Lisa Raymond, Author at AC Component

The Weekly Dispatch – Sick Hold

Lisa Raymond on January 26, 2024

MAINLINE
What’s a sick hold?
When you book off due to sickness or injury, you can place a six (6) hour hold on your next (or any subsequent) flight assignment. You must inform crew scheduling of your desire to place a sick hold on a pairing. If you don’t book back on at least six (6) hours prior to the flight’s departure, your pairing will be made available to open flying. (B7.01.01)

If the six (6) hour hold is placed on any pairing other than your next scheduled pairing (a subsequent pairing), all pairings between the date of your book off and the pairing on sick hold will automatically be considered as open flying and awarded accordingly.

Remember:

If you book off sick and place a hold on your next flight you have up until six (6) hours prior to that flight to determine your fitness to fly and book back on.
If you do not put a sick hold on your next pairing, it will be released into open flying at 10:00am the day prior to the scheduled flight.

ROUGE
L55.11.05 Sick Leave – Twelve (12) Hour Hold: When an Employee books off, s/he may place a twelve (12) hour hold on his/her next or subsequent flight(s). His/her flight will be considered as open flying if s/he has not booked twelve (12) hours prior to departure. If the twelve (12) hour hold is placed on other than his/her next flight, the flights between his/her book off and that flight will automatically be considered as open flying and awarded accordingly.

NOTE: Twelve (12) hour holds may only be placed on the start of a sequence.

UPDATE on Rouge Disability Leave Process
On January 19, 2024, we reported to you the process for Rouge Short and Long-Term disability claims. There has been a change in practice. Benefits through Canada Life for book offs exceeding seven (7) days is no longer a mandatory requirement. There is still a requirement to substantiate your absence with Occupational Health Services (OHS) but applying for Short Term Disability is no longer mandatory.

Reconciliation of 2022-2023 Vacation Year

Lisa Raymond on January 25, 2024

As many of you are acutely aware, the Company has just reconciled the vacation year 2022-2023. We have received numerous emails from those members who were impacted. At a minimum, each member should be receiving a full breakdown of the amount owed prior to it being deducted. Given the fact that many members are impacted by the cost of living and their low wages it comes as a shock to have this money deducted from your pay with little or no notification or explanation.

We have been advised that Planning has directed payrolls to reimburse monies that have been noted as clawed back in error. We again remind you to reach out to planning for a breakdown and confirmation of the amounts taken to verify if there was an error, and if there was, confirmation you will be reimbursed. The Company will follow Article 5.14.03 which stipulates that: 5.14.03 Under payments on a pay cheque resulting from an error which are in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00) will be reimbursed on a separate cheque within fourteen (14) days of the Company receiving advice of such underpayment.

We recommend at this point, that impacted members reach out to the employer to get a full breakdown of what is owed and verify it is correct. The first step is to ask for a breakdown and then to determine if you, in fact had vacation that you were not entitled to.

Below you will find an explanation that should assist you in making that determination.

The most common reason for a salary repayment is for taking more vacation than you are entitled to take in a given year. Vacation is awarded with the assumption that you will be working full time for the entire vacation year, from May 1 to April 30. If you take a leave of absence or are otherwise absent from the payroll for more than 15 consecutive days, your vacation may be reduced. If you have vacation days that take place after your absence, Planning will usually just reduce your future vacation, e.g. vacation scheduled prior to the vacation year end on April 30. However, if you are absent from work after you have already taken your vacation days, then the Company will “claw back” the excess days through a salary repayment. CUPE is not involved in this vacation reconciliation process, and we do not receive notice about it. To find out the details of your situation, you will need to reach out to the Company. Once you receive the detailed explanation of why you are being clawed back, you can dispute with the Company why you think the dates are wrong. However, if you were indeed over paid vacation or wages, there will be a requirement to pay it back. Your local office can assist if you believe the dates / amounts are wrong. If the amount they are deducting monthly is excessive, you can ask to have the amount reduced. Given the impact of the cost of living and the low wages some of our members are receiving this may be required.

For any question or inquiries, please contact crewplng.east@aircanada.ca or crewplng.west@aircanada.ca.

We have reached out to the employer today requesting a full stop to the withdraws, a full repayment on the errors and a review of each file that shows monies owing. This is the least they can do to get any of us to have any trust in a process that is continually met with tension and confusion by the membership. We have also instructed legal counsel to review the legislation carefully as this seems to be an ongoing issue that does not improve.

Please continue to reach out as needed, once you get your replies from planning, please ensure you review it for accuracy.

In solidarity,

Seniority Lists – Mainline and Rouge

Lisa Raymond on January 24, 2024

We wanted to let you know that the Company has advised that the Seniority lists will be posted on the portal this week. You can access this from home or on layover at In-Flight Service > Crew Scheduling & Planning > Seniority Numbers.

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. If you see an error or omission, please ensure you contact Wesley Lesosky immediately via email at w.lesosky@accomponent.ca so it can be reviewed, the applicable language for this is below:

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.

In solidarity,

Your ACCEX

Arbitrator Gedalof Award

Lisa Raymond on January 23, 2024

In October 2023, the Union and Air Canada participated in an interest arbitration before Arbitrator Eli Gedalof to determine the terms of the new Collective Agreement.

On January 23, 2024, Arbitrator Gedalof released his interest arbitration award. We are pleased to report that he awarded two proposals made by the Union and rejected all proposals made by Air Canada, except for a modest change regarding printed bid packages. The new Collective Agreement has a term of April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025.

First, the arbitrator awarded the Union’s proposal requiring Air Canada to provide parking to all Rouge cabin personnel. The new article L55.08.07 of the Collective Agreement will require the following:

L55.08.07 At each home base or airport of the employee’s choosing, the company will provide free and safe parking for each employee. In the event of a change in parking location, the company will consult the union.

Second, the arbitrator awarded the Union’s proposal requiring Air Canada to extend the galley bid position from 777HD aircraft to all widebody aircraft. This will allow members to bid to be awarded or avoid the galley position in economy or business class on all widebody aircraft.

The Union will work with Air Canada to ensure that these changes are implemented as soon as possible.

Further, the arbitrator rejected Air Canada’s proposal to eliminate the Collective Agreement requirement for it to provide printed bid packages but instead agreed to reduce the required number of printed bid packages from 30% of members at a base to 5%.

Finally, the arbitrator rejected several concerning proposals made by Air Canada. The rejected proposals, among others, include eliminating seniority as a service director hiring requirement, weakening monthly maximum limitation (MML) protections, and removing oxygen bottles from crew rest units on long-range 777 flights.

You can read a complete copy of Arbitrator Gedalof’s interest arbitration award HERE.

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee

LOU 61 – A330/A321XLR Crew Rest Seats – February 2024 Block Month

Lisa Raymond on January 22, 2024

(This applies to AC Mainline only)

For the block month of February 2024, the following flights fall under LOU 61 and are scheduled for A330 aircraft. They will have 2 (two) dedicated crew rest seats:

– AC073 CMN-YUL
– AC811 LIS-YYZ
– AC813 LIS-YUL
– AC822 YUL-BCN
– AC833 BRU-YUL
– AC836 YYZ-MUC
– AC837 MUC-YYZ
– AC840 YYZ-FRA
– AC841 FRA-YYZ
– AC865 LHR-YUL
– AC872 YYZ-CDG
– AC873 CDG-YYZ

– AC875 CDG-YUL
– AC877 LYS-YUL
– AC879 TLS-YUL
– AC884 YUL-GVA
– AC885 GVA-YUL
– AC890 YYZ-FCO
– AC891 FCO-YYZ
– AC892 YUL-FCO
– AC893 FCO-YUL
– AC894 YUL-MXP
– AC895 MXP-YUL

What if these flights operate on B777/787 aircraft?
LOU 61 is specific to the A330/A321XLR aircraft, and not applicable to the B777/787. The B777/787 has crew bunks that may be used for crew rest/break purposes.

In Solidarity,

Component Crew Rest Committee

The Weekly Dispatch – Sick Hold

Reconciliation of 2022-2023 Vacation Year

Seniority Lists – Mainline and Rouge

Arbitrator Gedalof Award

LOU 61 – A330/A321XLR Crew Rest Seats – February 2024 Block Month

Site Map

Air Canada Component of CUPE

Follow us on Social Media