Lisa Raymond, Author at AC Component

Pension Contributions

Lisa Raymond on September 13, 2022

The Pension Committee wants to welcome all new members from Mainline and Rouge. Now, let us talk about your retirement!

In an effort to welcome all new members to Air Canada, this bulletin applies to all members both at Air Canada and Rouge, who have been hired after November 7, 2011.

It is never too early to plan for your retirement. In fact, the sooner you prepare for your retirement, the greater opportunity you have to take advantage of an investment’s best friend, which is: time. The more time you have, the better it is for your money to grow.

Members hired after November 7, 2011, are on a Hybrid Pension plan.

A Hybrid pension plan consists of two equal components: Defined Benefit (DB) and Defined Contribution (DC).

You can increase your contributions in the DC component of your Hybrid Pension plan. (Members cannot increase their contribution amounts for their Defined Benefit (DB) pension.)

The default setting is at 1.5%, but depending on one’s years of service, members can increase their contribution amount for the DC component of their Hybrid Pension plan.

The Company matches the amounts members contribute into the DC component of their Hybrid Pension plan. Therefore, the more you contribute to your DC plan, the more money you get from the Company.

As an example: a member that has 2 years or less of continuous service, who contributes $100 to their DC pension, will receive a $100 from the employer. Therefore, the member will have $200 in their DC pension account.

Company matching amounts for DC contributions:

To maximize your DC contribution amounts, follow these steps:

For Mainline Employees: HR Connex > Retirement > My DC Pension > Manulife > My Account > My Contributions > View/Change My Payroll Deduction Amount.

For Rouge Employees: Login to Manulife > My Account > My Contributions > View/Change My Payroll Deduction Amount

Regards and in solidarity,

Your Component Pension Committee:

Marc Roumy (Chairperson)
Henly Larden (Member)
Caroline Lozeau Gelinas (Member)
Alex Habib (Rouge Member)

pensions@accomponent.ca

Did you know?
Only 27% of members on a Hybrid Pension plan are contributing to the maximum amount. Therefore, 73% of members are not contributing to the maximum and are missing out from receiving extra money from the company.

Union Update

Lisa Raymond on September 12, 2022

Rouge Duty Overtime – Update on Payments
As per the bulletin send out on September 2, 2022 (CLICK HERE), the Company has just confirmed the Rouge Overtime Premium will be implemented retroactively to Arbitrator Ready’s original award date of May 20, 2022. This is welcome news for our Rouge members. If you have any issues with payments, please reach out to your Local Union Office.

Vacation Assignment for New Hires and Flow Through Members
We have confirmed with the company that they are in the process of assigning members with vacation time, please verify in Globe for your assigned vacation. Once you have vacation assigned, you are able to bid on Vacated Vacation Switches as per Article 8.11 of the Collective Agreement.

Pay Issues for Flow Through Members
There has been an increase of members who have reached out in regard to your pay rate once you officially flowed over to Mainline from Rouge. The Union is looking into this with the Company and once we have an update, we will reach out to all those affected individually. We understand this has taken some time, we needed to pull reports to verify leaves, training, and initial assignments to ensure the employer had updated information to work with.

Call In Reserve
Mainline and Rouge members, when you are on a Call In day, you are required contractually to call the night prior for your assignment, at the call in time, you will be awarded a pairing, a leave with pay until the next call in period, or be converted to ready reserve. Please ensure you contact the Union if you have any questions or concerns.

Crew Changes on Through Flights
Did you know when there is a crew change on a through flight, only the inbound crew is entitled to post period ground duty for remaining onboard, this is as per Article 5.08. Outbound crews should not be pressured to relieve the inbound crew earlier than their check in time. We understand the challenges placed on our current operation and ask that the Service Director claim when entitled.

Metering Pay
Reminder to Service Directors, the Union is receiving many reports of ground claims not being put in. If your flight is applicable to metering pay, please remember this is not automatic and you must go in and claim it for your crew. If you need assistance on eClaim, please reach out to your Local Union office or your Manager for assistance.

In solidarity,

Your ACCEX

Secretary Treasurer Report – September 2022

Lisa Raymond on September 12, 2022

Please see an update below regarding the financial affairs of the Component:

Banking and Investments
As of September 1st, we currently have 3 GICs as outlined below:

$1,012,500 – Two-Year 1.25% GIC, maturing Dec 17, 2022.
$1,500,000 – Nine-Month 4.10% GIC, maturing May 03, 2023.
$1,212,000 – Two-Year 3.45% GIC, maturing May 06, 2024.

In addition, we have just under $1,300,000 in Savings earning an interest rate of 2.20%.

2022 Fiscal Year End
The fiscal year ended on June 30, 2022, and I am happy to report that the Component was successful in returning to operating with a surplus. When the 2022 budget was completed over a year ago many of our members were still laid off. As such we remained rather conservative in our budgeted spending which had led to a surplus as revenues increased well beyond budget with all members recalled and new hires joining our membership.

The pie chart below shows a visual representation of where your dues dollars were spent over the last year.

Statement of Operation
2022 Fiscal Year (July 2021 – June 2022)
Please see below the Unaudited Statement of Operation for the past fiscal year which ended on June 30, 2022. Our annual accounting audit will take place in January 2023 as per the Component Bylaws.

2023 Component Budget
ACCEX met in late July to review a draft budget for our 2023 fiscal year. Some highlights of the budget are as follows:

Local 4091 (YUL) has seen rapid growth over the past year and YUL is now the second largest base at Mainline. As such ACCEX allocated funds to Local 4091 to cover the cost of additional full-time release for their office from the Component budget.
ACCEX made the decision to begin to allocate significant funds to 2025 Bargaining as part of the budget and we hope to continue to do so over the next 2 years so that the Union is ready when we enter negotiations with Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge in 2025.
Budgeted for new Union Pins for the membership which can be worn with your uniform.

Overall, the budget runs with a small surplus and was unanimously approved by ACCEX.

In Solidarity,

Alex Habib

Secretary-Treasurer, Air Canada Component of CUPE

Arriving to the Aircraft

Lisa Raymond on September 7, 2022

On September 2, 2022 the below unsigned bulletin was electronically distributed to all cabin crew at Mainline:

In the bulletin it appears to the Union that the Company truly believes that delays at our overseas stations are being caused by cabin crew “Duty free shopping, food shopping, too many liquids purchased on layover being brought through security and other reasons have been causing crew to arrive to the aircraft delayed which is unacceptable.” I think the Company omitted the other reasons, some of which could be delays with transport, delays checking out of hotels, transport times, security holds, short crewing of groomers on aircrafts, and agent delays, to name a few.

The Company has overlooked the inadequate catering we are facing in most stations, the short staffing on the ground, at the counters, and on the phones. Many members are having to deal with short shipments of uniform components, excessively long duty periods, increased delays on arrival, delays on the outbound flights and flight cancelations. We experience delays getting through to our colleagues in Scheduling, multiple reassignment periods throughout our rosters and an influx of many new hires just trying to map out how to understand all the changes to their blocks or reserve cycles. Its trying times for us all, but to highlight your performance in this manner is unnecessary and unwarranted.

The tone of the message is unfortunately off.

Our members, each and everyone of you are trained professionals and have been working through one of the most challenging times our industry has faced, and now as we are nearing the end of a global pandemic, we see our employer focusing in on your duty free shopping and you arriving sporadically with shopping bags to the aircraft.

And finally, the last paragraph needs to be addressed :

“Please be advised that station performance is monitored closely and any delayed flights due to unacceptable reasons (mentioned above or otherwise) will be subject to follow up”.

Please advise anyone calling for « Follow Up » that you would like to discuss their concerns with Union Representation on hand, you have no obligation to discuss work prior to being at work, checked in.

Look after one another up there, and know the Union is behind you.

In Solidarity,

Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE

Scope Violation CHQ-22-73

Lisa Raymond on September 7, 2022

A scope clause is part of a contract between a major airline and a trade union. The importance of a scope clause in a Collective Agreement cannot be understated as its purpose is to protect bargaining unit work. Article 2 of the Collective Agreement outlines specific details of our scope agreement.

It has recently come to the Union’s attention that Air Canada is violating our scope clause, specifically, Article 2.04.05.01 by operating more than 30 narrow body aircraft at Air Canada rouge.

The purpose of Article 2.04.05 is to limit the amount of aircraft that can be operated at rouge. Click here (CHQ-22-73) to see the grievance form.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the above noted matter.

In Solidarity,

Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE

Pension Contributions

Union Update

Secretary Treasurer Report – September 2022

Arriving to the Aircraft

Scope Violation CHQ-22-73

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Air Canada Component of CUPE

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