The Skeena
Nearly 12 months into this pandemic, airline workers are struggling, and Skeena MP Taylor Bachrach is demanding to know when help is coming from the federal government.
“While other countries acted swiftly to help their air sectors we’re now a year into the pandemic and Liberals continue to leave Canadian workers behind,” Bachrach said in a statement this week during Question Period addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The result? Thousands have lost their jobs and more layoffs are on the way.”
The most recent blow to the Skeena region was a decision by Air Canada in January to suspend service to Prince Rupert.
“For months we’ve been calling for targeted support tied to keeping workers employed and restarting regional routes like Prince Rupert,” Bachrach said. “Will the Prime Minister act before it’s too late and there are no jobs left for workers to return to?”
Speaking via video, Trudeau responded that “we’ve sent over a billion and a half dollars to the airline sector to support workers with the wage subsidy through this COVID pandemic.”
“Not much of an answer,” Kathy Sinclair Nylen wrote in a comment on Bachrach’s Facebook page. “Big surprise.”
What do you think the federal government should be doing to help airline workers in the Skeena? Comment on the Skeena Strong facebook.
