Lisa Raymond, Author at AC Component

Update From Your Component Officers

Lisa Raymond on March 20, 2020

Your Component Executive along with the Local offices have been inundated with the amount of questions that have come in. We understand that these are difficult times and we are working hard to get answers to all of your questions.

We have been in discussions with the Company today and they will be coming out with a full Question & Answer package to explain “off-duty status” and what will occur for the April 2020 block month. The information provided will be for members at both Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. Once that package is received, we will also be forwarding it out from the Air Canada Component to ensure that all members have it in a timely fashion.

Please remember going forward that any options will be communicated through your Air Canada email, so we encourage you to ensure that it is active. You can find directions on how to access your Air Canada email on ACAeronet.

For our Rouge members we completely understand that this time is unsettling however the union has no further update with regards to the plans of Air Canada Rouge beyond April 2020.

For our Mainline members the primary concern seems to be with regards to the “off-duty status” for April 2020. We want to confirm that if you applied for the special leave of absence (SLPOA) or if you are thinking of applying for the “off-duty status” on a voluntary basis, that this will only be applicable for April 2020. Further mitigations and reductions will take place for May 2020 onwards and Article 17 and LOU 60.05 of the Collective Agreement will be in full effect.
In Solidarity,

EAP – Homewood’s Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Lisa Raymond on March 20, 2020

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise globally and across Canada, an increasing number of employees and their family members are experiencing increased levels of anxiety. It is normal during this time of uncertainty for employees to speculate on the potential spread of the virus and to experience understandable reactions from worry to anxiety. When faced with uncertainty, we experience physical, emotional and behavioural reactions. We all react somewhat differently.

As a reminder, you have access to i-Volve, Homewood Health’s Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. i-Volve is a bilingual, web-based solution designed to treat members struggling with anxiety and/or mild depression. This innovative treatment program will guide you through exercises that examine and test how you interpret and perceive external stimulation. These insights will help you change and adapt the ways in which you think, feel, and react during anxious scenarios and situations. i-Volve will help you to identify, challenge and overcome anxious thoughts, behaviours and emotions.

To access i-Volve, please register on Homeweb.ca.

Wishing you all the best,

Mary Keough
Chair, Component EAP Committee

A Message From Your Component Officers

Lisa Raymond on March 19, 2020

Many of you have been reaching out with the recent announcement made by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge regarding massive decreases in our immediate flying schedule. We have just concluded a call with Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, and shortly after with ACCEX, and wanted to advise you of the following:

The Company has advised that it was their intention to invoke L60.06 of the Collective Agreement. This is an invocation of the Force Majeure clause.

As you know we have received word from Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge that they will be only maintaining limited international service to 6 destinations. This is subject to change. Transborder flights will be reduced to 13 destinations. The company will also continue to provide service to all provinces however it will be reduced and subject to further reductions.

There will be an overall reduction in capacity of at least 80% in April 2020.

There will also be reductions in capacity for May onward and as soon as we receive information about them, we will keep everyone informed.

The approximate Mainline surplus for the month of April is 3,600 members and Rouge will have all members, 1,549 deemed surplus. Rouge will in effect have zero flying hours for the month of April 2020.

The Company will commence the process of calling members and placing them on “Off Duty Status” as early as within the next 48 hours as outlined in LOU 6. Off Duty Status allows you to collect employment insurance and maintain benefits, along with travel benefits. The Union’s position is that this option should be offered to all members as we have heard from many senior members that they would like to voluntarily take this option. The company will allow the opportunity for members to volunteer for Off Duty Status. More information will come out from the company on this.

The Union has also sought clarity for those of you on SPLOAs in reference to you being able to collect Employment Insurance, maintain benefits and flight benefits. We have confirmed with the employer that those of you on SPLOAs for April 2020 will be converted to Off Duty Status enabling you to collect Employment Insurance.

As of May 2020, Article 17 of the Collective Agreement will apply and the Union has proposed that we commence discussions within the immediate future regarding mitigation options. Please reference Article 17 of the Collective Agreement and LOU 60.05. This outlines the process that we believe will be taking place for the May 2020 block month onwards. As per L60.05.03.04, the Union has provided a list of all mitigation options we would like to have them review. We have captured all mitigation suggestions that the members have brought forward to date. Thank you for providing them as we know it is important for many reasons.

We will keep you informed when new information comes to us and appreciate this causes many concerns and further uncertainty. We have many questions for the employer, and have sought much clarification, and commit that as we know, you will be advised.

Air Canada will be sending out all information through Air Canada email. Please ensure you have activated your Air Canada email; you can find the instructions on how to do this by going onto ACaeronet.

This is unprecedented, and not something any of us want to go through. The reality is real, and we are working around the clock ensuring you are represented.
In Solidarity,

EAP – A Message From Homewood Health

Lisa Raymond on March 19, 2020

Some useful tips if you find yourself, or your loved ones, staying at home:

Homewood Health Document

Wishing you all the best,

Mary Keough
Chair, Component EAP Committee

PBS: April Bid Period – UPDATE

Lisa Raymond on March 19, 2020

The circumstances that led to the Company issued Globe Message on March 16 have resulted in a major change to the corporate schedule which would result in an insurmountable number of pairing revisions. It was decided that it was better to develop a new set of April pairings to replace the ones previously published. Once the new pairings are ready, they will be loaded into PBS. The New and Old interface access the same pairing file so either may be used.

New pairings will be available on Friday March 20^th by 23:00 EDT. The bid close will be extended until Wednesday March 25^th at 00:01 EDT. The last full day of bidding is March 24^th. To give additional bidding time, the contesting period for April only will be reduced to 48 hours. Even at that, for Mainline, the bidding period is not the usual amount of time however given the timing of the events/announcements, the work that needs to be completed as well as the other processes involved in block awarding and publishing, a “full” bid period was not possible.

Please click HERE to view an in depth bulletin that deals with this subject.

Update From Your Component Officers

EAP – Homewood’s Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

A Message From Your Component Officers

EAP – A Message From Homewood Health

PBS: April Bid Period – UPDATE

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