ARTICLE 20 ‑ UNION RELEASES, NOTICES, DUES
20.01 UNION FLIGHT RELEASES
20.01.01 The Company recognizes the importance of handling Union business such as grievances, negotiations, attendance at Union meetings at various levels, including the importance of the role of Union officers in carrying out the functions of Union business. Therefore, it is understood and recognized that Union representatives be granted reasonable time off and transportation to carry out these functions.
20.01.02 Except where the Company has agreed to absorb certain costs of flight releases, the Union shall be billed for all time off. In either case, the employees involved in these activities will not be debited or removed from the payroll and the time off charged will be the actual flight release and no account will be taken for days off worked on Union business.
20.01.02.01 Charged to the Company: The Company will bear the cost of all flight releases for Union members and officers while participating in the following activities:
20.01.02.01.01 Component President and Vice President – Full time release
Toronto — Local President and three (3) full time releases – Total four (4) full time releases
Montreal — Local President and a half (.5) full time release – Total one and a half (1.5) full time releases
Vancouver — Local President and two (2) full time releases – Total of three (3) full time releases
Halifax, Winnipeg and Calgary — One (1) full time release at each base
Edmonton – One-half (.5) full time release
CUPE Crew Resource Centre Representative in Montreal – one (1) full time release in order to facilitate and resolve day of flight issues with the Company
CUPE Crew Resource Centre Representative in Calgary until closure of this Crew Resource Centre – one (1) full time release in order to facilitate and resolve day of flight issues with the Company
20.01.02.01.02 Union officers or delegated representatives, who are Air Canada employees, for activities involving Air Canada, as follows:
20.01.02.01.02.01 Negotiations: The Component Executive Committee (maximum of seven (7)) for reasonable preparation time and direct negotiations with the Company, including the process of ratification.
20.01.02.01.02.02 Grievances: The Grievance Committee, as provided for in Article 13.10, one (1) member of which would be the employee in cases involving discipline or discharge.
20.01.02.01.02.03 Meetings with the Company: Local meetings with Management; UMHQ meetings, any joint sub-committee meetings as provided for in Article 21.01 including reasonable preparation time; Employee
Assistance Committee activities authorized by the Company; Blocking Committee activities authorized by the Company.
20.01.02.01.02.04 Union Officer Training and Development: Training of Union officers when approved by the Company.
20.01.02.02 Charged to the Union: Except as provided for above, the Union will bear the cost of all flight releases for Union members and officers while participating in recognized Union activities. This will include, but is not limited to: Union conventions; executive meetings; meetings to discuss internal Union business; arbitration, conciliation.
20.02 UNION NOTICES: The Union may post notices of meetings upon the regular Company bulletin boards wherever Union members are based.
20.03 UNION DUES ‑ CHECK OFF: The Company shall deduct on the payroll, for the first period of each month from wages due and payable to each employee coming within the scope of this Collective Agreement, an amount equivalent to monthly dues in such amount as may be decided by the Union from time to time subject to the conditions set forth hereunder.
The Company shall deduct any dues payable within the scope of the Union’s Constitution such amounts as may be decided by the Union from time to time subject to the conditions set forth in Article 16.04.
20.03.01 Deductions shall commence on the payroll for the calendar month following assignment to line duty.
20.03.02 If the wages of an employee payable on the payroll for any month are insufficient to permit the deduction of a full amount of dues, no such deduction shall be made from the wages of such employee by the Company in such month. The Company shall not, because the employee did not have sufficient wages payable to him on the designated payroll, carry forward and deduct from any subsequent wages any dues not deducted in an earlier month.
20.03.03 Only payroll deductions now or hereafter required by law, deduction of monies due or owing the Company, pension deductions and deducting for provident funds shall be made from wages prior to the deduction of dues.
20.03.04 The amounts of dues so deducted from wages accompanied by a statement of deductions from individuals, shall be remitted by the Company to the Union, as may be mutually agreed by the Union and the Company, not later than thirty (30) calendar days following the pay period in which the deductions are made.
20.03.05 The Company shall not be responsible financially or otherwise either to the Union or to any employee, for any failure to make deductions or for making improper or inaccurate deductions or remittances. Where an error occurs in the amount of any deduction of dues from an employee’s wages, the Company shall adjust it directly with the employee. In the event of any
mistake by the Company in the amount of its remittance to the Union, the Company shall adjust the amount in a subsequent remittance. The Company’s liability for any and all amounts deducted pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall terminate at the time it remits the amounts payable to the Union.
20.03.06 The question of what, if any, compensation shall be paid the Company by the Union in recognition of services performed under this Article shall be left in abeyance subject to reconsideration at the request of either party within fifteen (15) calendar days notice in writing.
20.03.07 In the event of any action at law against the parties hereto resulting from any deduction or deductions from payrolls made or to be made by the Company pursuant to this Article, both parties shall cooperate fully in the defence of such action. Each party shall bear its own cost of such defence except that if, at the request of the Union, counsel fees are incurred, these shall be borne by the Union. Save as aforesaid, the Union shall indemnify and save harmless the Company from any losses, damages, costs, liability or expenses suffered or sustained by the Company as a result of any such deduction or deductions from payrolls.
20.04 INFORMATION FOR UNION: The Company shall provide the Union Representative at the Crew Resource Centre with the following information:
20.04.01 Address Lists
20.04.01.01 The Company will provide the Union with an updated Cabin Personnel address list on a quarterly basis.
20.04.01.02 It is understood and agreed that the introduction of Federal legislation affecting the Company’s ability to provide the Union with the aforementioned information will render Article 20.04.01 null and void.
20.04.02 Monthly list of current requests for Base transfer.
20.04.03 Copies of the block bid awards.
20.04.04 Copies of the vacation awards.
20.04.05 Copies of the updated System and Base seniority lists whenever such updates are completed.
NOTE: The provisions of 20.04.05 above are not intended to supercede nor expand the provisions of Article 16.08.
20.04.06 Copies of the “Cabin Personnel Over projection and Under Minimum Monthly Guarantee” report on a monthly basis.
20.04.07 Access to the daily record of all awards or assignments to open flights.
20.04.08 A daily draft list.
20.04.09 A quarterly list of the names of all Cabin Personnel on Special Assignment with the location and type of assignment.
20.05 EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTION TO UNION
20.05.01 Initial Trai
ning: The Component President of the Union or his/her designated alternate will be provided time to address new employees during their initial training program in order to cover the following topics: Introduction to Union officers with whom the employee will be coming in contact and to the Collective Agreement; objectives of the Union’s constitution; outline of the Union’s structure and history; the Rand formula and dues check‑off; the role of the Union in the application of the Collective Agreement; Government legislation applicable to Union operation; question and answer period. The presentation will be scheduled in advance by the Training department to occur within the training program and with a two (2) hour limitation.
20.05.02 Base Introduction: The Local Base President of the Union or his/her designated alternate will be provided time to address new employees during their Base indoctrination program in order to introduce local Union officers, distribute the Collective Agreement, and discuss the local Union structure and objectives. The presentation will be scheduled by local Base Management to occur within the day planned for Base indoctrination and with a thirty (30) minute limitation.