There is no Secret Deal with Air Canada!
Friday March 9, 2012
For Immediate Release
Toronto, ON – “There is no secret deal with Air Canada and the Machinists Union did not ask the Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt to intervene in the collective bargaining process,” said an angry Dave Ritchie – Canadian General Vice President of the IAMAW.
Ritchie was responding to suggestions made on Canada Am today by labour relations lawyer Howard Levitt. Levitt told Canada AM the union representing Air Canada workers may have secretly asked to have their dispute referred to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board in order to buy time and pressure their members. Levitt suggested the unions may be trying to scare their members into voting to ratify
“You can’t vote on something that doesn’t exist,” said Ritchie. “We brought a tentative agreement to our membership and they flatly rejected it, end of story! Talks with Air Canada broke off Tuesday afternoon and we have not met since. There is no secret deal with Air Canada, we did not ask the Minister to intervene, and to suggest that we did is nothing short of an outright lie!”
“For people to speculate about our negotiations and have not been at the table, I suggest they button their lip and allow the process of collective bargaining to continue,” stated Ritchie. “I will repeat again that the Machinists Union is ready at a moment’s notice to resume the bargaining process with Air Canada.
The IAMAW is the largest union at Air Canada representing more than 8,600 line maintenance mechanics, auto mechanics, millwrights, electricians, inspectors, technical writers, planners, instructors, baggage and cargo handlers, aircraft cleaners, cabin groomers and weight and balance agents.
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For further information:
Dave Ritchie – IAMAW Canadian General Vice President
416-386-1789
Bill Trbovich – IAMAW Director of Communications
416-386-1789 ext #6331/416-735-9765
