News

IBEW Local Union 2228 deeply regrets that several of its members are among the layoffs announced by Nav Canada today. Employees represented by LU 2228 at Nav Canada, Canada’s sole Air Navigation Service Provider, maintain critical aviation navigation systems required to maintain safe air travel.

 

Over the past six months Nav Canada has continually reported an unprecedented decline in air traffic due to the worldwide pandemic, COVID-19, which has resulted in a drastic decline to incoming revenues.

In April the IBEW and other bargaining agents agreed to defer the implementation of recently ratified collective agreements in order to give the company some economic relief in the short term in hopes of air traffic returning sooner than later. At this time, air traffic has not returned to previous levels and forecasts now show that it may take years to recover; therefore, Nav Canada has informed the Local they can not continue to provide services without restructuring the company and imposing layoffs.

 

IBEW Canada, the overseeing international body of Local 2228, is aware of the challenges that our membership is facing, and continues to lobby the Federal Government on behalf of the membership at Nav Canada in an attempt to secure support for the aviation sector that will prioritize workers. The response thus far from the Minister of Transportation has been that the onus remains on the company, first and foremost, to restructure the business and service delivery to reflect traffic and reduce costs.

 

Unfortunately, in addition to the current workforce adjustments that are occurring, the Local has also been approached to discuss potentially foregoing the majority of the negotiated wage increases that were ratified as part of our current Collective Agreement to give the company further and increased economic relief. This step has not been finalized, information will be made available in the coming weeks and any changes to the negotiated settlement will be voted on by the membership in advance of any actions taking place.

 

In Solidarity

Paul Cameron

Business Manager/ Financial Secretary