Banner-waving union members picketed the airport yesterday in support of the 13 Continental Airlines staff who have lost their jobs.

They are angry at the outsourcing of work previously done by long-serving Bermudians, as well as the way they found out about it.

One woman told The Royal Gazette her termination letter was delivered to her home by a taxi driver as she relaxed with her family on Sunday evening.

Yesterday's demonstration featured about 20 or 30 members of Bermuda Industrial Union's general council as well as Continental employees. Protesters marched up and down outside L.F. Wade International Airport's departures area during the afternoon.

Banners carried messages including: "Continental, you will not take us backwards. We have come too far to turn back!!! Workers united can never be defeated. One for all and all for one."

Another warned: "We will not accept any more outsourcing of our jobs."

One disgruntled employee carried a placard with the slogan: "Continental gave me a Dear John letter," while another stated: "We have a dream to let freedom ring. Free to protest the injustice of the Continental Airlines."

All 13 of Continental's jobs on the Island are said to have been outsourced to Sovereign Flight Operations, with local employees not being given the chance to be kept on.

The union claims the decision was taken without consultation, even though it won a ballot last year to represent Continental workers at the airport and the ticket office in Hamilton. Continental argues discussions had been ongoing since last year.

Judithanne Astwood, of Warwick, served for nearly ten years at the airport and ticket office.

She said: "There was a knock on my door at 7.40 on Sunday night. We had just finished dinner. It was a taxi driver with a termination letter. I was very disappointed.

"I'm still disappointed in their character because we are not throwaway people. You can't discount us people."

BIU President Chris Furbert said: "The workers have decided to step up and picket in protest at the way Continental has treated those staff."

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