Lisa Raymond, Author at AC Component

Component President Message

Lisa Raymond on November 1, 2019

PERFORMANCE MEETINGS

We’d like to provide you with some statistics on what is truly happening at each base, what the Union is doing with members, and where the current issues are with respect to performance meetings.

Since coming into office this term, one area that required our focus and attention was the discipline and discharge area. This is something not often discussed, but in need of addressing.

As many of you may be aware, the Union is copied on copious amounts of discipline, suspensions, and termination letters. We track and trend these, we look for blips, errors, and omissions. Along with labour, we ensure that we raise any concerns, whether disagreements prior to the grievance process, issues with the context of the letters, timeliness, or general content.

To give some context and numbers by base, please see below:

BARGAINING

We will be continuing bargaining the week of November 13, 2019. The Company and the Union have met for 4 weeks now and are roughly halfway through the 90-day process as per the MOA in the Collective Agreement. This can be extended if mutually agreed, however at this stage we are still heavily in the bargaining process.

AIRLINE DIVISION CONFERENCE AND THE ADCP

The Airline Division Conference was held October 6, 2019 in Montreal, one day prior to the CUPE National Convention.

For comparison of who is represented within the Airline Division, please see below:

During the Airline Conference we dealt with issues arising from Health and Safety, Political Action, Resolutions, and Bylaw Amendments.

For the finance portion, we had a full presentation and a question and answer period that was well received by all. There have been many changes and struggles for the Airline Division, and this term we are incredibly happy with the avenue in which we are going so far. There is always room for improvement, and updating and improving the bylaws, streamlining finances, and ensuring maximum participation from within the group reflects positive progress with broad support.

We had the pleasure of an hour with both our National President Mark Hancock, along with National Secretary Treasurer, Charles Fleury.

We have appointed Jordan Braystone, our current Component Health and Safety Chairperson, to the Airline Division Health and Safety panel. We also nominated trustees to review the finances within the Airline Division.

With changing times at the Division came changing the name of the division, from Council of Component Presidents (COCP) to Airline Division Council of Presidents (ADCP).

The next meeting of the ADCP is set for Vancouver (YVR) December 5, 2019. It is important to note that the Air Canada Component pays $0.10 per member (mainline and rouge), per month, towards ADCP so I feel it’s important that we start updating the members on the benefits and issues we are facing as a unified group of Airlines. We truly are stronger together, and when we are able to discuss our issues, it amazes me the differences in working issues, respect, and general communication each airline faces.

CUPE NATIONAL CONVENTION

From October 7 to October 10, 2019, I had the opportunity to attend the CUPE National Convention along side your Component Vice-President, Theresa Mitchell, Component Secretary-Treasurer Alex Habib and your Local Presidents, Guillaume Leduc (Local 4091 YUL), Denis Montpetit (Local 4092 YYZ), Carolyn Bugnon (Local 4094 YVR), Kim Wentzell (Local 4095 YYC), and Robyn Sharpe (Local 4098 Rouge). It was a unique experience this year, as one of our very own members Francisco Oritz from Local 4092 (nominated member) decided to throw his name in the hat to run for CUPE National President. It’s been many years since Air Canada/Air Canada Rouge members have been this active at Convention. Convention runs every two years, and all members are able to participate. Convention deals with everything from grassroots movements, to health and safety, motions placed on the floor from fellow members, improvements to CUPE National in general, and political action around elections both internal and external, such as the Federal Election we just went through.

THE AFTER PARTY

The After Party’s are fast approaching, and the response has been amazing. Members from all bases as well as those on layover are signing up and looking forward to a good evening with colleagues and friends! If you have not signed up, and you don’t have the link handy, just “click HERE” and it will direct you to the site to register for the event.

SICK NOTE REQUEST

We have had a few members reach out because they are concerned about being asked for a doctor’s note while booked off. Remember, if the employer requests a sick note to substantiate your illness and time away from work, they need to advise you of the reason for the request. If this is not given at the time of the request, please advise your Local Union office and we will follow up.

FEEDBACK SURVEY

With communication this term being proactive and informative, we really want to do a check in with the members to know that we are moving in the right direction. Beyond that, if more focus is needed on any particular issue, we want you to let us know where. We will be starting a quarterly survey to engage with each of you on items that matter to you. Please keep a look out for this in the coming weeks.

As always, if you wish to reach me, just reply to this email, or email me directly at: w.lesosky@accomponent.ca

Wishing everyone a great fall!

In Solidarity,

Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE

Grab and Go Breakfast Anyone?

Lisa Raymond on November 1, 2019

In a recent Move Me News, Air Canada advised us that there would be a “Grab and Go” Breakfast option added to the Breakfast à la Carte Menu for flights departing from Canada and arriving in Europe. It will be available for customers to order on the Breakfast à la Carte menu and can be served up to 30 minutes prior to landing. This is being touted as a new idea so that we can “maximise the customers sleep and be competitive”.

This is yet another initiative put forth by Air Canada through which they did not include any meaningful consultation with our members, the people who need to support and perform the labour for these kinds of changes. Our members are the people who actually work on these routes time and time again. We believe that the members are best placed to give feedback on whether a new initiative is viable. We understand that customer feedback may hold some value, but customers do not know the logistics and constraints that exist. If safety is our primary concern, our time and efforts are better spent in the last 30 minutes of the flight considering our safety duties and preparing the cabin for landing. Will this be the next issue the OBSMs will be critiquing and using to set us up for failure?

In June of 2019, Air Canada was proud to announce that it had been named Best Airline in North America once again by Skytrax. This award was received for the 8th time in 10 years. If it were not for our members, this would not have been possible. We are the employee group at Air Canada that spends the most time with customers, and our expertise and input matters. We are 9,500 strong, and we need to harness our collective commitment to safety, and ensure that we remain vigilant safety professionals.

In addition to the very real fact that our competitors have higher crew complements on many routes, we are consistently reminded of the goal of becoming a “Global Champion”.

After you read the Move Me News, please remember to file a pay claim under eClaim for the amount of time it took you to read. Click “HERE” to view the grievance filed on the MMN.

The reality is, until the crew complements are increased, we are not going to reach that ever-elusive goal. There is only so much juice you can squeeze from an orange and we are tapped out.

In solidarity,

WIP – Maternity EI Top Up & Wage Indemnity

Lisa Raymond on October 31, 2019

Top-Up Benefit
Your Wage Indemnity Plan includes a provision offering disability benefits for the health related portion of your Maternity Leave Of Absence (MATLOA). These benefits will supplement the Maternity Benefits you claim through Employment Insurance following the one (1) week waiting period, and will be calculated based on your earnings prior to your MATLOA.

Employment Insurance – EI and WIP Top-Up
The current 2019 maximum rate for EI weekly benefits is $562.00 per week. If 60% of your pre-disability earnings were $662.00 per week, you would then be entitled to claim the difference of $100.00 per week after a one (1) week waiting period. The benefit period is defined as follows:

– 6 weeks for a normal delivery (1 week waiting period – 5 week top-up)
– 8 weeks for a caesarean birth (1 week waiting period – 7 week top-up)

Quebec Parental Insurance Plan – QPIP
For Members in Quebec who apply for QPIP and receive benefits, it is doubtful that you will qualify for any top-up from your WIP Plan as QPIP payments are higher and based on 70-75% of your pre-disability earnings, while WIP is at 60%. However, your eligibility can be confirmed by contacting the Plan Administrator or the undersigned once you receive notice of the QPIP applicable rate of pay.

Continuation of Coverage During Absence From Work, MATLOA – IMPORTANT TO READ
Prepayment of premiums is not required for an absence from the payroll of fifteen (15) calendar days or less. Prepayment of premiums is required for an absence from the payroll of sixteen (16) or more calendar days. You must prepay the required premium in full within forty-five (45) days from the start of your leave in order to be eligible. The same rule applies for MATLOA Top-Up benefit consideration.

NOTE: The examples below addresses your eligibility for MAT Top Up only. If you wish to ensure coverage is in place following the termination of your MAT LOA you must prepay the entire Leave of Absence. Please click HERE for full details of Continuation of Coverage During Absence from Work.

For example:

If you start your MATLOA sixteen (16) days prior to the delivery of your baby, you are required to pre-pay your premiums within the forty-five (45) days from the start of your leave as noted above to qualify for the MATLOA top-up benefit.

If you worked up to the birth of your child without absence from the payroll, as noted above, no prepayment is required.

If you were booked off and were on, and in receipt of WIP benefits until the delivery date, you are not required to prepay. The same would apply if you were on any other approved program such as WCB/WSIB.

If you booked off sick, and delivered within those fourteen (14) days, no prepayment is required.

To access the claim form for this benefit click HERE. It is the responsibility of each member to complete and return the form with the applicable EI stubs to confirm receipt of EI benefits to our Plan Administrator following the birth.

Manion Wilkins & Associates Ltd.
626 – 21 Four Seasons Place
Etobicoke, Ontario
M9B 0A5

Midwives and Medical Absence Following Childbirth
SSQ, the insurer has determined that from a claims practice perspective, they will accept documentation from an appropriately registered and certified midwife when approving the medical portion of the maternity leave. The medical portion is for the six (6) weeks after a vaginal delivery only. A Physician (MD) must be involved for a c-section. The rationale here is that the Insurer requires verification that the birth happened and midwives can provide that for the six (6) week vaginal delivery.

SSQ and the Administrator, Manion, Wilkins will not accept medical from midwives for complicated pregnancies, or anything beyond a six week medical absence following childbirth. In accordance to the Policy Provisions, members claiming WIP “must see a physician (MD) within the 14 day qualifying period in order to qualify for benefits commencing on the 15^th day of your disability”.

On Behalf of The Board of Trust,

Stephen Morash
Administrative Consultant

NOTE: All Policy Booklet information can be accessed on the Air Canada Component of CUPE web site www.accomponent.ca.

Manion, Wilkins & Associates
Plan Administration
626-21 Four Seasons Place
Etobicoke, Ontario
M9B 0A6

Switchboard: 416-234-5044
Toll Free Line: 1-800-663-7849
Fax: 416-234-0127
Contact Centre: 1-866-532-8999

Santiago and Barcelona – Update

Lisa Raymond on October 21, 2019

Your Component leadership, Hotel Committee, and OHS Committee have been following the events in both Barcelona and Santiago closely. To date Global Affairs Canada has not issued a travel advisory against travel to either destination. However, a heightened level of caution is advised for both urban areas as a result of ongoing protests, riots and possible criminal acts.

That said, when travelling to countries in a time of heated politics your Union recommends the following:

Visit the Global Affairs website regularly, or download the government’s Travel Smart app. For your convenience we have provided the links below.

Make sure to read your Company communications to remain aware of any potential operational changes.

Ensure to let someone from your crew know where you are when you go out or leave a note in your room. Follow Company procedures if you expect to be away from the hotel for an extended period of time. In the event that there is a major disturbance, ensure to let crew scheduling know that you are alright.

Practice good “street smarts” while on layover: Avoid large gatherings and protests, avoid government buildings or locations of political or touristic significance, avoid politically provocative conversation, follow the advice and guidance of local authorities, try to remain aware of the local news while on layover. If in doubt about any local safety issues, consulting the hotel staff can be helpful.

Stay away from military and police checkpoints and operations. Avoid public transportation systems.

If there are curfews, please respect them. Any issues, promptly advise your Union and base management.

USEFUL LINKS AND TOOLS:

Consult The Global Affairs Canada Page:
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/chile
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/spain

Download Global Affairs Canada’s TRAVEL SMART APP:
https://travel.gc.ca/mobile

Download The Union’s Layover Safety Guide:
HERE (English) ICI (Francais), view it in your 2019 CUPE Agenda, or obtain in by sending a blank email to incident@accomponent.ca.

You may obtain information about injury on duty, which includes stress from a potentially traumatic event by emailing injury@accomponent.ca.

You may reach a Union Officer at any time by emailing: 247@accomponent.ca.

Consult the layover safety information in your ePub.

Download or print the Union’s important contacts (BL) by clicking HERE.

In Solidarity,

Fall 2019 Courses in Vancouver

Lisa Raymond on October 21, 2019

From November 16 – 29, 2019

The Air Canada Component Education Committee would like to announce the next set of courses that will be offered by the Vancouver and District Labour Council which will be available in Vancouver from November 16th to November 29th, 2019.

The courses will be held at The Maritime Labour Centre on 111 Victoria Drive. The building is wheelchair accessible and there is free parking at the rear of the building off Pandora Street. If using transit from Powell or Hastings, get off at Victoria Drive – Triumph Street is 1 block south of Powell or 3 blocks north of Hastings.

Class sizes are limited and registration is on a first come, first served basis so to avoid disappointment, register early.

Please note the dates of the courses and bid accordingly.

The deadline to register will be November 4, 2019.

Cancellations must be received 3 working days prior to course start for refund. Exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Lunch and course materials will be provided by the Vancouver and District Labour Council. Please be advised that accommodations as well as transportation costs will NOT be covered.

For a list of courses available, with descriptions, please click HERE.

To register, please fill out the form attached HERE and email it to me at education@accomponent.ca.

In Solidarity,

Victoria Primavera
Air Canada Component Education Committee Chair

Component President Message

Grab and Go Breakfast Anyone?

WIP – Maternity EI Top Up & Wage Indemnity

Santiago and Barcelona – Update

Fall 2019 Courses in Vancouver

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Air Canada Component of CUPE

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