LOU 51 – 767 Crew Seats April 2020 Block Month
(This applies to Air Canada Mainline only)
For the block month of April 2020, the following flights fall under LOU 51 and are scheduled for a B767 aircraft. They will have 2 (two) dedicated crew rest seats when operating on B767 non-crew bunk equipped aircraft:
– There is no B767 LOU 51 flying for April 2020
The following flights are not scheduled to operate with a B767 aircraft for the month of April 2020 but have in the past. If there is an aircraft substitution and they are scheduled with a B767 aircraft the provisions of LOU 51 would apply:
– AC09 YYC-NRT
– AC10 NRT-YYC
– AC809 CMN-YUL
– AC825 AMS-YYZ
– AC829 LYS-YUL
– AC837 MAD-YYZ
– AC849 LHR-YYZ
– AC850 YYC-LHR
– AC851 LHR-YYC
– AC859 LHR-YYZ
– AC894 YYZ-MXP
– AC895 MXP-YYZ
What if these flights operate on A330 or B777/787 aircrafts?
LOU 51 is specific to the 767 (non-crew bunk) aircraft, and not applicable to the A330 or B777/787. The B777/787 has crew bunks that may be used for crew rest/break purposes.
***Please note that A330 aircraft may not be equipped with high comfort jumpseats and curtains. Crew may take their rest in “last sold seats” if available as per LOU 28. The Component has filed a grievance on this matter, CHQ-19-34 (Click HERE to view the bulletin and click HERE to view the grievance) If you do operate on an A330, and are not afforded crew rest, please send in a copy of the PIL, showing loads, date, FIN and routing so we can forward it to the Component.
In Solidarity,
Component Crew Rest Committee
OBSM/Mentor Program
As the Union is working through the many logistics of the pending “Off Duty Status” of 5,100 of our members at both Mainline and Rouge, we are also hearing you loud and clear that you are as confused as the Union is with regards to the fact that the OBSMs and Mentors are still being placed on our aircraft. They are continuing to mingle amongst us, at a time when social distancing should be a high priority.
Let the Union be clear, we do not represent the OBSMs, nor do we endorse the program. At a time like this, we see little value to them being onboard to offer “support”. What support can they possibly offer that our highly skilled cabin crew can not? Why would we want, at this time, to have them interacting with our customers? We should be focussing on the wellbeing of each other, limiting contact and practising safety first and always.
Now is not the time to be augmenting crews, adding unneeded “assistance” on board or at layover points. This is the time to remove the programs and move forward with what we do best, SAFETY.
We were just made aware today that there are no longer Mentors onboard as of tomorrow at Rouge.
We would hope, with all we are facing, that Mainline will follow suit and remove them from our environment, remove them as the face to our passengers, and make safety and social distancing a priority in the face of this pandemic.
On March 16, 2020 Calin Rovinescu identified all of the efforts that the company is making to offset the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He confirmed that there would be a Cost Reduction Program which would include among many other things, but not be limited to: “Workplace reductions and other programs, including freezing hiring in all branches immediately”.
The Union’s position is that common sense will prevail and a re-evaluation of the current OBSM program will be among them. As a practical reality there is no value to have OBSMs travelling throughout the system and offering support to our members currently facing massive job reductions, specially when they have no functional role onboard. We will continue to impress upon the Company in no uncertain terms why it makes sense to reconsider the OBSM Program under the circumstances.
In the interim we encourage you to reach out to management and to express your thoughts. To do so you can post your thoughts on Yammer as well as using other means to reach out. What we need during this critical time is meaningful support, equipment and resources to protect us and to ensure that our Health and Safety are the primary concern.
You have been working on the front lines and are acutely aware of what is sorely needed to sustain us through this difficult time. In our view, the OBSMs’ oversight/support is not among them.
In closing we would like to leave you with two comments that speak loudly. This is in regards to the type of support being offered by the company’s OBSMs:
“How can we be trained to thwart a hijacking, save a life and live on a life raft till rescued but be too helpless to find food and shelter on a layover?”
“How are we to feel supported by someone who until very recently had a job description of demotion and firing? Or are we to suddenly develop Stockholm Syndrome?”
In solidarity,
UPDATE – ACCEX Meet & Greet in YVR
Due to the current COVID-19 situation, ACCEX has decided to postpone their Component Executive meetings that were scheduled to be held in Vancouver (YVR) this week. This also means that the membership town hall meeting, which was scheduled to take place on March 25, 2020, will be postponed as well. We did not make this decision lightly, but feel at the current time we need to be at our bases supporting the membership through these difficult times.
As soon as the Meet and Greet is rescheduled we will provide you with that information.
In solidarity,
EAP – Financial Stress
I am sending you the latest edition of Life Lines published by Homewood Health (click HERE to view). It talks about ways to reduce financial stress.
Addressing your financial situation is essential because as you learn how to manage it better, the sources of stress are reduced or eliminated. You’ll feel like you are regaining control of your life and can look to a defined and more stable financial future.
Wishing you all the best,
Mary Keough
Chair, Component EAP Committee