Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Canada: Eastern airports get new security manager.

International giant Securitas is taking over security management at airports in eastern Canada.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority contract covers airports from Quebec east, and is worth $481 million over five years.

CATSA put out the request for proposals in January, and the union representing airport screeners in the Maritimes says workers are breathing a sigh of relief knowing who their new boss will be, and that their jobs are safe.

Lawrence McKay, co-ordinator for the Steelworkers' Union in the Maritimes, told CBC News Tuesday Securitas is guaranteeing jobs and other rights — such as seniority, vacation time and wages.

"The meetings that we've had so far today, there's a lot of relief," said McKay.

Securitas takes over airport security from the current manager, Newfoundland-based Shanahan's, on Nov. 1. McKay said Securitas has already asked the union to survey workers to find out their major concerns.

In Charlottetown the top issue is split shifts — working four hours in the morning and then coming back for another four-hour shift at night. These shifts have been eliminated at the Stanfield Airport in Halifax, and McKay hopes Charlottetown is next.

"With Shanahan's there was people going home on a split shift while other people were coming in to start a split shift, so it didn't make a whole lot of sense," he said.

Securitas Transport Aviation is part of the world's largest security company, with a quarter million employees in 30 countries.

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