Dear Members,
We have recently sent a letter (copy below), on all of our behalf, to Boeing’s President & CEO for a meeting regarding the B737 Max 8. This is in part with everything we have been doing locally with the Company, other Union groups as well as supporting the initiative that safety must be the ultimate goal.
Thank you for all your feedback this past week.
In Solidarity,
Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE
On multiple occasions, the Union has received reports of member’s personal items being stolen, removed, or relocated while onboard aircraft.
In June 2019, our Health and Safety Committee sent out a survey asking members to report incidents of this nature. The response that we received was quite informative and it became clear to us that something must be done.
The Union brought this matter to the attention of Air Canada Management at a Union Management meeting on July 25, 2019. After the meeting we followed up with a letter outlining the various occurrences in which our members were affected by the lack of a secure area for stowing personal belongings. This letter outlined the following:
No meaningful response was received from Air Canada. The Union filed grievances CHQ-19-43 and CHQ-Rouge-19-59 (Click HERE to view the CHQ-19-43 grievance form & Click HERE to view the CHQ-Rouge-19-59 grievance form).
These grievances are moving through the normal course and we would like to ask for your help. If you have experienced theft of personal belongings, or, if your belongings have been relocated or removed to your detriment, we would like to hear from you. We ask that a statement be provided to the Union for the purposes of mediation/arbitration. If you are able to assist us with this we ask that you submit your statement to i.jovic@accomponent.ca. Please note in the subject line “Personal Belongings”.
We rely on your input and statements to help us with policy grievances of this nature as it provides invaluable evidence for us. We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at t.mitchell@accomponent.ca.
Here for you,
Theresa Mitchell
Vice-President, Air Canada Component of CUPE
Every year, from mid-October to mid-December, farmers in Delhi’s neighbouring states burn crop stubble after their fields are harvested. This, combined with smoke from fireworks used in the Hindu festival of lights (Diwali), create an annually recurring air quality problem.
Lately, it has been making headlines as particulate matter levels literally go off the charts. Many of you have reached out to know what the Union is doing and what you can do if scheduled to operate there.
A bit of background:
For years your Union’s health and safety representatives have been advocating for our members to be provided with N95 disposable respirators for periods where they may be exposed to the smog in Delhi (transit to/from the airport), areas of the hotel exposed to the outdoors etc.
In Canada, regulations require that respirators provided to employees (even disposable ones) come with quick training and fit testing as well as a process to oversee this.
What can you do?
Your leadership is monitoring the company’s response to member concerns and whether they are being accommodated.
Leading up to this crop-burning season in Delhi, we reached out and discussed this issue with Unions representing cabin crew all over the world to find out how their companies handle destination air quality problems. Union leadership has also worked with senior management to ensure that a company bulletin was issued to all members, and that those with concerns are able to seek accommodation.
Your health and safety representatives will be diligently representing you for any health and safety complaint reports filed.
How to report:
The company now asks in-charges to file reports using their iPads or SIMS.
If you are submitting a health and safety complaint using iPad or eReporting, please ensure to select a health and safety complaint under the “New eReport” menu. If you experience difficulties or are unsure, we recommend that you contact your workplace health and safety committee members. ALL company communication will be sent to your Air Canada email – even if you file using paper forms. Please ensure to enter your AC email address correctly when required and to verify it periodically. ***
Contact Us:
247@accomponent.ca for non-emergency issues 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
contact@accomponent.ca for general inquiries
sante.health@accomponent.ca for health and safety correspondence
In solidarity,
Your Air Canada Component of CUPE Health and Safety Committee
We have met with Transport Canada, Air Canada Labour, Air Canada Health and Safety, In Flight Service, Flight Operations and our counter parts within the Airline Division to ensure that we are all on the same page when it comes to the re-introduction of the B737 MAX.
We remain steadfast in our position that the aircraft needs to be 100% safe prior to it entering the Canadian skies.
| MEDIA ADVISORY | November 5, 2019 |
Transport Canada will have to demonstrate that the Boeing 737 Max are safe to fly
The safety of passengers and crew must always come first. The federal government’s decision to ground the Boeing 737 Max in Canada was the right thing to do. Given the record of Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration in that file, it will now be up to Transport Canada to provide assurances that these aircraft are fully compliant and safe for our members and the travelling public.
Like the US flight attendant unions, CUPE must be consulted before Transport Canada makes the decision to allow the Boeing 737 Max to fly in our skies again. We need access to all the information required to assess the safety of these aircraft. The highest possible safety standards will be called for to avoid another tragedy. Simply stating these aircraft are safe does not make it so.
Air Canada, Sunwing, and WestJet are the three Canadian airlines operating the Boeing 737 Max. CUPE represents more than 13,000 flight attendants working at those airlines.
In Solidarity,
Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE
Training Bidding opens on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH at 08:00.
Training Bidding closes on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH at 08:00.
Training Award Results will be published on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH at 23:00.
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PLEASE NOTE that ART 2019 is now 2.5 days. For more details, refer to the 2019 Cabin Crew Annual Recurrent bulletin found in ACaéronet under In-Flight Service > Cabin Crew Training > Training Bulletins.
Also, depending on the time at which the training is scheduled to end on the third day, it is possible to be attributed a pairing that checks-in late in the evening. Please adjust your bids accordingly.
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DON’T FORGET TO COVER YOURSELF WITH ADEQUATE CHOICES!!!
For more information on bidding with PBS please contact your local PBS Representative
YUL: spp.pbs4091@gmail.com
YYZ: pbsyyz@gmail.com
YYC: pbs@local4095.ca
YVR: pbs@local4094.ca
Click HERE for a printable, and downloadable, version of this bulletin.
