Labour Council Speaks Out Against Jet Plans as City Consultations are Underway

NoJetsTO Secures Crucial Support from Organized Labour with Toronto and York Region Labour Council Decision

The Toronto and York Region Labour Council is rejecting the jet plans for the city’s waterfront and instead calls for the protection of the current agreement that governs the Island Airport. NoJetsTO welcomes the labour leaders’ unanimous decision just before the City’s second public consultation on the issue.

“In name of residents across the city, NoJetsTO is thanking the Labour Council for standing up for Toronto’s waterfront”, NoJetsTO chair Anshul Kapoor said. “The Labour Council’s unanimous vote shows the growing opposition to the dangerous jet plans.“

In addition to rejecting the expansion plans for the Island Airport, the union delegates at the Toronto and York Region Labour Council are also calling on City Council, the Federal Government and the Toronto Port Authority to uphold the terms of the 1983 Tripartite Agreement with its ban on jet aircraft.

“The Labour Council decision against the jet plans comes at a crucial point in the City review process,” Kapoor continued. “That organized labour is rejecting bogus job claims by Porter owner Deluce speaks for itself.”

The Toronto and York Region Labour Council represents hundreds of local unions with a combined strength 195,000 working men and women. The Labour Council’s call on City Council comes in the middle of a review process marred by misleading claims and the omission of central concerns in City publications.

“The Labour Council is right to point out that the Bombardier Q400 is manufactured in Toronto, but not the CS100,” the NoJetsTO chairman added. “Putting CS100 jets on the waterfront will not create manufacturing jobs in Toronto but primarily in Northern Ireland, China and the US.”

In its statement following the decision, the Labour Council also cites Porter’s heavy­handed treatment of its employees. The Toronto Port Authority was also singled out for its dismal track record in relation to the City and the people of Toronto.

NoJetsTO is a coalition of concerned citizens dedicated to preserving Toronto’s mixed-use waterfront and a boutique Island Airport. Representing residents across Toronto, the non-partisan organization NoJetsTO opposes the expansion of the Island Airport through jet aircraft and extended runways. NoJetsTO’s goal is to preserve the status quo at the Island Airport by protecting the Tripartite Agreement that governs it.

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For more information, please contact:
Gautam Malkani, NoJetsTO Media Coordinator, or media@nojetsto.ca