My name is Joe and I used to work as a ramp agent at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) before 1970. The work schedule was grueling, with late afternoon shifts being the norm, and no weekends off for extended periods of time. This could mean working nearly the entire six-month bid, often for several years in a row. The flight schedule at YYZ meant that the heaviest concentration of ramp personnel was needed between 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM, with junior employees being assigned shifts like 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM for extended periods. Furthermore, it took about three years to reach the top hourly rate, while performing some of the airline’s most physically demanding tasks, such as hand loading all cargo.
Despite the challenging conditions, we stayed with it because we knew that at the end of our working life we would be rewarded with a decent pension and great travel benefits. It’s important for the airline to know that we earned those benefits through our hard work and dedication on the YYZ ramp.
