e-5050 (Employment and labour)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• Airport workers face increasingly precarious working conditions, many of which earn low wages despite years of service and are working two or more jobs to cover basic needs;
• A living wage has been defined as earnings that allow a worker to afford shelter, food, extended healthcare, childcare, transportation and other necessities;
• The Vancouver International Airport Authority has declared itself a living wage employer and has encouraged all its service providers to provide a living wage to its employees;
• The Greater Toronto Airport Authority issued the Pearson Standard document in June 2023, stating in its employment standards section that all airport employers are encouraged to provide wages that allow workers the ability to afford shelter, food and the necessities;
• Airport workers earn a variety of wages, from minimum wages and up, often dependant on whether their employer is an airline, a government contract, an airline service provider, an airport authority employer or an airport authority service provider; and
• The federal government has jurisdiction over federal industries and workplaces such as airports, broadcasting, railways, ports, telecommunications, and banking.