Screeners Conference February 3-6 2014.

As many of you know, the IAMAW and the United Steelworkers held a joint Screeners Conference in Ottawa February 3-6, 2014.

This conference was the collaboration between the two largest screeners’ unions who collectively represent 90% of Screeners countrywide.

Attendees of this conference found that screeners across Canada have different language in their CBAs, different service providers and different unions but all face the same issues and hardships as Screening Officers.

The day started off with inspiring messages from Dave Ritchie, the General Vice-President of IAMAW Canada and Ken Neumann, National Director for the USW in Canada.

Politicians were invited and attended the conference. The NDP’s, Olivia Chow, Mike Sullivan and Rosane Doré Lefebvre spoke and publicly recognized the value of work that Screeners provide to the traveling public.

The MPs clearly voiced their support for Screeners and called on the government to provide adequate funding for screening. They also called on the government to stop using the funds to balance the federal budget. Screeners raised their concerns and voiced their opinions on the deteriorating support from the Government.

There were various workshops that delegates attended such as:

The Harassment and Respectful Workplaces workshop discussed the different types of harassment Screeners face in the workplace.

Workplace Issues (#2 was conducted by Barry Barnett from the IAM) discussed issues of Employer practices and policies, absenteeism,info, sick leave and accommodations, payroll, hours of work and work schedules.

Building Power within your local workshop highlighted the strengths and weaknesses screeners face in their workplace.

There were also workshops on Radiation in the workplace and Essential Service and Right to strike in the federal sector workshop.

We also had Mr. Mario Saucier, Director of Operations in Transport Canada, who came to the Conference to speak to Screeners.

Screeners learned that there will be another budget cut by the federal Government and CATSA has being told to cut their budget. The importance of contacting local MP’s can only help Screeners in their cause to be heard by the Government.
The Screeners Conference had an excellent turnout and was informative, educational and inspiring to all Screeners who attended.

The concerns that screeners brought to the NDP, MP’s, Transport Canada and the Radiation Institute of Canada, hopefully, will be heard and acted upon.

Screeners at the conference agreed to bring information back to the floor at each airport for discussion and to contact MP’s locally and discuss the concerns raised at the conference. This is so MPs understand why the Government’s should use all
of the fees collected from passengers on security and to hire more screeners across Canada.
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