‘It’s a sense of fulfillment:’ What it means to work at an airport
To mark the first Airport Workers’ Day, we caught up with some longstanding members of the Pearson community to find out what they love about this industry.
This week, Pearson is joining airports across the country for the first-ever Airport Workers’ Day. The event celebrates everything airport workers do to connect Canadians and keep the economy moving.
To mark the occasion, we caught up with some long-serving members of the Pearson community to find out what working at the airport means to them.
Litsa Sharma: The Talent Scout
Associate Director of Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, GTAA
Worked at Pearson since: 2000
What does the airport mean to you? I come from immigrant parents, so it’s a place of connection to family and home for me. I always loved coming to the airport as a kid – even just to eat the jello cups from Shopsy’s in the old Terminal 1, which was an added treat when picking up or seeing off family.
First airport job: Co-op student at an aircraft towing company. I didn’t get to tow the planes, sadly.
Best thing about your current role: I’m in a role that not only influences the present team dynamics but also molds the future of the organization. I get to create programs and processes that provide us the opportunity to shape the workforce of the future while we go through a tremendous growth period. I also play a role in the employee journey ensuring that new hires have a smooth transition into their roles, setting them up for success and satisfaction from day one.
Most vivid memory: The blackout of 2003. I was in the Terminal 3 customs hall and suddenly the lights went out. I ended up working for 18 hours that day, but it didn’t feel like it. That was my first real taste of the adrenaline you get in this industry.
What keeps you coming back every day? The ability to influence change. I’ve been in many different roles and had the opportunity to be part of many cool initiatives. I helped implement the first pet relief areas and redeveloped the lost and found program. Currently, I am working on programs that bring us great talent. It’s important to me to make an impact, whether it’s on the passenger or the employee experience.
Favourite place in the airport: The end of Pier F, especially at night. You can just look out and watch the planes, see the colourful tarmac lights and feel the vibe of passengers enjoying the start of their international journey.
Hidden talent: I speak four languages – French, English, Spanish, and Greek – though some are more working knowledge than fluent.
Matt Ulett: The Baggage Detective
Customer Experience Specialist, Air Canada
Worked at Pearson since: 1999
First job at Pearson: I started as a Station Attendant on the ramp. After a couple of years, I became an inbound Customer Service Agent.
What does the airport mean to you? The airport is my second home. Like all relationships, though, you must put the work in to get the most out of it.
What you do, in a nutshell: If a passenger’s luggage is delayed, I trace it and figure out how to get it to them. Sometimes it’s straightforward; sometimes it’s more of mystery that requires thorough investigation involving people all over the world – it’s great for the brain.
Notable cases: I had to reunite a customer with their didgeridoo once.
What keeps you coming back every day? The sense of fulfillment from solving someone’s problem. When you reach out to a passenger and get a human sense of how important or sentimental some of these items are – there’s a story behind each piece. One time, an elderly couple drove out to the airport just to shake my hand and thank me for getting their luggage to them on their Barbados vacation.
Biggest change in your time here: The number of passengers has grown substantially and also the volume of connections we handle. We’re not just facilitating travel to Toronto, but destinations everywhere.
Favourite spot in the airport: I find myself at T1 Starbucks a lot. Working here has created my coffee culture.
Top travel destination: Costa Rica, for the climate and the landscape.
Ralph Fiore: The Meal Prepper
Production Kitchen Supervisor, HMSHost
Worked at Pearson since: 1984
First airport job: Dining room line cook in the old Terminal 1.
Your job, in a nutshell: I oversee the whole production kitchen, which is on the ground floor in Terminal 1. We produce around 70 recipes each day for 35 restaurants across both terminals. I get in around 3:30 a.m., divide up tasks between and our cooks and sandwich makers and oversee the production.
Number of sandwiches produced daily: 1,700
Biggest change in your time here: I was here for the opening of both terminals. I remember when Terminal 1 opened, it was beautiful because everything was brand new. But we all got lost on the way to work on the first day because nobody knew where the kitchen was.
Most vivid memory: Meeting my future wife. She worked in the cafeteria upstairs. I was in the elevator when she got on and we just locked eyes. Then we started talking and the rest was history.
What keeps you coming back every day? I love interacting with our staff and the other managers. And the excitement of working at the airport – there’s always something going on.
Favourite dish to cook at home: Pasta alla vodka.
Margaret Amanda Jones: The Polished Professional
Cleaner, Dexterra
Worked at Pearson since: 2013
Your job, in a nutshell: I’m a cleaner at the domestic D-gate pier in Terminal 1. I clean everywhere, but a big part of my job is making sure the five washrooms are always clean. It’s a big task because the airport is a busy place so lots of people use them.
What does the airport mean to you? I wanted to work here since I came to Canada. I used to pass by the airport on the bus to another job and it seemed such an interesting place to work. So, when I got a call one day that there was an opening here, I came over straight away. I like the diversity of people here, and there’s always something happening.
Top cleaning tip: Use paper towels to wipe streaks off glass mirrors.
Is your own home spotless? It’s tidy. I clean wherever I am. If I’m at a church potluck or whatever, I’ll be cleaning as I go. It’s who I am.
Future plans: I’ll be retiring next year. I want to visit family back in Guyana and spend more time with my grandchildren.
