Calgary airport security screeners at 'breaking point' over poor working conditions, union says

The unification representing drome screeners in Calgary is reporting its members feature strike a "breaking repoint," leading the federal authority overseeing security screening to weigh in that their concerns must be taken seriously.

Screening officers working at the Calgary International Airport, represented by Unifor Local 2002, have filed thousands of complaints in the past 17 months, said Harold Bateman, the assistant to the union president. Their complaints have claimed that breaks were delayed for hours or denied completely over an entire shift, and that access to washrooms and drinking water was refused.

In a letter to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) on Aug. 30, 2025, Bateman said issues surrounding workers' basic needs on the job not being met have persisted since Paladin Airport Security Services assumed the security services contract at the Calgary airport on April 1, 2024. The issue has continued even after workers rallied outside the airport last summer to protest poor working conditions.

"The membership is at a breaking point," said Bateman, whose union represents 1,022 members employed by Paladin.

"It's clear to me the company has no plan that is working. And the union has decided that we need to take it further and make sure the governing body, CATSA, is well aware of this."

Unifor's letter requested an urgent meeting with CATSA to discuss its members' issues with Paladin.

In a response on Friday, CATSA said it's made clear to Paladin that the union's concerns should be treated with "the utmost seriousness."

"CATSA expects all contractors to comply with applicable legislation and agreements governing working conditions," the federal authority's response said. "CATSA has confidence that Paladin can work with Unifor to arrive at a resolution."

Screening officers move passengers through the airport security line. They greet travellers, scan their boarding pass, operate X-ray machines and metal detectors, and look through baggage that needs inspection.

Airports need a certain number of screening officers to operate security lines, and if they're understaffed by even one officer, the line has to be shut down. Problems arise, Bateman said, when workers aren't allowed to leave the line for hours.

While working conditions worsen during peak travel periods, Bateman said that workers being denied basic needs has become an everyday issue.

"It's 2025, and to tell these hard-working people that you can't have access to water while you're on the line, and you can't have access to a bathroom, and your breaks are going to be delayed or not given is completely unacceptable," said Bateman.

The resulting strain on workers, he added, has led to screening officers being put in humiliating situations like soiling themselves while on shift. In other cases, officers with medical conditions like diabetes get low blood sugar and are unable to do anything about it.

After a meeting on Thursday between Unifor and Paladin, the union said it's doubtful Paladin intends to address any of these workplace problems.

"Our priority is to ensure that employees receive all required breaks while providing professional and effective security screening for passengers and their belongings. We are committed to our corporate culture and providing a safe and positive working environment for our employees," Paladin's statement said.

CATSA announced in late 2023 that Paladin would be responsible for delivering screening services at airports in the Prairies region, including Calgary, with a contract worth up to roughly $1 billion over five years. The contract is renewable for two five-year periods at CATSA's discretion.

Garda World, the previous contractor at the Calgary airport before Paladin, managed the same number of employees, Bateman said, but missed and delayed breaks during that time were minimal. Bateman added he's unaware of screening officers working under a different contractor than Paladin in other parts of the country dealing with the same problems.

 "For some reason, the employer can't get past this, they cannot fix this problem," said Bateman.

Reporter

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