Dear members,
Yesterday our policy grievance CHQ-15-07 wrapped up with closing arguments presented by both your Union and the Company. Arbitrator Steinberg will provide his decision in due time and your Component will let you know of the outcome as soon as it is received.
For clarity, many members and others think (understandably) that this is a grievance about principled entitlement. Although it could be argued that tenet applies to the ethics of the matter, this policy grievance is actually based upon the legal premise of a verbal and binding promise made to the Union during bargaining in 2011.
In other words, this Grievance asserts that the Company made your Union Officials a clear promise back then that was wholly reneged subsequent to ratification of ACPA’s Collective Agreement in 2014. Contrary to that promise, our coworkers, the pilots, were given 3 annual travel passes with a B1 priority; a priority which trumps that of any ACC CUPE member.
We would like to thank our legal team at Dewart Gleason for the truly excellent job they did, as well as all contributors past and present who worked arduously to help research, testify, document and support this important grievance.
We will keep you posted.
In solidarity,
Beth Mahan
Vice-President, Air Canada Component of CUPE