MONTREAL -- Travellers who frequent the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau and Montréal-Mirabel airports can breathe a sigh of relief. The threat of a strike on Christmas Day, wielded by a hundred workers responsible for, among other things, refuelling aircrafts, has almost dissipated.
Their employer, Swissport Canada, sent a statement on Saturday evening announcing an agreement in principle with the union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).
"The two parties agreed after a blitz of negotiations and no pressure from either side will take place until the union has the agreement ratified by its members," wrote Louis-Philippe Charland, the vice president of human resources for the company.
According to Charland, the union's negotiating committee will unanimously recommend the agreement to the members. A vote will be held on whether to adopt the agreement in principle on Friday.
In a statement, the union said that should the agreement in principle be rejected mediation discussions will be resumed, with a New Year's Day strike a possibility.
The employees of Swissport Canada have been without an employment contract since August. The employees concerned are aircraft refuellers, mechanics at fuel storage facilities, dispatchers, refuelling maintenance employees and mechanics.
Swissport Canada is the sole supplier of fuel to airlines at the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau and Montréal-Mirabel airports.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2019.
