It appears to be business as usual at Victoria International Airport.
But there are still no answers as to why 27 screening officers, and nine managers, were fired from their jobs including Leonard Rafter who worked at the airport for 15 years.
“I loved my job. There was so much. The relationships I built up over 15 years,” Rafter said Tuesday.
The 36 workers were employed by Allied Universal Security, which is contracted to provide security screening services for passengers, staff, and contractors.
Tania Canniff, General Chairperson of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District Lodge 140 says the union is frustrated. “I’ve been representing screening officers since 2007, I’ve never seen CATSA disqualify screening personnel from working under the screening services agreement.”
CHEK News called Transport Canada, which oversees CATSA, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.
“Hello, you have reached Transport Canada media relations. We can’t answer your call right now. But please leave a detailed message,” an automated message said Thursday.
No one returned CHEK’s message, but Transport Canada did send an email with a one sentence response:
“As this is a matter between Allied Universal and its employees, all questions of this nature should be directed to Allied Universal.”
A call to Allied Universal’s director of human resources, who works from an office located within the airport, was also not successful Thursday.
The union is hoping it can meet with the federal transport minister and get its members’ jobs back.
“We’re making every effort possible to address these concerns with the minister. Because the lack of procedural fairness was appalling,” Canniff said.
CATSA maintains that it did not and cannot direct AUS to fire their employees.
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