It was only in January 2011 that the Canadian Industrial Relations Board recognized Aveos as a separate legal entity from Air Canada. All the workers came from Air Canada. Air Canada started branding in 2000 its maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations as a separate entity, and in 2004 transformed it into a dependent, legal entity. Then in 2007 they sold it off. In 2008 the new entity was rebranded as Aveos. So technically, the workers really belong to Air Canada.
I have a concrete proposal. I don't know whether you agree with it or not. Do you think the Government of Canada should tighten the Air Canada Public Participation Act to mandate Air Canada to rehire the 2,600 heavy-maintenance workers and also prevent Air Canada from sending jobs outside Canada? There's a debate right now whether the participation act is worth the paper it's written on.
Now, Chuck Strahl and all the various ministers, when they came in front of the committee and even in the House of Commons on March 2, 2011.... In answering the question of Thomas Mulcair, Minister of Transport Chuck Strahl said there would not be any job losses--Air Canada says it's going to maintain its overhaul centres in Winnipeg, Mississauga, and Montreal, so no job losses, a good thing, etc. So they promised the workers over and over again that the law was going to protect them. And they are now saying that the law doesn't protect them. Well, you can't have it both ways.
For ten years you said the law protected them, and now you say that it doesn't. Then should the law be amended to make sure that the workers get rehired by Air Canada and also prevent Air Canada from sending jobs outside, to the U.S.? Mr. Rovinescu sat at the seat over there where Mr. Atkinson is sitting, and I asked him precisely, and my colleagues also asked him, are you planning on sending some jobs to the U.S.? There was some dancing around; he said he didn't know, they may have to. We asked, how many? He wasn't sure.
I can just see it coming. A lot of the jobs that are highly trained, good-paying jobs are going to go down to the States.
Is that what you're asking the government to do? It wasn't clear in some of your answers. If the law doesn't protect you right now, change the law—is that what you're asking for?
Whoever wants to answer the question, whether it's Mr. Erlichman or Mr. Atkinson or Mr. Poirier....