maybe this will light a fire under the board to get moving on these applications."
http://www.marketwired.com/press-rel...um-2017526.htm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 7, 2015) - Air Canada walked away from long-term agreements with aviation fuel providers in Montreal and Toronto this week. When it was joined by West Jet, Air Transat and others, it meant the dismantling of the Canadian airline fuel consortium and the loss of hundreds of good paying jobs.
"Consolidated Aviation Fueling informed me, that three years ago Air Canada signed a ten year commitment, subject to senior Air Canada management approval, that Consolidated Aviation Fueling, would provide its fuel in Montreal," said IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson George Kuehnl. "Wednesday afternoon, representatives of Allied Aviation, Consolidated's parent, informed members of IAM Local Lodge 2301 that 90 per cent of their jobs would be terminated July 1st because Air Canada was switching to a non-union supplier - Swissport. Air Canada broke its promises and walked away."
Air Canada will exercise a similar move today in Toronto where it is responsible for more than 60 per cent of the fuel volume at Pearson International Airport. "The members of IAM Local Lodge 2413 are going to be furious because Air Canada led us to believe they were committed to Consolidated as its sole fuel provider," explained an irate Michael Corrado, IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson.
The Montreal-Toronto fuel consortium is the oldest and most experienced in the country supplying Canada's major airlines for more than fifty years of first class services. "We have members with as much as 47 years experience and now they're faced with a job that has no pension, no benefits and near minimum wage," said Corrado. "Why do 300 people have to lose their jobs just so an airline can squeeze another dollar into their pockets, it's another example of corporate greed."
The IAM caught wind of Air Canada's intentions as far back as mid-October 2014. In the first week of December the IAM filed a Common Employer Application and Unfair Labour Practices with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. "The IAM also asked the board for an interim order requesting the prevention of any tendering of contracts which would affect members' jobs, until the board has reviewed the matter," said IAM District Lodge 140 President and Directing General Chairperson Fred Hospes. "Maybe this will light a fire under the board to get moving on these applications."
Jul 3, 2015, 8:45 am
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As a backgrounder this matter has been building since May:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-rel...um-2017526.htm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 7, 2015) - Air Canada walked away from long-term agreements with aviation fuel providers in Montreal and Toronto this week. When it was joined by West Jet, Air Transat and others, it meant the dismantling of the Canadian airline fuel consortium and the loss of hundreds of good paying jobs.
"Consolidated Aviation Fueling informed me, that three years ago Air Canada signed a ten year commitment, subject to senior Air Canada management approval, that Consolidated Aviation Fueling, would provide its fuel in Montreal," said IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson George Kuehnl. "Wednesday afternoon, representatives of Allied Aviation, Consolidated's parent, informed members of IAM Local Lodge 2301 that 90 per cent of their jobs would be terminated July 1st because Air Canada was switching to a non-union supplier - Swissport. Air Canada broke its promises and walked away."
Air Canada will exercise a similar move today in Toronto where it is responsible for more than 60 per cent of the fuel volume at Pearson International Airport. "The members of IAM Local Lodge 2413 are going to be furious because Air Canada led us to believe they were committed to Consolidated as its sole fuel provider," explained an irate Michael Corrado, IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson.
The Montreal-Toronto fuel consortium is the oldest and most experienced in the country supplying Canada's major airlines for more than fifty years of first class services. "We have members with as much as 47 years experience and now they're faced with a job that has no pension, no benefits and near minimum wage," said Corrado. "Why do 300 people have to lose their jobs just so an airline can squeeze another dollar into their pockets, it's another example of corporate greed."
The IAM caught wind of Air Canada's intentions as far back as mid-October 2014. In the first week of December the IAM filed a Common Employer Application and Unfair Labour Practices with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. "The IAM also asked the board for an interim order requesting the prevention of any tendering of contracts which would affect members' jobs, until the board has reviewed the matter," said IAM District Lodge 140 President and Directing General Chairperson Fred Hospes. "Maybe this will light a fire under the board to get moving on these applications."
http://www.marketwired.com/press-rel...um-2017526.htm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 7, 2015) - Air Canada walked away from long-term agreements with aviation fuel providers in Montreal and Toronto this week. When it was joined by West Jet, Air Transat and others, it meant the dismantling of the Canadian airline fuel consortium and the loss of hundreds of good paying jobs.
"Consolidated Aviation Fueling informed me, that three years ago Air Canada signed a ten year commitment, subject to senior Air Canada management approval, that Consolidated Aviation Fueling, would provide its fuel in Montreal," said IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson George Kuehnl. "Wednesday afternoon, representatives of Allied Aviation, Consolidated's parent, informed members of IAM Local Lodge 2301 that 90 per cent of their jobs would be terminated July 1st because Air Canada was switching to a non-union supplier - Swissport. Air Canada broke its promises and walked away."
Air Canada will exercise a similar move today in Toronto where it is responsible for more than 60 per cent of the fuel volume at Pearson International Airport. "The members of IAM Local Lodge 2413 are going to be furious because Air Canada led us to believe they were committed to Consolidated as its sole fuel provider," explained an irate Michael Corrado, IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson.
The Montreal-Toronto fuel consortium is the oldest and most experienced in the country supplying Canada's major airlines for more than fifty years of first class services. "We have members with as much as 47 years experience and now they're faced with a job that has no pension, no benefits and near minimum wage," said Corrado. "Why do 300 people have to lose their jobs just so an airline can squeeze another dollar into their pockets, it's another example of corporate greed."
The IAM caught wind of Air Canada's intentions as far back as mid-October 2014. In the first week of December the IAM filed a Common Employer Application and Unfair Labour Practices with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. "The IAM also asked the board for an interim order requesting the prevention of any tendering of contracts which would affect members' jobs, until the board has reviewed the matter," said IAM District Lodge 140 President and Directing General Chairperson Fred Hospes. "Maybe this will light a fire under the board to get moving on these applications."
What would the overall cost differential be for these guys, if anyone knows?
Jul 3, 2015, 8:57 am
#7
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Interesting.
So is Swissport taking over the existing Consolidated/CAFAS infrastructure of tank farms and fueling vehicles or have they somehow quietly built up their own infrastructure behind the scenes in order to facilitate this switch?
Are the tank farms actually owned by the airport and available to any fueling company? Who owns the fuel in those tanks?
So is Swissport taking over the existing Consolidated/CAFAS infrastructure of tank farms and fueling vehicles or have they somehow quietly built up their own infrastructure behind the scenes in order to facilitate this switch?
Are the tank farms actually owned by the airport and available to any fueling company? Who owns the fuel in those tanks?
Jul 3, 2015, 9:03 am
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Jul 3, 2015, 9:14 am
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Before writing this, I honestly didn't know what direction I was going to take. I've worked as a ground handler, a lead ground handler and in management of the handlers.
First I love the union spokesperson quote saying management staff "try to do their jobs". This is so arrogant. The IAMAW threatened a strike during our negotiations and could we as management have done their jobs? Absolutely. Without question. The only difference would've been the number of people doing it. The CEO isn't coming down fueling aircrafts, but if you don't think the supervisors can't do the job, you're kidding yourself. In most of these situations these guys were fuelers/handlers themselves and worked their way up, they don't just get dropped into those jobs. Again the situation is going from 20 fuelers to 5, not the actual work itself. Maybe I'm taking the quote to personally but this is exactly the type of crap they said to us.
"Called in sick en masse". Nice professionalism boys. We dealt with this garbage all the time. I'd be more than happy to demand doctor's notes from every single one of them. Most will get them, but the lazy ones won't and then you can discipline them. "The people working there have informed management that they will not work overtime today". That's fair, if you don't wanna work, you don't have to, but if it's a nice day, why wouldn't you max out your hours? That's just fiscally stupid if you ask me. We had mandatory OT at my job, but everyone also knew they could basically say "well I'm sick" and there was nothing we could do to stop them from leaving.
"This is not how we go about things". BS. You can bet your ... the union shop stewards (not all, but some) encouraged this. There's no way one random employee said "hey boys lets all call in sick tomorrow" and actually got any numbers to go along with it. But the shop steward pulls a few guys aside and says "this'll show them, we deserve more money etc etc" that message spreads through the course of the day, you get this result. IF this isn't how you go about things, then I hope a higher up at the union comes down to the office tomorrow and addresses the situation and the managers and doesn't defend the guys who didn't get doctors notes. But the reality is, they'll still be defended.
No one wants to lose their jobs, but this is just another reality of the world we live in. No longer can an unskilled, uneducated person walk into a job and get 47 years experience. Fueling is an unskilled job, the guy drives up, he hooks up the hose, sits on his ladder/in his bucket and watches a counter. THAT's pretty much it. Do gas station jockeys make $24 an hour? F no. Many of these fuelers do multiple planes in an hour, but at an airport like pearson just as many of those guys do 1 plane over the course of 1-2 hours.
A Beechcraft takes, 15 minutes to fuel, give or take, and that's only because the guy has to switch wings. A 737/319 takes...20 minutes, for that 20 minutes, the guy sits in one place. A widebody fueler may be at the same aircraft for 45-60 minutes. Call me a jackass, but where's the $24 an hour going? Is it corporate greed? Sure. But is it corporate greed when a robot can build a car instead of 20 humans on a line? Why not save money where it can be saved. If ground handlers made 17-24 an hour (which at AC lots do, but most other companies don't) then there wouldn't be so much turnover. But you can ask these guys, lots of them work ground handling then switch to CATSA/Fueling/Security because it's less work for more pay.
Again, I'm not on the side of corporate greed, but some people have to look at the service they're providing and realize they're overpaid, of course no one these days thinks they're overpaid.
Apologies to anyone this may have offended but s*** like this gets me really fired up.
First I love the union spokesperson quote saying management staff "try to do their jobs". This is so arrogant. The IAMAW threatened a strike during our negotiations and could we as management have done their jobs? Absolutely. Without question. The only difference would've been the number of people doing it. The CEO isn't coming down fueling aircrafts, but if you don't think the supervisors can't do the job, you're kidding yourself. In most of these situations these guys were fuelers/handlers themselves and worked their way up, they don't just get dropped into those jobs. Again the situation is going from 20 fuelers to 5, not the actual work itself. Maybe I'm taking the quote to personally but this is exactly the type of crap they said to us.
"Called in sick en masse". Nice professionalism boys. We dealt with this garbage all the time. I'd be more than happy to demand doctor's notes from every single one of them. Most will get them, but the lazy ones won't and then you can discipline them. "The people working there have informed management that they will not work overtime today". That's fair, if you don't wanna work, you don't have to, but if it's a nice day, why wouldn't you max out your hours? That's just fiscally stupid if you ask me. We had mandatory OT at my job, but everyone also knew they could basically say "well I'm sick" and there was nothing we could do to stop them from leaving.
"This is not how we go about things". BS. You can bet your ... the union shop stewards (not all, but some) encouraged this. There's no way one random employee said "hey boys lets all call in sick tomorrow" and actually got any numbers to go along with it. But the shop steward pulls a few guys aside and says "this'll show them, we deserve more money etc etc" that message spreads through the course of the day, you get this result. IF this isn't how you go about things, then I hope a higher up at the union comes down to the office tomorrow and addresses the situation and the managers and doesn't defend the guys who didn't get doctors notes. But the reality is, they'll still be defended.
No one wants to lose their jobs, but this is just another reality of the world we live in. No longer can an unskilled, uneducated person walk into a job and get 47 years experience. Fueling is an unskilled job, the guy drives up, he hooks up the hose, sits on his ladder/in his bucket and watches a counter. THAT's pretty much it. Do gas station jockeys make $24 an hour? F no. Many of these fuelers do multiple planes in an hour, but at an airport like pearson just as many of those guys do 1 plane over the course of 1-2 hours.
A Beechcraft takes, 15 minutes to fuel, give or take, and that's only because the guy has to switch wings. A 737/319 takes...20 minutes, for that 20 minutes, the guy sits in one place. A widebody fueler may be at the same aircraft for 45-60 minutes. Call me a jackass, but where's the $24 an hour going? Is it corporate greed? Sure. But is it corporate greed when a robot can build a car instead of 20 humans on a line? Why not save money where it can be saved. If ground handlers made 17-24 an hour (which at AC lots do, but most other companies don't) then there wouldn't be so much turnover. But you can ask these guys, lots of them work ground handling then switch to CATSA/Fueling/Security because it's less work for more pay.
Again, I'm not on the side of corporate greed, but some people have to look at the service they're providing and realize they're overpaid, of course no one these days thinks they're overpaid.
Apologies to anyone this may have offended but s*** like this gets me really fired up.
Jul 3, 2015, 9:18 am
#11
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So is Swissport taking over the existing Consolidated/CAFAS infrastructure of tank farms and fueling vehicles or have they somehow quietly built up their own infrastructure behind the scenes in order to facilitate this switch?
Are the tank farms actually owned by the airport and available to any fueling company? Who owns the fuel in those tanks?
Are the tank farms actually owned by the airport and available to any fueling company? Who owns the fuel in those tanks?
Jul 3, 2015, 9:21 am
#12
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As always if anyone has any questions I think I can answer I'm happy to answer. I don't really think I can get into trouble for any of this lol, but if you can, keep me out of trouble, because I'm honest and blunt so I'm not shy about saying things.
I wanted to separate from my massive rant post.
Swissport isn't a non-union shop for the most part. In Canada it's divided though. The company is really big so some parts are non-union. I can say I don't know the fueling division because in Canada it's not really present, until now at least.
As far as I know, the mechanics are non-union, they might be but there wasn't many of them at all and I don't think they were. The ground handlers (including cleaners) and all above wing employees were union, IAMAW (I think the same applied for above wing, they MAY have had another union). We weren't when I started, but after about 2 years there was a vote taken to unionize.
To my knowledge everything at the airport is leased for duration of service contracts, I COULD be wrong, but I don't think we owned a single thing when I worked at the airport.
Space is provided by the airport as facilities to use for the service you're being contracted for if that makes sense.
Swissport isn't a non-union shop for the most part. In Canada it's divided though. The company is really big so some parts are non-union. I can say I don't know the fueling division because in Canada it's not really present, until now at least.
As far as I know, the mechanics are non-union, they might be but there wasn't many of them at all and I don't think they were. The ground handlers (including cleaners) and all above wing employees were union, IAMAW (I think the same applied for above wing, they MAY have had another union). We weren't when I started, but after about 2 years there was a vote taken to unionize.
So is Swissport taking over the existing Consolidated/CAFAS infrastructure of tank farms and fueling vehicles or have they somehow quietly built up their own infrastructure behind the scenes in order to facilitate this switch?
Are the tank farms actually owned by the airport and available to any fueling company? Who owns the fuel in those tanks?
Are the tank farms actually owned by the airport and available to any fueling company? Who owns the fuel in those tanks?
Space is provided by the airport as facilities to use for the service you're being contracted for if that makes sense.
Jul 3, 2015, 9:37 am
#13
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Seems lots of contracts have been given to new companies at YYZ, and they're pretty much non-union and not required to keep on current staff of the outgoing contractors. Since this will result in lower operating costs to the GTAA, does this mean we'll see a reduction of the airport fees we and the airlines pay? 
Jul 3, 2015, 9:46 am
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Having worked in a unionized environment in the past, I'd agree with you -- this was orchestrated by the union's leadership and only serves to hurt the public's general perception of unions. It's not like their actions will change anything in the end; they're still losing the contract.
Jul 3, 2015, 10:16 am
#15
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Those AIF are here to stay haha. I remember when they brought them in, I think you had to pay in cash at the airport. Man people were choked, but it helped us build a nice YVR. That was almost 20 years ago. YVR is STILL under construction. As soon as one terminal finishes, the next one gets the renovations...you'd think PCL was an airline based on all the logos around the place.