CUPE @ Your Service

Fort McMurray Airport Authority

On June 15, 2012, Sally Warford, Chief Operating Officer of the Fort McMurray Airport Authority and Della Kerfont, Full Time Officer and VP CUPE Local 1505, signed the new three-year-contract --  the 'best' contract to date!

 

 

The Fort McMurray Airport Authority is an organization that is about to grow by leaps and bounds.  A comprehensive expansion and redevelopment is underway and the results will be celebrated by all Wood Buffalo residents and travellers, including the CUPE members who live, work, play and stay in the region.

A distinctive feature of the Board of Directors of the Fort McMurray Airport Authority is that one of its 10 members, Bernd Wehmeyer, represents CUPE.

Under the leadership of Scott Clements, President of the Board and Chief Executive Officer,  CUPE was asked to have a representative on the Board, thereby demonstrating that CUPE is considered to be an ally and a valued partner in the current $258 million airport expansion and development.

April, 2014, is the target date for the Grand Opening of the new 15,000-square-metre terminal, which will span 2.5 Canadian Football League fields.  In 2011, more than 760,000 passengers were served at the current airport, originally designed to serve 250,000 passengers.

It's an exciting time for the organization, its employees and the residents of Wood Buffalo.

This is a brief introducation to just a few of the employees:

 

Jim Hennessey, Airport Maintenance Technician ll

Jim's job is to know the airport airside and groundside from a safety and security perspective; he maintains,

repairs and carries out alterations to buildings and performs maintenance, modifications and repairs to

mechanical equipment.

From Grand Falls, Nfld. originally, Jim has lived in Fort McMurray for 14 years and worked for the Airport Authority for eight years.

What he likes about his job the most, he says, is that he's outdoors.  He spent 18 years working for Forestry in Nfld. and Alberta and, the

way he describes it, he "spends more time in the bush than most moose."

When he's not working, Jim spends a lot of time hunting and fishing and camping with his son, being a dad.

"Campin', hockey, you name it," says Jim.

 

Elizabeth Spearing, Safety, Health & Wellness Coordinator

Originally from Conception Bay in southern Newfoundland, Elizabeth has lived in Fort McMurray for

almost nine years.  She says the things she likes the most about her job is her relationships with her

co-workers.  "I am interacting with all staff quite regularly," she explains.  "So, every day is different, which is great."

It's Elizabeth's job to promote a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, contractors, customers and visitors.

She determines strategic direction and implements plans based on safety audit results and ensures that the airport's policies and programs

meet legislated requirements.  She also trains employees in safety management best practices, assists with hazard identification and

the development of safe work procedures.

 

 

Eleanor Wiseman and Senthooran Ramanthan (Thooran), Office Clerk/Receptionist

These are two of the many smiling faces that greet customers and visitors at the Airport Administration

Building.  Eleanor has lived in Fort McMurray for almost seven years and has worked at the Airport for almost 

as long.  "I started in Security and ended up in Administration," she explains.  She says she likes working at

the Airport because "we've got excellent staff in Administration."  And, she likes the hours.  "It's 8 a.m. to 

4 p.m., Monday through Friday.  That's great."  

Thooran has lived in Fort McMurray for four years and has worked at the Airport for almost three years.

He also credits his co-workers for making his work and his job enjoyable.

 

Charlene LeBlanc, l, and Marta Moren, r, Custodial Staff

Marta has lived in Fort McMurray for 30 years and raised five children, with four of them still living at home.

She has worked for the Airport Authority for six years.

What does Marta like to do when she's not working?  Why, shopping, of course!

Charlene, originally from Cape Breton, has lived in Fort McMurray for almost two years and has worked at the 

Airport for 18 months.  She has two sons still in school and she's looking forward to the summer months.  She

is very pleased to be living in Alberta and working at the Airport.  "I love it.  Wages are a lot better here than in

Cape Breton."

 

Sally Warford, Chief Operating Officer, 

CUPE 1505 has an excellent working -- respectful -- relationship with CEO Scott Clements and COO Sally Warford.

Thanks to the COO for welcoming CUPE to take photographs of employees for the CUPE Wood Buffalo

CUPE at your service! web site.

 

 

Ken LeBlanc, Shuttle Bus Operator

Ken followed his wife to Fort McMurray from New Brunswick.  Kathy, his wife, put her resume in at the

Fort McMurray hospital while visiting and she then got a long distance call.  She was hired.  Ken has lived in 

Fort McMurray now for two months, the length of time he has worked for the Airport Authority.  Welcome to

Wood Buffalo, Ken!

 

Susan LeBlanc, l, and Betty Legge, r, Airport Security Officers

You don't want to argue with these women.  Betty has worked on site in security during her seven years

in Fort McMurray and she says she has truly enjoyed working at the Airport for the past four years as it

takes her minutes to get to work from home.  "I really don't miss the travel out to site," she says with a smile.

"And I really don't miss the bridge!."  Betty has two grown children and when she's not workiing, she's

taking walks, attending Zumba classes and selling Scentsy.

Ask Susan what she likes about her job at the Airport and she responds, "all of it!."  Like Betty, Susan has worked on site and

she's grateful that she no longer commutes and spends so much time on the road.  Originally from Windsor, ON, she moved to Montreal, where

she lived for some time before moving to Fort McMurray three years' ago.  She has worked at the Airport for seven months.  What does she

do when she isn't working?  "I party," she says with a smile.