Workers at Immigration Holding Centre Join Union

In a move to improve working conditions, Security Officers working for Commissionaires at Toronto’s Immigration Holding Centre have united to join SEIU (Service Employees International Union). SEIU Local 2 filed the application for certification with the CIRB (Canada Industrial Relations Board) on September 5 ^th , 2007 with a convincing majority of union cards signed.

Commissionaires, a well-known player in the security industry, recently took over the contract for the Toronto Centre as well as a satellite center in Niagara Falls, covering over 100 workers in total.   Serious health and safety issues have persisted at the sites, prompting workers to take action to address their concerns. “These Security Officers work in a high-risk environment on a daily basis and need safe working conditions – they want to be properly trained and equipped,” says Tom Galivan of SEIU.

The duties performed by Security Officers at the holding centers are comparable to that of federal corrections officers, yet a majority of workers earn less than $13 per hour, don’t have any paid sick days or a pension.

For a list of recently elected workplace representatives click here.