The Airport Authority had to reluctantly return to court once again this morning to seek the assistance of the Court in settling the terms of the Order resulting from Justice Beaudoin's decision on October 14, 2015. This action resulted from an allegation made by Unifor, the union representing striking taxi drivers, that the Authority was in contempt of court when it created a dedicated picketing area in the location indicated by Justice Beaudoin, and when it continued to limit the number of picketers in that area. The union sought to increase numbers in an effort to generate more noise, as well as moving their picketing actions beyond the designated area.

Justice Beaudoin was in agreement with the Authority’s interpretation of his October 14 decision and was supportive of the actions the Authority has taken to implement the Court’s ruling. As such, the drivers must remain in the designated area, cannot exceed 20 at one time, and cannot generate noise aside from using their own voice. Justice Beaudoin has confirmed that the Authority's interpretation of his decision was correct, and the Union's allegation that the Authority was in contempt of court is therefore false.

Justice Beaudoin reiterated his concerns about the credibility of the evidence given by Unifor’s Eastern Ontario Director, and expressed concern about the trustworthiness of the information provided to the court by the union and their management of the ongoing protest. He emphasized that he needed to be clear with the terms of this Order, as the Union had looked for loopholes in order to avoid previous orders.

The Airport Authority is very pleased with Justice Beaudoin’s directives which clearly support the Authority’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment for passengers, employees and the public.

About the Airport Authority

OMCIAA operates Ottawa International Airport without government subsidies under an 80-year lease transfer agreement with Transport Canada. The OMCIAA’s mandate is to manage, operate and develop airport facilities and lands in support of the economic growth of Canada’s Capital Region. More than 4.5 million passengers are served each year, generating more than $2.2 Billion in total economic activity in Ottawa and Gatineau.