IAM Canada – IAM Union Defends Workers’ Right to Strike During Bill C-39 Committee Hearing

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David Chartrand, Canadian General Vice-President of IAM Union, appeared before a House of Commons committee on October 20, 2026, to present the union’s position on Bill C-39 and raise concerns about its potential impact on workers’ right to strike.

The committee was chaired by James Maloney (Liberal), with members Parm Bains, Caroline Desrochers, Emma Harrison, Mike Kelloway, Tim Louis and Danielle Martin (Liberals); Dan Albas, Jacques Gourde, Philip Lawrence and Branden Leslie (Conservatives); and Gabriel Ste-Marie (Bloc Québécois).

Chartrand warned that the bill would formalize the federal government’s ability to intervene in labour disputes, potentially forcing workers back on the job and referring disputes to binding arbitration. He stressed that the threat of a strike is essential to ensuring employers negotiate in good faith and that giving the government greater power to end work stoppages could weaken workers’ bargaining power.

Speaking on behalf of IAM Union, Chartrand also highlighted the union’s support for important measures in the bill, including successor rights for airport and air transportation contract workers, first-contract arbitration, and stronger enforcement against bad-faith bargaining, wage theft and worker misclassification.

The committee also heard from labour leaders, including Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC); Mark Hancock, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE); Tom Doran, President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada; and Tim Perry, President of ALPA Canada.

However, Chartrand emphasized that these improvements should not come at the expense of fundamental labour rights. IAM Union called on the committee to limit the use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, ensure independent mediation, protect unions’ role in geographic certification, and preserve measures that strengthen workers’ protections.

“‘Building Canada Strong’ must also mean strong collective agreements and strong protections for the people who do the work. A stronger and more independent Canada has to be built with workers, not at the expense of rights that generations of Canadians fought to establish,” said Chartrand.

IAM Union will continue to stand up for workers’ right to strike, fair collective bargaining and strong protections for working people across Canada.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL SESSION.

IAM Canada – IAM Union Meets with Prime Minister’s Office to Discuss Airport Privatization

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Following a letter sent by the IAM Union in Canada to the Prime Minister on October 7, 2026, raising concerns about the privatization of Canada’s airports, IAM Union representatives met with the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday to discuss the issue in depth. (Read the IAM letter to Prime Minister Carney here.)

Representing the IAM Union in the meeting were: David Chartrand, General Vice-President of IAM Union in Canada; Roya Rismankar, Senior Research Analyst; Derek Ferguson, International Representative; and Keith Aiken, Airline Coordinator.

During the lengthy discussion, IAM representatives outlined the concerns regarding airport privatization and its potential consequences for our members, workers, their families, passengers and communities across Canada. Discussions focused on the importance of protecting workers’ interests and ensuring that decisions about Canada’s airport infrastructure consider the broader public interest.

The Prime Minister’s Office agreed that discussions on this issue should continue, providing an opportunity for IAM Union to further raise these concerns and advocate on behalf of the workers we represent.

The IAM will also be reaching out to the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Transport to request further meetings and continue these important discussions.

We will keep our membership informed as these conversations progress and provide updates on future meetings and next steps.

Take Action: Make Your Voice Heard

Members can help strengthen these efforts by contacting their elected representatives. Send a letter to your Senators and Members of Parliament urging them to oppose airport privatization and protect Canada’s airports in the public interest.

CLICK HERE TO SEND A LETTER TO YOUR SENATORS AND MPs.

Together, we can save the future of Canada’s airports!

IAM Canada – Labour Leaders Protest Federal Bill C-39, Defending Workers’ Right to Strike

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Labour leaders and union members across Canada gathered to protest Bill C-39, raising concerns about the federal government’s growing power to intervene in labour disputes and the threat this poses to workers’ right to strike.

Representatives from several sectors, including rail, aviation, postal services and other industries, joined the demonstration to send a clear message: workers’ rights must be protected, and collective bargaining must remain meaningful.

Bill C-39 has sparked serious concerns across the labour movement over the government’s ability to intervene in labour disputes, potentially restricting workers’ ability to use the right to strike as a tool to negotiate fair wages, better working conditions and stronger protections.

For unions, the right to strike is a fundamental part of collective bargaining. When workers lose the ability to withdraw their labour, the balance of power shifts in favour of employers, weakening workers’ ability to negotiate fairly and reach agreements that reflect their needs.

As concerns over Bill C-39 continue to grow, labour leaders are calling on the federal government to respect workers’ constitutional rights, uphold free and fair collective bargaining, and ensure that the rights of working people are not sacrificed for political or economic convenience.

Workers’ rights are not negotiable. The right to strike must be protected.

IAM Canada – Keep Canada’s Airports Public. Protect Workers.

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The IAM Union is calling on MPs and Senators to oppose long-term private concessions at Canada’s largest airports and protect workers, good union jobs and the public interest.

Canada’s airports are critical public infrastructure, connecting communities, supporting jobs and keeping people and goods moving across the country. Decisions about how these essential facilities are operated must prioritize the public interest, not just private returns.

The proposed long-term private concessions at Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver International and Calgary International airports raise important concerns about the future of Canada’s airport system.

The IAM Union warns that privatizing airport operations could put pressure on fees, services and good union jobs. Workers who keep our airports running every day must have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their workplaces, livelihoods and the services Canadians rely on.

Take Action: Make Your Voice Heard

The IAM Union is urging members, workers and concerned Canadians to contact their Members of Parliament and Senators and ask them to oppose long-term private concessions at Canada’s largest airports.

Your voice matters. By sending a letter to your elected representatives, you can help raise awareness of what is at stake and call for decisions that protect workers, maintain accountability and keep Canada’s airports serving the public interest.

Take action today. Send a letter to your MP and Senators by clicking here.

Together, we can stand up for workers, protect good union jobs and defend Canada’s public interest.

Click here to learn more by reading “Public Runways, Private Profits: Why Airport Privatization Would Be Risky and Costly for Canadians” report prepared by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

IAM Union Calls on Prime Minister Carney to Put Workers and the Public Interest First

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The IAM Union is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government to reconsider plans to bring private investment into the operation of Canada’s largest airports.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, IAM Union Canada General Vice-President David Chartrand expressed the union’s strong opposition to long-term private concessions for Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver International and Calgary International airports.

The IAM represents thousands of workers across Canada’s aviation and air transportation sectors. Every day, IAM members help keep Canada’s aviation system safe, efficient and moving, from airport operations and maintenance to security and other essential services.

The union is concerned that transferring the operation of these critical airports to private investors would amount to privatization in substance, even if the federal government retains ownership of the underlying land and assets.

“Airports are not ordinary commercial assets. They are essential public infrastructure,” said Chartrand. “Decisions about their operation must be driven by the public interest, not by the expectations of private investors and shareholders.”

The IAM is also raising concerns about the potential impact on workers and travellers. Private operators will face pressure to generate financial returns, which could lead to increased user fees, cost-cutting, restructuring and contracting out of work.

The union believes there are other ways to improve airport financing, infrastructure investment, governance and affordability without placing the operation of critical national infrastructure under long-term private concessions.

Workers must also have a meaningful voice in any discussions about the future of Canada’s airports. The people who operate, maintain, secure and support this infrastructure understand its challenges and opportunities firsthand.

The IAM is calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Carney and the appropriate members of his government to discuss these concerns and ensure that workers’ voices are heard before any further decisions are made.

The IAM Union will continue to defend strong public infrastructure, good union jobs and an aviation system that serves Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Click here to read the full letter from IAM Union Canada General Vice-President David Chartrand to Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with previous IAM communications on airport privatization below.

1) IAM Union Speaks Out in Ottawa Against Airport Privatization
2) IAM Union Responds to Federal Airport Privatization Plans