The employees who supply the planes with fuel at Montreal-Trudeau Airport have been on strike since 11 a.m. on Tuesday for lack of an agreement with the management of Swissport.
Until very late Monday evening, the two sides were still in negotiations, we learned. The hundred or so employees concerned are demanding better working conditions and better wages. Their collective agreement expired last August.
“It didn’t go well. It’s a lack of respect from the company. We were ready to negotiate until the last minute and we got no response […] We have no choice but to go on strike. It hurts, ”said union representative Peter Tsoukalas.
“We made sure to fill all the planes before […] just because we wanted to take care of the people who travel today, “he added.
A contingency plan was planned and executives and workers from other Swissport airports were to be called upon to continue the refueling activities.
In addition to refueling the planes transiting through Montreal-Trudeau, Swissport employees also provide this service for some commercial flights at Mirabel Airport.
In a press release, Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) deplored Tuesday that “the passengers of YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport find themselves in spite of themselves at the heart of the labor dispute between Swissport Fueling and its employees responsible for refueling aircraft”.
ADM assured that “the YUL operations coordination center is activated and a 24-hour watch is maintained. Airport security and the SPVM have deployed measures to ensure security and business continuity. ”
While trying to reassure passengers, ADM however stressed that “the conflict could cause delays in flight schedules”, advising travelers to validate the status of a flight.
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