Following today’s lay-off announcement of more than 1,000 Air Canada machinists, New Democrats are proposing measures which would help these workers and their families in these tough economic times.

“With our economy still on shaky foundations, we need to make sure that we are proactive to help lessen the damage caused by these layoffs,” said New Democrat Deputy Leader Thomas Mulcair (Outremont). “This isn’t just about 1,000 workers, but a choice by our government to put jobs first in our economic recovery.”

The New Democrats propose that the government:

• work in cooperation with industry human resource councils, like the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council, to develop programs to assist these workers to upgrade their skills or re-train for new employment;
• ensure full EI benefits flow to these workers as quickly as possible; and
• bring in legislation to ensure Canadian aircraft are maintained and repaired in Canada.

“We need to examine where we are putting our money in the aviation sector,” said New Democrat Transport Critic Dennis Bevington (Western Arctic). “Canada is spending millions on security measures which may not be useful while doing nothing for aviation workers who are bearing the brunt of the hard times the industry is facing.”

In addition to the more than 1,000 Air Canada workers losing their jobs, hundreds of other machinists are also on the street following the closing of aviation maintenance firms. Due to this glut of qualified aviation machinists, these workers will need extra help finding employment.