Transport Canada has been working on a new Restricted Area Identity Card Program (RAIC) for over a year, and Teamsters Canada and the JAZZ Council have been there every step of the way. The Regulations to implement RAIC will be out soon, and overall, they should be a positive improvement over current procedures.
The technology is new; it consists of taking a picture of the iris and comparing it to one that is on file. There are studies showing it is safe; however, because of the technologies recent introduction, there are not a lot of studies. Therefore, we raised our concerns that though the studies seemed to endorse the technology, the relative newness of it warranted further confirmation of its safety. After several months of our concerted effort, Transport Canada has agreed and forwarded the file to Health Canada and Labour Canada for their review.
This technology could be rolled out in other transportation sectors in the future, and we want to take every step we can to make sure it is safe. Locals representing screeners also contributed to our efforts, but it was the Jazz Council that took the lead – thanks to all for their hard work – well done!
