Workers at 'breaking point' over conditions union calls 'absolutely horrendous and unacceptable'
Screening officers at Calgary International Airport are working under conditions so extreme that some have soiled themselves on shift, while others with medical conditions like diabetes are denied access to food and water, according to their union.
Unifor Local 2002, which represents over 1,000 airport screening officers, says conditions have deteriorated sharply since Paladin Airport Security Services took over the contract in April 2024.
“They’re not able to manage the breaks and give their employees access to water and bathrooms in a timely manner,” said Harold Bateman, assistant to the president of Unifor Local 2002. “We’ve had a couple of incidences of members soiling themselves, which is absolutely horrendous and unacceptable,” he said. “We’ve also had workers with diabetes denied access to carbohydrates when their blood sugar dropped."
Water and washroom access denied
Paladin does not allow workers to keep water at their stations. Instead, water is stored in another room, and officers must request permission to access it — which is often denied.
“No one's allowed to have access to water while they're on the line,” Bateman said. “They have to ask for permission to get a drink… and they’re being denied that.”
Some officers have been unable to leave their posts for hours at a time, leading to medical emergencies and in at least two cases, workers soiling themselves, because they were denied washroom breaks.
System under strain
The union links the problem to CATSA’s “stress test” system, which requires contractors to keep all lines staffed during peak hours. If one worker steps away, the line must close.
Despite having roughly the same number of staff as the previous contractor, GardaWorld, Bateman says missed and delayed breaks have skyrocketed.
“This happens every stress test,” he said. “Sometimes workers don’t get a break for four, six, even seven hours, and sometimes the entire shift.”
Unifor has filed thousands of complaints in the past 17 months and held a protest at the airport in July 2024 but says conditions haven’t improved.
“We’ve been talking about this since April 2024,” said Bateman. “Enough is enough.”
Federal oversight, limited action
Following an open letter from Unifor in August, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) responded, saying:
“CATSA expects all contractors to comply with applicable legislation and agreements governing working conditions. CATSA has confidence that Paladin can work with Unifor to arrive at a resolution.”
Bateman disagrees.
“They had no fix,” he said of a recent meeting with Paladin. “They just said they’d schedule another meeting.”
Though federally regulated, Bateman says current rules create loopholes.
“The federal code says you have to have a bathroom, but it doesn’t say you have to have access to said bathroom,” he said.
Paladin responds
In a written statement to Canadian Occupational Safety, Brittany Mattix, vice president of Paladin Airport Security Services for the Prairies Region, said:
“The well-being of our employees is of the utmost importance to our organization. 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.”
Contract talks ongoing
The collective agreement between Unifor and Paladin expired on March 31, 2025. Bateman says negotiations are slow, with the next meeting not scheduled until late October.
While no strike is currently planned, Bateman confirmed it remains an option.
“We’re not in a legal strike position yet, but the membership is behind us on this.”
Safety professionals take note
The situation highlights deeper concerns for Canadian safety leaders working in the aviation industry: the risk of compliance failures, worker fatigue, and employer accountability in federally regulated environments.
“It’s 2025,” said Bateman. “And to tell these hard-working people that they can’t access a bathroom or water while they’re on the line? That’s completely unacceptable.”
