Local Members of Parliament had something to say regarding the rent charged to the Regina Airport Authority. What will they have to say about Air Canada laying off 56 employees in Saskatchewan as a result of their move to have regular Air Canada flights replaced by their regional service, Jazz? Maybe nothing, since it is the lowly part-time workers that are being dumped without any compensation and only full-time workers receive a compensation package.
Interesting, didn’t the business community, supported by the media, just finish winning their fight to have the provincial government drop their controversial legislation that was intended to protect part-time workers? Granted, that legislation may not have had any impact on this move by Air Canada, but it does point out how vulnerable part-time employees are in our workplace.
This move by Air Canada is bad for Saskatchewan, but it may not adversely affect the Airport Authority since there will be an overall increase in flights in and out of our Regina and Saskatoon airports. This move by Air Canada will mostly benefit Saskatchewan Member’s of Parliament as it will give them more choices for flights in and our of Regina and Saskatoon Airports.
It will be interesting to see how Saskatchewan Member’s of Parliament respond to this move by Air Canada. I expect at least 13 opposition members will use this as another excuse to condemn Ralph Goodale, the only Minister in the Government of Canada who Saskatchewan residents can trust to represent us at the Cabinet table.
Larry Birkbeck
www.sasktelwebsite.net/lbbeck/
