Official Languages Committee on Nov. 19th, 2009

[Yves Duguay]

At some point they need to travel. We have regional training centres, so as far as the contract is concerned, we cover the cost of travel and accommodation for the screening officers.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

We notice that with CATSA, so that people are more able to understand, there are going to be pins to identify the language and there are different publications for staff that reinforce the language requirements and training. Do you see this being continued after the games are over?

[Yves Duguay]

It will. You will see this bilingual pin. You will also see an Olympic pin. As I mentioned earlier, it was very important for us to find a way to reward and recognize excellence in the 350 screeners we found. So all the screening officers will be wearing an Olympic pin, and we've developed a new name tag that will identify the screening officers and the languages they speak. As I mentioned earlier on, many will speak many languages on top of the official languages.

We want to maintain that program. We want to ensure that the next service contractors--those who will bid on the contracts next year--will have an HR program that works on engaging the employees through reward and recognition.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Yes, it's very important to show the countries that are coming in that we are a friendly country and ready to accept them.

[Le président, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mrs. O'Neill-Gordon.

Mr. Duguay, in your presentation, you clearly explained that CATSA was created following the attacks on September 11, 2001. Is it possible, first, that greater emphasis has been placed on security? Now you're talking about a change of culture, about catching up. Has there always been an official languages champion at CATSA, from day one, or was that position created after that?

[Yves Duguay]

I couldn't tell you what the situation has been since 2002, but I know that my CEO, Mr. McGarr, was previously the official languages champion. I don't know for how many years he occupied that position. He passed on the torch to me when he was appointed president of CATSA.

I must say you conducted a good analysis. At the time of the incidents on September 11, I was at Air Canada. The first reaction was a security reaction. We set a lot of things aside to focus on security. In my opinion, what we try to show screening officers when we meet them is that, if we provide excellent customer service, we'll be even better off in the area of security because we'll be focusing on people.

I don't think a pencil or a knife necessarily constitute a threat if they're in my hands, but they may become a threat if they're in someone else's hands. To have this kind of risk- management-based approach, you have to interact with the public. Sometimes screening officers criticize us and tell us we spend too much time talking about customer service rather than security. We often repeat to them that, if they do an excellent job with customer service, they'll be excellent in the security area as well. It's this change in culture that we're trying to introduce, but it will take a little time. In spite of everything, we're beginning to see a very positive glimmer on the horizon.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you.

Mr. Gravelle.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

I just want to clarify one point. I don't know whether I misunderstood. I don't have a doctorate; there are no letters after my name.

Did you in fact say that only 10 out of 40 employees in Ottawa are bilingual?

[Yves Duguay]

That's the information I obtained from my colleagues.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

That corresponds to 25% in a bilingual city, a sector, where there is quite a bit of French.

[Yves Duguay]

Mr. Gravelle, there are at least 10, but there can be more, depending on the shifts.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Nevertheless, a minimum of 10 is not very much, particularly in a city like Ottawa and especially if you consider Gatineau and Hull.

If there are 10 out of 40 here in Ottawa, I wonder how many there are in Toronto, Vancouver and other places that aren't bilingual. I don't think 10 out of 40 is very much. There must be a lot fewer in Toronto and Vancouver.

[Yves Duguay]

I don't have those details with me, but I would be happy to share that kind of information with you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

You need only send it to our clerk.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. D'Amours said a little earlier that 350 employees had been transferred from other airports. What is the situation in airports that have lost those bilingual employees? There must not be a lot of bilingual employees left.

[Yves Duguay]

This is naturally a whole. As I told you, this is first an excellence program designed to reward people whose performance has been excellent. We're giving them the opportunity to live the Olympic experience. In the context of this program, we're hiring more bilingual people at the points where we're withdrawing those individuals in particular, to replace them with bilingual people. The people aren't all bilingual, but 50% of those 350 employees are.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

You've obviously made a big effort to have bilingual employees in Vancouver, but what will the situation be six months or a year after the Games? Will we go back to the same point as last year or in 2006-2007? Will the bilingual employees be leaving?

[Yves Duguay]

To provide adequate coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Games, we're calling on employees who come from two different sources. Those who were hired locally will stay on site. The 350 employees I referred to will be assigned to 18 temporary locations where we've been asked, in particular, to take charge of screening passengers and baggage for helicopters, hydroplanes and so on.

Following the discussion we had earlier this morning, I can tell you that, in the next call for tenders and the next contracts, we really intend to insist on bilingual services and customer service. We want to find partners who are the right fit for us so that we can offer those services. By measuring them and opting for a contract based on a performance model, there's no doubt that our ability to provide bilingual services will only increase in the years to come.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

You said earlier that CATSA had 500 employees.

[Yves Duguay]

Yes.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Some 6,000 people also work on contract. How many of your 500 employees are bilingual?

[Yves Duguay]

Half of our employees are bilingual.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Do those who make up the other half want to improve? Do they have the opportunity? Do you offer anything in that area?

[Yves Duguay]

Yes, there is individual training, based on the person's language profile. This is offered to all employees in all regions.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

I ask that question because Canadian Forces representatives appeared before the committee a few weeks ago. In their case, leadership comes from the top and works downward.

Do you think that, if there were more bilingual staff at your company, that would be preferable for the contractors?