Lisa Raymond, Author at AC Component

Seniority Lists Now Available on Globe/C1 Passes

Lisa Raymond on January 24, 2020

We wanted to reiterate that the seniority lists are available now on Globe, and not only accessible through Globe in the Comm Centres. You can access this from home or on layover at In-Flight Service > Crew Scheduling & Planning > Seniority Numbers > Seniority Re-sequence in 2020.

Seniority Lists – Mainline and Rouge

Please note the following language is applicable to both Mainline and Rouge. We always advise you to take a quick look to ensure your seniority is correct on the published list. This should be made available via Globe and put out to both Mainline and Rouge prior to February 1, 2020. If you see an error or omission, please ensure you contact the Union immediately so it can be reviewed.

16.08.04 Prior to February 1st in any year, Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge shall post, at each Air Canada Mainline Cabin Personnel Base and at each Air Canada Rouge Base, a copy of the Flight Attendant and In-Charge seniority lists applicable to Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge indicating the respective seniority of each employee within his/her classification as of January 1st in that year, as well as a copy of the Master Cabin Personnel Seniority List.

16.08.05 Prior to March 1st in that year, an employee may protest, in writing, to Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge (as applicable) any error or omission affecting his/her seniority.

16.08.06 Prior to April 1st, the revised lists indicating any changes resulting from any protest found valid shall be posted.

16.08.07 Prior to May 1st, any employee whose seniority was affected by any change made to the initial seniority list may protest, in writing, to the Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge (as applicable) with a copy to the Component President of the Union.

16.08.08 Prior to June 1st, the final seniority lists, which will be conclusive of Cabin Personnel seniority as of January 1st in that year shall be posted.

C1 Passes

Please note these passes are only contractual for the Mainline members, these do not apply to our Rouge members.

President’s Update – January 2020

Lisa Raymond on January 24, 2020

Rouge Adjusted Seniority Dates
The Union was recently made aware that many of our Rouge to Mainline flow through members had their service dates adjusted, and in doing so their allotted vacation was reduced. We have seen this primarily during the January 2020 block month. If you were a flow through member, and had vacation allotted once you flowed to Mainline, please verify your pay summary for the month you had your vacation, or if your vacation is in the current January 2020 block month, verify your MMG in Globe for accuracy. If you see any discrepancy or issues in pay, please contact your Local office immediately. We have been in discussions with planning and they are working through this now but, to ensure we capture anyone that had issues, we encourage you to contact your local.

C1 Passes – Christmas & New Year’s
If you were on reserve duty or were on duty as a block holder on December 25th or January 1st, you are entitled to a Holiday Pass as per the Collective Agreement. This will be uploaded to your Employee Travel Profile sometime in January. We encourage you to verify and ensure that you received your allotment. If you have any concerns, please reach out.

DBX Flights – Crew Breaks (LOU 22A)
For the month of January 2020, the DBX pairings were adjusted to LOU 22A from LOU 18. With it now operating as an LOU 22A there is an additional crew member and new break entitlements:

L22.05.01 On duty periods of 16:16 to 17:10 hours, the on board crew rest will be three hours and thirty minutes (3:30) consecutive for each cabin crew member. Meal breaks are to be taken separately.

On duty periods of 17:11 to 18:00 hours, the on board crew rest will be four consecutive hours (4:00) for each cabin crew member. Meal breaks are to be taken separately.

Please note, in addition to the above 3:30 and 4:00 crew breaks, you are entitled to an additional 30 minutes, as per LOU 60:

L60.04.06 An additional thirty (30) minutes of on board crew rest will be applied to LOU 18, LOU 22A and LOU 22B flights.

So for clarity, the crew rest will be set at 4:00, unless the duty period goes above 17:11, then it will be 4:30. This is a contractual right, please report if you are not able to take your break or are being denied the right to take your break.

Open Component Positions
The Component currently has the following Committee Chairperson positions open, if you are interested please email contact@accomponent.ca.

– Component Bilingual Committee Chair. Click HERE to view the Mandate for this committee.

– Component Pink Triangle Committee Chair. Click HERE to view the Mandate for this committee.

The recent trustee nominations have closed and at this time no nominations were received. As there is one Component Trustee position vacant, the Tabulating Committee will be sending out a further call for nominations shortly.

Rouge Labour Relations and UMHQ

Now that bargaining has ceased, the Rouge Labour Relations meetings with the company will resume. These meetings are held with your Local Union Presidents and Component Officers where required. This is an opportunity for both the Company and the Union to raise issues with their counterparts, along with their respective groups or executive bodies. This is typically paused during bargaining, and as we wait to move to the mediation stage, both sides wanted to get this process back on track for the go forward.

Terminations To Date

So far in 2020, the Union has filed five termination / Suspension Pending Discharge (SPD) grievances – three for mainline and two for Rouge. As is the case with all terminations / SPDs, your Union always moves forward with the grievance, from the Component level, in as quick a matter as possible. We closed off 2019 with 38 Terminations / SPDs at Mainline and 61 Terminations / SPDs at Rouge.

National Transportation Committee

I have recently been appointed by Brother Marc Hancock to serve on the National Transportation Committee within CUPE National. To view more on the National Transportation Committee, please click HERE. This committee represents all forms of transportation, with airlines being one of the largest. Having a voice at this table for any lobby efforts, reviews on government initiatives affecting our sector, as well as being able to align with various other transportation groups dealing with many of our issues will only be able to assist in our fights dealing with fatigue, health and safety, hours of work, “crew rest minimums” and more.

Bargaining

We are currently waiting on the company to advise us on the mediator for the next stage of this process. Once the Union has more information on the next stages, dates and locations, we will advise the membership.

China Flu
Many of you have reached out to us over the past few days with understandable concerns about the Wuhan Coronavirus. Since the initial reports the Union has been requesting updates from the company, urging them to provide details regarding how they intend to address safety and health concerns for our members.

Your Executive and Health and Safety Reps are also examining the Union’s archives for responses to similar events from the past, and have been in regular contact with our advisors at CUPE National so that we can issue useful information to our members.

Some of you have expressed concern that the Union has “agreed” to no masks or to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach. We assure you that is not the case. Your team has been steadfast in advocating for increased levels of personal protective equipment including N95 masks. We remain in discussion with the company on this matter. You are permitted to wear gloves when dealing with pick up and passengers that appear ill.

Should you have concerns about operating a flight, please speak to crew scheduling, or your base manager explaining to them your issue. The company has been accommodating concerned employees.

Lastly, please keep the Union in the loop about your concerns, comments and frustrations. It is essential that we get these so that we are able to accurately represent you. Also, don’t forget to file a health and safety complaint if necessary! ACAeronet > Safety > Submit a report/SIMS.

The Company has been briefing the Union on the status of the situation on the labour side as recently as yesterday afternoon. Aircraft will be provisioned with extra masks, gloves and sanitary wipes. The Company and the Union have a vested interest in maintaining the health of our members and we will ensure we are kept up to date as this moves forward.

Seniority Lists – Mainline and Rouge

Please note the following language is applicable to both Mainline and Rouge. We always advise you to take a quick look to ensure your seniority is correct on the published list. This should be made available in all Comm Centres, via Globe and put out to both Mainline and Rouge prior to February 1, 2020. If you see an error or omission, please ensure you contact the Union immediately so it can be reviewed.

16.08.04 Prior to February 1st in any year, Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge shall post, at each Air Canada Mainline Cabin Personnel Base and at each Air Canada Rouge Base, a copy of the Flight Attendant and In-Charge seniority lists applicable to Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge indicating the respective seniority of each employee within his/her classification as of January 1st in that year, as well as a copy of the Master Cabin Personnel Seniority List.
16.08.05 Prior to March 1st in that year, an employee may protest, in writing, to Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge (as applicable) any error or omission affecting his/her seniority.
16.08.06 Prior to April 1st, the revised lists indicating any changes resulting from any protest found valid shall be posted.
16.08.07 Prior to May 1st, any employee whose seniority was affected by any change made to the initial seniority list may protest, in writing, to the Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge (as applicable) with a copy to the Component President of the Union.
16.08.08 Prior to June 1st, the final seniority lists, which will be conclusive of Cabin Personnel seniority as of January 1st in that year shall be posted.

One final shout out needs to be made to all of the Belfield Office Staff, the Mobilization and Engagement Committee Chair Nicola Schnell, our Component Vice President Theresa Mitchell, and Component Secretary-Treasurer Alex Habib, for all of the tireless hours they have put in to get us one of the most functional websites and Facebook pages that we have seen at the Component level, as well as developing our first ever APP and Instagram account. Much information will be added to all of these platforms, which can be found at the links below, over the coming months to keep everyone as up to date as possible. We really encourage all of you to download the APP for immediate updates and easy reference tools.

Facebook: facebook.com/accomponent
Instagram: instagram.com/aircanadacomponent
Website: www.accomponent.ca
APP: IOS (Apple) download
Android download

Thank you again for all the follow up emails, communication and dedication to YOUR union. Without a strong membership base, we would not be where we are today, and with all the new communication tools out there, we are trying to make it easier to continue with the great two-way communication.

Wishing everyone an amazing 2020,

Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE

Updated Rouge Contract Guide

Lisa Raymond on January 22, 2020

In the interest of ensuring that you have the tools that you need, we have developed a Rouge Contract Guide, which we hope will serve as a resource for you.

See the Rouge Contract Guide in English HERE and in French HERE.

You may wish to download a copy of this guide to your mobile phone, so that it becomes a handy tool that you do not need WiFi to access.

In solidarity,

LOU 51 – 767 Crew Seats February 2020 Block Month

Lisa Raymond on January 20, 2020

(This applies to Air Canada Mainline only)

For the block month of February 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:

– AC825 AMS-YYZ
– AC837 MAD-YYZ
– AC850 YYC-LHR
– AC851 LHR-YYC

The following flights are not scheduled to operate with a B767 aircraft for the month of February 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:

– AC809 CMN-YUL
– AC829 LYS-YUL
– 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 A330 aircraft has the comfort jumpseats, and the B777/787 has crew bunks that may be used for crew rest/break purposes.

***Please note that TAP A330 aircraft are not 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 a TAP 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

New Service Guidelines

Lisa Raymond on January 20, 2020

As you are likely aware, Air Canada recently implemented new service guidelines.

These new service expectations are unreasonable, impractical and bordering on absurd. Given the crew complements that we currently have, as well as the crew complements of our competitors, we are continually being put into impossible positions. We can no longer remain silent and accept this continued barrage of service changes to which we are expected to adapt. We will not sacrifice safety, health and wellbeing all under the guise of “Keeping up with the Emirates”. We have some of the lowest crew complements in the industry. We are here to tell you that enough is enough. There is no more to take because we have nothing left to give.

The different service levels in Premium Rouge and PY Mainline have been a problem for some time. It would have been appropriate to bring the rouge service in line with the mainline service. Instead, the company increased the service in PY with no additional crew members to do this additional work. This is a losing proposition, and we must stand together in opposition to such changes.

We believe that we must continue to respect the Collective Agreement while keeping in mind what minimum expectations are required of us. The Company has always found ways to ask flight attendants to donate more of our free time and get to aircraft earlier. We have reached a point where we feel that we continue to give but our voices are not being heard. This leads us to the need for a new direction to advocate for our rights.

We recognise that you should be prepared to operate your assigned flights. We know that you need to check in and then proceed to the gate. You are required to attend at your respective Communications Centres prior to your scheduled flight departures, as per your check in times on globe.

Keep in mind that rest is a crucial part of staying alert and vigilant on flights of longer durations. Crew rest is necessary for the safe operation of flights. Your breaks are contractual and not optional. Ensure that you take them. We should never feel pressured to compromise on safety because of a request for enhanced service.

In the interest of using all resources available to us to fight these ever-changing service specifications, we filed CHQ-19-63 Unreasonable Service Level Increase (Click HERE to view).

Now we need your help with this grievance. We need to hear from those of you who have operated the flights affected by the new service increases. We have prepared a survey which will go a long way in assisting us with evidence gathering. If you have operated one of these flights, we ask that you fill out our survey by clicking on the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CFN5TFV

Working together, we will achieve more than we can imagine. We look forward to hearing from you and to receiving your responses to our survey. The information you provide will do a great deal to tip the scales and show how the service expectations imposed upon us must lead us to a new vision and to positive change.

We leave you with the words of trade unionist Eugene V. Debs:

“Solidarity is not a matter of sentiment but a fact, cold and impassive as the granite foundations of a skyscraper. If the basic elements, identity of interest, clarity of vision, honesty of intent, and oneness of purpose, or any of these is lacking, all sentimental pleas for solidarity, and all other efforts to achieve it will be barren of results.”

In Solidarity,

Seniority Lists Now Available on Globe/C1 Passes

President’s Update – January 2020

Updated Rouge Contract Guide

LOU 51 – 767 Crew Seats February 2020 Block Month

New Service Guidelines

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Air Canada Component of CUPE

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