Members at Saint John Airport have taken the fight for good quality pensions to heart.
Negotiations have not gone smoothly and the employer filed for conciliation in May. The bargaining team re-evaluated their package of demands and withdrew all proposals except one –the want of a good quality defined benefits pension plan.
At the airport, there are two different types of pension plans: defined benefit and defined contribution. The basic difference between the two is simple. Defined benefit plans are managed by an investment company, gives you a fixed monthly payment for life and, upon your death, allows your spouse to continue to be looked after. Defined contribution plans are self-managed and there are no guarantees to your monthly earning upon retirement.
According to Statistics Canada, almost one-third of individuals aged 70 and over had to work. Reasons like this are why UCTE members have made the need the fight for good quality pensions for all workers a priority.
The Saint John Airport Authority can lockout its workers as of September 7th. They have not responded to this demand despite it being on the table since the beginning of negotiations.
All that the dedicated workers at Saint John Airport are looking for is peace of mind when it comes to their retirement.
Updates for two groups of our Treasury Board members: The PA (Programs and Administration) group includes more than 100,000 members throughout PSAC, including about four thousand UCTE members. The EB (Education and Library Science) group is over 1000 members PSAC-wide,...
PSAC members working at NAV CANADA will be going to strike votes because members across the country deserve better. Your PSAC-UCTE bargaining team met with the employer for three days of conciliation, January 6–8, 2026. Despite serious efforts, very little progress was made. Why the strike vote matters This is an important moment. A strike vote gives your bargaining team the mandate it needs...
Your negotiating team met with the employer on December 16 and 17. Despite our best efforts to reach a tentative agreement, we have reached an impasse. Rates of pay are the main outstanding issue. We will be requesting the appointment...
