The best security $6.95/hour can buy ..... No increase in wages despite $24 security fee Glen McGregor The Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, December 04, 2002 Passenger-screening agents at Canadian airports are still earning the same low wages they received before the federal government began charging a security fee that was supposed to fund higher salaries and help attract better workers. Officials from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) told the House of Commons transport committee yesterday that screeners continue to earn wages as low as $6.95 per hour. The agency took over the contracts for screeners from the airline industry on April 1 -- the same date it began charging airline passengers at $24 per round trip security fee. The fee was created to fund improved airline security, including higher rates of pay for screeners. The government argued that higher wages were necessary to retain better qualified employees to the crucial screening jobs. A high turnover rate among screeners was seen by some as a contributing factor in breakdown in airport security that led to the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes. The pay rates for most of the 3,000 screeners have remained at the low levels since April and they won't see a bump in pay until the new year, when the security agency will raise the rate to between $11 and $11.50, depending on the region. The agency did give screeners quarterly bonuses that increased their salaries by about 14 per cent. The higher wages in 2003 will boost their base annual salary from about $14,400 to $23,000. Screeners are hired by private security companies working under contract to the security agency, which is currently reviewing whether it will continue to contract the work out, or hire screeners directly. Some unionized workers earn higher wages, including 110 airport screeners in Ottawa employed by Aeroguard. They are represented by the United Steelworkers of America and recently negotiated a contract that will pay to a maximum of $15 an hour. The security agency's president, Jacques Duchesneau, said yesterday that he's confident the agency can attract qualified employees with a $11-an-hour rate. "They can improve as they go as long. They will get raises as they get better qualification." He said many screeners going through the training have told him they're satisfied. Mr. Duchesneau also said his agency intends to conduct its own infiltration tests to ensure that screeners can catch contraband items. Although Transport Canada conducts tests, Mr. Duchesneau wants to do his own to improve the quality of employee training. But like Transport Canada, he says he will not release the test results. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (Island Events) http://www.islandevents.com (Island Events) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************