Airport screeners union says workers have been denied paid leave for vaccines
By Medicine Hat News on May 6, 2021.
Airport screeners in Alberta are being denied provincially mandated paid leave to get vaccinated because airports are federally regulated, said the union representing about 450 airport workers across Alberta, including those in Medicine Hat. The province has passed legislation requiring employers to provide three hours of paid time for workers to get shots, but officials with the Teamsters say the company overseeing airport screening, Garda International, requires workers to take an unpaid day off. “Instead of showing leadership and caring for their employees, Garda is using a legal technicality to avoid giving workers paid vaccination leave,” said Teamsters Canada president Francois Laporte, adding that federal labour officials should act unless companies change policies. “Start giving airport screeners paid vaccination leave, so that we can all safely move our country out of this pandemic,” said Laporte. Teamsters Local No. 362 represents 450 airport screeners in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Lloydminster and Lethbridge. Medicine Hat Regional Airport currently does not have scheduled commercial service. This winter, WestJet announced it would suspend its Calgary-Medicine Hat route until at least June 24. 7-6
