A union representing 2,000 armoured car workers across Canada is calling for a federal government task force to study the industry and develop better safety regulations for workers.
Bill Murnighan, research director for Unifor, said this week’s trial and sentencing of triple-murderer Travis Baumgartner, a trainee armed guard with G4S Cash Solutions who gunned down his four co-workers last summer, has shown the public how little oversight there is for Canada’s armoured car industry, made up of private, for-profit security companies.
Baumgartner killed Michelle Shegelski, Edgardo “Eddie” Rejano and Brian Ilesic, and left Matthew Schuman with serious brain injuries. He was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years.
“When people realize someone with minimal training and minimal background checks is handed a high powered weapon and put on the street, it makes people think,” Murnighan said.
Unifor, formed Sept. 2 by delegates from the former Canadian Auto Workers and Communications Energy and Paperworkers’ Union, is calling on Ottawa to establish a task force on the armoured car industry.
In a letter sent Thursday to Minister of Public Safety Steven Blaney, Unifor president Jerry Dias said the lack of comprehensive industry regulation is increasingly putting public safety and the safety of armoured car employees in jeopardy ....
