Good-faith negotiations are needed to end the Parks Canada strike, says the Tourism Industry Association of Canada…
Good-faith negotiations are needed to end the Parks Canada strike, says the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), which today stepped up pressure for both sides in the dispute to get back to the bargaining table and negotiate a “fair and reasonable” settlement. Tourism businesses are among the casualties of job actions that have reduced visitor services at some national parks and historic sites and closed others since August 13th.
Responding to reports that suggest the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents the 4,800 striking workers, is using the strike to leverage higher wage settlements for other bargaining units throughout the federal public service, Randy Williams, TIAC’s President and CEO, cautioned that the successful resolution of the dispute hinges on considering only Parks Canada issues, not any government-wide agenda.
One way of keeping the focus where it belongs, he suggested, might be to “Let the affected employees themselves decide. They have not been given an opportunity to vote on the latest offer from Parks Canada.”
In the meantime, Mr. Williams said, direct dialogue between the two parties must be renewed. “It is unfortunate when the collective bargaining process breaks down to the point where there is a strike and the battleground becomes the public media.” If Parks Canada and the union cannot break their current impasse, he added, “A mediator should be brought in as soon as possible in order to avoid further service disruptions during the increasingly popular autumn travel season.”
“While Parks Canada is making every effort to keep national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas open, maintain visitor services and minimize disruptions, there is no denying the negative impact the strike is having on tourism businesses in or near Parks Canada facilities.” Mr. Williams noted that Canada’s tourism industry is still in recovery mode following a series of events in the past several years, including 9/11, the war in Iraq and SARS, that saw visitor numbers and tourism receipts drop dramatically.
Canada’s national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas are key tourism products and travel generators, accounting for an estimated $1.5 billion in expenditures by Canadian and international travellers each year and supporting 38,000 tourism jobs in surrounding communities.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
