Saint John Airport

NB Air Canada workers go on strike

Dozens of Air Canada workers picketed at New Brunswick airports on Tuesday after failing to reach a deal with the airline.

Picket lines at the Saint John Airport slowed down traffic on Tuesday morning but union representatives said — for the most part — drivers appeared to be patient.

"We had our members out on the line this morning, just doing information pickets so the public knows why we're here doing this," said Tammy Moore, the district chair.

"One car came in and drove directly into the crowd."

One picketer was knocked to the ground but there were no serious injuries among the 40 Air Canada workers who were picketing at the Saint John Airport.

There were no reported incidents at the Greater Moncton International Airport, where about a dozen workers were picketing.

The federal government served notice on Tuesday that it is willing to legislate an end to the Air Canada strike as early as Thursday if the airline and its customer service and sales staff can't reach an agreement on a new contract.

Under the notice, the government can table back-to-work legislation in as little as 48 hours, it can delay it longer or it can opt to not table legislation at all.

The airline is urging customers to print their boarding passes off the internet or make reservations online.

While it has been pushing in that direction for several years, the union said some customers still want the human touch.

"Customers always want to call to make sure, right? And that's what we're here to do for them — reassure them everything is okay, give them information," said Cheryl Robinson, the Canadian Airline Workers' Union's Atlantic region vice-president.

"We have seen a decrease over the years in customers doing that. We were really concerned when our work was sent off-shore, but since it's come back, we've been dealing with a lot more customers."

Flights in and out of the Saint John Airport were slightly delayed on Tuesday but that was blamed on problems in other, larger airports.

"All the airports in New Brunswick are Jazz or Air Canada express stations. So typically, there's only a few Air Canada employees," said Bernard Leblanc, the CEO of the Saint John Airport.

"Although they're not on the job, Jazz employees are filling in and they've brought in additional resources."

While Leblanc said he has no intention of interfering with the job action, his counterpart in Moncton has filed for an injunction to keep the picket lines off Greater Moncton International Airport property.

SJBOT Member Updates: Saint John Airport Meet and Greet Program

The Meet and Greet program at the Saint John Airport has begun again for the 2011 season. Visitors to the Greater Saint John area arriving via the Saint John airport are greeted by friendly, helpful volunteers dressed in cheerful red vests. The Meet and Greet program has proved popular over the years and is indicative of the hospitality available across the region. Colleen Mitchell, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Saint John Airport announced today that additional volunteers are welcome. “Our Meet and Greet program is a hit with tourists arriving at the airport, and is also a social activity for volunteers. The committee is issuing a call to anyone who is interested in being part of this social activity.

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