Quebec Takes Air Canada To Court

Unemployed Aveos workers | BCBusiness
Quebec’s government files suit against Air Canada to keep almost 2,000 aircraft maintenance jobs in Montreal.

The province is suing the nation’s largest airline to ensure 1,800 air maintenance jobs stay in Montreal.

Quebec’s government is flexing its legal muscles this week and taking aim at a bedraggled Air Canada.
 
The province is demanding the airline live up to its legal obligation to preserve 1,800 aircraft maintenance jobs in Montreal. The workers were left with nothing but pink slips when Aveos Fleet Performance, Air Canada’s maintenance subcontractor, suddenly declared bankruptcy and fired all 2,665 workers nationwide late last month.
 
And once again, the out-of-work Aveos employees seem caught up in a game of monkey in the middle. The Air Canada Public Participation Act stipulates the airline must have a Montreal-based maintenance centre, but Air Canada claims it’s not responsible for the upkeep of those 1,800 workers. The provincial government is taking the case to Quebec Superior Court to prove otherwise.
 
Last week, the Aveos workers did claim a small victory: The Quebec Superior Court approved a $6.2-million payment for unpaid wages. That breaks down to a max payout of $2,000 per employee – not much when you and hundreds of your co-workers will likely be hunting for a new job in the coming months.