Airport activists organise in Toronto

May 10, 2019

Last week, worker-activists from airports across the globe came together to organise internationally, building on their shared experiences of organising their workplaces locally.

Airport workers from Britain, Canada, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and the USA met in Toronto to build strength from each other’s successes and learn from each others’ strategies. The exchange formed part of the ITF’s flagship organising programme focused on airport hubs, supporting workers at the same site to come together across occupational divides and win better pay and conditions.

Recent victories have included a group of local unions forcing the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to take on action on contract flipping, and another group winning a minimum wage of $19 per hour in New York – both made possible by strategic campaigning beyond the workers’ immediate employer. Joining together to share victories is vital while the ongoing liberalisation of the global aviation sector poses a threat to good jobs that have traditionally characterised the industry.

The activists launched a plan to strengthen the level of transnational organising between airport hubs and fight in solidarity on common issues. Joint actions in the coming year will bring workers together to enforce stronger regulations on employment terms, improve wages and win better workplace facilities on airport premises.

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