Pride Month 2022
As Pride celebrations kick off across the country we work to honour and advance the freedom of everyone in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is celebrated every June as a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969. The mission of the Pride movement is the pursuit of the unequivocal right to be known, understood, accepted, heard, and respected, no matter who you love or how you identify.
During the month of June, it is quite common to see the rainbow flag, with its kaleidoscope of colours, being proudly displayed as a symbol for the Pride movement. The original multi-coloured rainbow flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker. It has gone through several changes through the years with one of the most recent being in 2018 when Daniel Quasar designed the Progress Pride flag. Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, it celebrates the diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and calls for a more inclusive society, with the addition of a five-colored chevron to place a greater emphasis on “inclusion and progression”. The flag also includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalized people of color, along with the colors pink, light blue and white, which are used on the Transgender Pride Flag.
For the rest of the month of June, we will have the flag on our bulletins to highlight the importance of inclusion for all.
In solidarity,
A Final Message for International Flight Attendant Day
The following communication was released today by CUPE National:
“This year, we salute the strength and professionalism of our 15,000 members nationwide after another challenging year battling the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty and risks that came with it,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Airline Division.
Today, our industry is on the rebound, our membership is growing across the country, and we are optimistic about what’s on the horizon for our members and our union.
In the year ahead, we are focused on turning the lessons learned during the pandemic into action. Ensuring our members have access to the best health and safety protections when and where they need them remains a top priority.
We are also energized and motivated about fighting alongside our sister unions in the United States to put an end to unpaid time on the ground during boarding, metering and deplaning. “An hour worked should be an hour paid,” said Lesosky. “The era of unpaid time on the ground for flight attendants will come to an end.”
We cannot let this occasion pass without also acknowledging that two of our CUPE airline members, Christina Carello and Alexander Rozov, remain trapped in the Dominican Republic after nearly two months, for reporting a crime that they did not commit. Christina and Alexander are in our thoughts every day and we will do whatever we can to bring them home safely as soon as possible.
For the year ahead and beyond, we wish all our members continued strength, safety and solidarity.
In Solidarity,
Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE
Bargaining Re-Opener #1 – Arbitration Award Q and A
ACCEX will be holding a virtual Bargaining Road Show on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 from 14:00h to 15:00h EDT to answer questions concerning the Bargaining Re-Opener #1 Arbitration award.
This bargaining road show is open for all members to attend, from both Mainline and Rouge. It will be held via Zoom for 1 hour, and registration is required. Members can submit questions prior to the bargaining road show by emailing contact@accomponent.ca.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eUaENRacRpyj4-ocwbW2-A
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
In solidarity,
Your ACCEX
International Flight Attendant Day – May 31, 2022
This year for International Flight Attendant Day we want to celebrate the work and contributions of all Flight Attendants across the globe and here at home. There are few professions that require a combination of commitment to safety, organised emergency responses, medical incidents, disruptive passengers, security, and customer service. Not to mention, you have added toxic fume events, sexual harassment, assaults, and contagious disease response to the mix. These duties are diligently performed with no ability to consult with anyone other than your colleagues in the air.
Working as a Flight Attendant has transformed over the years, the job that once was considered glamorous has now become an exercise in diplomacy and equal parts strength, independent thinking, and tenacity. At no time have those duties become more onerous than during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to performing your work, you are the ones who bore the realities of this pandemic up close. There was also the very real fact that some of our colleagues had to stay at home to care for family members who were vulnerable or were laid off due to the precipitous drop in commercial flying. The economic strain was long and created duress for many.
Each one of our members is unique, diverse and possesses a litany of invaluable skills. Your strength, talents and courage are an asset to all. We honour and support you. We hope that when you reflect on this past year that you take time to appreciate and value all that you have borne and soldiered through.
We would like to recognise this day and to honour our many members and colleagues by providing a stylus pen with our contact email address on it that you can pick up at your Local office. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the very best on International Flight Attendant Day 2022.
In solidarity,