IAM Kicks off Arbitration Process for Garda Screeners at Pearson!

Tuesday June 12, 2012

For Immediate Release

Toronto, ON – The IAM  presented five termination grievances on behalf of Garda airport screeners at arbitration hearings held June 11, 2012. This is the first time the IAM has presented grievances on behalf of Pearson Airport security screeners since taking over as their official representatives in March of this year.

Since March 14, 2012, the IAM took over 250 unresolved grievances from the CAWU dating as far back as 2010. “This is unheard of and disgraceful,” said IAM Airline Coordinator Carlos DaCosta. “The IAM quickly started to search for the right arbitrator and a proper process to resolve these hundreds of grievances.”

At the same time the IAM wanted to put in place an arbitration process that is fair and could resolve future grievances in a timely manner for the screeners in Toronto.

In May 2012, DaCosta, on behalf of the IAM District Lodge 140, along with the company and Arbitrator Brian Keller, reached an agreement for an expedited arbitration process.

“The Expedited Arbitration process is used extensively throughout Canada and is even used in the court system to resolve legal matters,” explained DaCosta. “It is a real and fair process whereby the grievors get their day in court to explain their side of the story before an Arbitrator in a timely manner.

“The end result will mean that in future you will not have to wait a long time to have a grievance resolved,” he said.

“The IAM is happy to have finally presented the first 5 termination grievances on June 11 and we hope to have a written binding decision from the arbitrator within two weeks,” explained IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson Lou Pagrach.

“With this new process we should avoid delays and any backlog of unresolved grievances,” said Pagrach, who also attended the first hearing. He will be using this new process when representing screeners at Pearson.

Arbitrator Keller will send arbitration decisions to the union and the company in about two weeks, after which the IAM will contact all affected grievors to inform them of the final binding decision concerning their grievance.

The IAM is the largest airport security screeners union in Canada representing workers in Toronto, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

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For further information:

Carlos DaCosta – IAM Airline Coordinator 416-386-1789
Lou Pagrach – IAM District Lodge 140 General Chairperson 905-671-3192
Bill Trbovich – IAM Director of Communications 416-386-1789 Ext #6331