The union that represents Ottawa airport taxi drivers has been ordered to pay the Ottawa International Airport Authority more than $11,000 in legal fees after one of its members lied in court under oath.

Lawyers representing the airport authority argued it had to "incur significant legal costs" to limit disruptive and noisy protests on its property because Unifor member Harry Ghadban repeatedly lied.

Justice Robert Beaudoin, who has issued two previous injunctions that limited the activities of protesting taxi drivers as part of an ongoing labour dispute, ruled Tuesday that "nothing excuses" Ghadban from "providing false evidence to the court."

Beaudoin's Tuesday ruling did not specifically mention what Ghadban lied about. However, airport authority lawyers were "forced" to cross-examine Ghadban on his affidavit during the hearing for the second injunction, Beaudoin ruled.

"[Ghadban] continued to affirm the truthfulness of the statement under oath until confronted with video evidence, which proved the statements were false," Beaudoin ruled.

Unifor to 'bear consequences' of Ghadban's actions

Airport taxi drivers, who had the exclusive right to pick up riders at the airport, were locked out in August after their union refused to accept an increase in fees that was negotiated between their dispatcher, Coventry Connections, and the airport authority.

Beaudoin's initial injunction, issued August 14, limited the number of picketers and hours of protests, and restricted amplified sound.

"Regrettably, union members took advantage of that ambiguity by creating excessive noise, which I found to be a nuisance," Beaudoin wrote in his ruling on Tuesday.

He pointed out that some union members brought empty 45-gallon drums and other metal instruments to make noise that interfered with the airport authority's "ability to communicate and carry out its security obligations."

Beaudoin wrote that it may have been "appropriate" for Unifor to seek clarity about the initial injunction, but that Ghadban's false evidence during the hearing "cannot be excused or condoned."

The airport authority had asked for more than $20,000 to cover its legal costs. The airport authority also argued that Ghadban should be personally liable for a portion of those costs, which Beaudoin denied.

"While this may have been an appropriate case to award a portion of the costs against Mr. Ghadban personally, I decline to do so in this instance. Unifor will have to bear the consequences of the actions of one of its representatives," Beaudoin ruled.

Read Justice Robert Beaudoin's full decision here.