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For immediate release                                                  January 21, 2002

OTTAWA - A majority of Canadians say that the security screeners at Canada’s airports should be employed and paid by the new federal government agency in charge of airport security, according to poll results released today by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

            “Since September 11^th Canadians have become much more conscious of the need for the federal government to step in and ensure that our airports are secure so that Canadians can travel in safety,” says PSAC National President Nycole Turmel.  “It’s therefore not surprising that when asked, 70% of Canadians agreed that airport security screeners should be employed and paid by the new federal government agency in charge of airport security”.            

             According to Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) National President  Mike Wing, the government’s plans seem to be going in the opposite direction.  “Early indications are that the new agency will continue to contract-out airport security screening by setting up a series of  security franchise operations, masquerading as one agency.  Employees may all wear a federal agency uniform but in fact will be employed by whoever has successfully bid on the franchise.  If the government has its way, the only things this new agency will provide are fresh opportunities for patronage.  We need more than a patchwork system of security screening, left in the hands of private contractors.”

            “We’re talking about peoples’ lives, not fast food,” says Turmel.  “Canadians have clearly expressed their preference. They want an agency they can trust to ensure their travelling safety.  They want to know who’s providing the screening and they want an employer and employees who are accountable to Canadians.  They don’t want their safety sold to the lowest bidder.”

            PSAC asked the question: “Security screening at Canadian airports is currently the responsibility of the airline industry, and is performed by private contractors on behalf of the airlines.  The federal government just announced that from now on airport security screening will become the responsibility of a new federal government agency.  Do you believe that airport security screeners should be employed and paid by: 

The new federal government agency in charge of airport security - 70%

Private contractors - 22%

Don’t know/did not answer - 8%

The question was included in a Focus Canada National Omnibus survey by the Environics Research Group Ltd. for the PSAC between December 17, 2001 and January 6, 2002.  The survey of 2,030 Canadians, 18 years of age and over, can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2%, nineteen times out of twenty.

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For information:            Nycole Turmel, PSAC national president, (613) 560-4330

                                    Mike Wing, UCTE (PSAC) national president. (613) 238-4003

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