To capture the evolving information your Component Officers will be sending out a daily update each evening, which we hope will cover daily developments in one source.
Medical Service and Testing for Coronavirus
The Union is well aware that services are being denied due to our work and industry being regarded as “dangerous”. We are keeping track of this and sharing this with the Company. Please reply to this email if you have been placed in a denied treatment position. We need to know the date, city and facility name.
Postponement of ART
The Company had advised that ART and Tempus training have been suspended for both Mainline and Rouge. The Company is working with Transport Canada to ensure this doesn’t affect your qualification as a Crew Member. We will update you once courses resume.
International Flight Suspension
Changes to the Flight Schedule continue, the most up to date information can be found at www.aircanada.ca. This will have a great effect on April schedules. As such, new pairing will be published and the bidding deadline has been extended until Wednesday, March 25th at 00:01 EDT. The last full day of bidding is March 24th. Please see the PBS Bulletin for more information.
Staffing
It is very clear that we will be in a surplus situation for the April 2020 block month and potentially moving forward. We are scheduled to meet with the Company tomorrow afternoon to discuss overall staffing levels. We will provide an update as soon as we have concrete information.
Profit Sharing Payment
We have had many members reach out about their 2019 Profit Sharing payment if they were to take a Special Leave of Absence for the April 2020 block month. The payment is scheduled for your April 17th cheque and if you were on the payroll for the March 2020 block month you will receive the payment regardless of your status in April. Taking an SPLOA for April will not prevent you from getting the payment on your April 17th cheque.
Protective Equipment
The Company has committed to increasing the supply of gloves, masks, and sanitizing wipes onboard with an additional supply for return crew clearly labeled and stored in the locked forward/J bar cart. The masks provided are still only medical masks, and the Union strongly believes that N95 Mask must be sourced and boarded on our aircraft for crew use immediately. We still encourage you to wear the masks that are boarded, and gloves always including time in the airport.
Onboard Service
The Company has made some minor modifications to onboard service. The Union strongly feels this is not enough. Our members should not be required to serve passengers meal trays or beverages in the aisles. Furthermore, it is the Union’s position that the new service will create more opportunity for cross contamination as our members will now be picking up more garbage and service items that have been handled by passengers. The Union’s position is that onboard services should cease, and passengers be provided with beverages and snack boxes upon boarding.
If you have any further pressing questions, please reply to this email and we will do our best to get you an answer tomorrow.
Please also write to your management team with questions, as we ultimately do not have all the answers. Please copy the Union on the email, so that we may follow-up if necessary. It is imperative that the Company hears your concerns.
In solidarity,
