Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, as well, to the committee members for inviting me to appear today.
My name is Luc Julien. I am a union representative with the United Steelworkers union. I represent more than 900 security screening officers at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport. I'm also on the bargaining committee for screening officers in eastern Canada, which represents nearly 2,000 officers at 26 airports in Quebec and the Maritimes. We are in negotiations as we speak. The United Steelworkers union is the voice of security screening officers at over 42 airports across Canada.
The labour shortage is a real and pressing concern for us. This past summer, the Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Newfoundland airports were impacted by a screening officer shortage. The situation was so bad that officers from other airports had to be brought in to help. Officers from Halifax and Montreal were sent to Quebec City. The airports are still very understaffed, with Montréal-Trudeau airport alone in need of nearly 100 officers.
The issue persists today because the problem has not been fixed.
In our view, the Canadian government's underfunding of the workforce is the main cause of the screening officer shortage. The Canadian government gave the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, or CATSA, the responsibility of administering Canada's airports. This government agency contracts the management of screening officers out to security firms, the idea being to reduce labour costs.
Officers are being pressured by their employers because of the labour shortage. What's more, the public's frustration is making their jobs harder and harder. People end up quitting or taking time off work. Finding another job is easy these days, especially one with better working conditions and a lot less stress. We are losing more and more expertise.
This summer, CATSA introduced a bonus program in an effort to combat employee absenteeism. It was a disaster. Screening officers became very frustrated because, in order to receive the bonus, they couldn't miss work for any reason, not even to look after their children. If they did, no bonus.
We are at the bargaining table, and the employer is offering screening officers a wage increase less than half the rate of inflation. The federal government must do something. It has sole responsibility for the safety and security of passengers, Canadians and workers at airports. Workers are fed up and discouraged, and if nothing is done, nothing will change.
What screening officers do isn't just another job. They are under constant watch. In order to be hired, they have to obtain security clearance, and their schedules make it difficult to have a work-life balance. On top of that, the employer is putting more pressure on them and the public is growing more impatient because of the long lineups. It is important to keep in mind that these workers ensure the safety and security of all.
I would be remiss if I didn't address the challenges related to security. This year, efforts were made to hide the understaffing. Screening officers are the key to the work. Administrative personnel at CATSA and security agencies worked in screening positions to make up for the lack of officers. Requirements were lifted so that new officers could perform certain tasks, something that used to be the exception. Existing officers were asked to do more with less. We saw a reduction in the number of staff assigned to certain positions, increasing the amount of stress and fatigue, not to mention the potential for error. There is no room for error in an airport.
The government can and must do something about the screening officer shortage. The government has a duty to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and workers. It is time that the government recognize the value of the work screening officers do and give CATSA the resources it needs to improve working conditions.
In closing, there is no doubt that the labour shortage is going to get worse. What happened this past summer will happen again, especially during the holidays, March break and, what's worse, next summer.
Thank you.