As most are now aware, the Air Canada Component of CUPE has served Air Canada with notice to bargain and has just completed two days of meetings with the employer in Toronto. We opened bargaining and had two days scheduled, December 11 and 12 to commence the bargaining process.
Over the past 18 months your Bargaining Committee has been deeply engaged in preparations for our upcoming negotiations. We have developed a package of strong bargaining proposals based on membership feedback and survey results, input from our subject matter experts including Component and Local committees, legal counsel, and CUPE National specialists.
Your Bargaining Committee proposals reflect the direction provided by the membership with a focus on the top three priorities identified in the initial bargaining survey: pay, benefits, and pensions. In addition to our Unpaid Work Won’t Fly Campaign – a message that has resonated with members, government, and the public – we have a range of proposals designed to address the various challenges and inequities evident in the current Collective Agreement.
On day one, the Component President delivered the following message to the employer to illustrate how our members are feeling and reinforce the need for improvements:
Hello,
Thanks for meeting with us today. I can speak for our 10,000 members and say we look forward to getting to work on an industry leading Collective Agreement renewal. A lot has changed in the past ten years. To put things in perspective, the last time we negotiated a Collective Agreement, Barack Obama was just halfway through his second term. The last time we negotiated a Collective Agreement, Air Canada’s annual revenue for that year was $13 billion, while last year, the company had revenues of $21 billion. Much has changed over the past ten unprecedented years, and today our members find themselves in a position of hardship, frustration and living pay cheque to pay cheque.
The pandemic and ensuing economic fallout rocked our industry to the core. Many of our members are still trying to dig themselves out of the hole that the pandemic put them in, financially and emotionally. We are encouraged to see Air Canada rebound and regain its financial health. Unfortunately, our members cannot say the same.
Of course, if losing their jobs wasn’t bad enough, the inflation crisis meeting our members on the other side of the pandemic has been the icing on the cake. Our members have seen their purchasing power plummet, and their wages fall short of what they need just to get by. New hires know home ownership is no longer a reality while working for this company, while our older members are wondering if their pension will allow them to retire with dignity. The reality of having no choice but to work two or three jobs is, tragically, becoming the new normal.
We need to look at what the Companies’ responses were to these life altering circumstances. During Covid, Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge laid off the vast majority of our membership, and in doing so, they cut them off from employer benefits, during a pandemic, where the Union tried to find ways to offer benefits to our members to allow them to rest easier in the event that they sustained illness. They lost pensionable service, wage progression, had to pay back vacation they were previously awarded and more. Even though the Company had the opportunity to keep members whole through the CEWS program, just like most airlines in the country. When Inflation skyrocketed, the Union tried to negotiate increases to help our members stay afloat. What we received in return was a discussion of concessions and unrealistic demands from Air Canada. Never did Air Canada take into consideration the financial wellbeing of their employees; instead, they took the opportunity to seek concessions from our members.
This has been a long ten years; some might say the longest ten years this industry has ever seen. Our members have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, to restore their purchasing power and bring dignity back to this profession. And we will not be letting it go to waste. Our members are committed to having their collective voice heard and their issues brought to the forefront for everyone to hear. The Air Canada Component Bargaining Committee with the support from CUPE National staff, will be their conduit. The Union’s mobilization efforts will be loud and forward facing during this round and we will be providing our members with regular updates of detailed information from the table.
Our hope and our goal is to get a deal done with the least impact to our members and the Company, but we will be steadfast in taking whatever path is needed to ensure our members get what they need and deserve in their next contract.
As noted in the Service Director News – November 2024 Edition:
The Elevate the Customer Experience team sends out Customer Satisfaction surveys to evaluate all phases of the customer journey, from check-in to in-flight experience to baggage claim.
The customer journey diagram below highlights that In Flight Service, ranging from 45 minutes to 16 hours, is the longest of all the touchpoints during the customer journey.
When we rank the key factors that drive customer satisfaction all of which play a role determining our Net Promoter Score, we see “In Flight Staff” as top factor.
It leaves little doubt as to the importance Cabin Crew plays in the service experiences of our customers and the important role you play in helping your crew consistently deliver on our service promise.
Now is the time to invest in your crew, change our jobs into careers, and make meaningful changes to show our members they are truly valued, compensated well for what they do, and will have a solid pension to go into retirement with.
Our members are the face of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. They are the frontline of service and support for the flying public. This contract needs to recognize and reflect the value and the importance of flight attendants for this company, and how much they are valued and needed for this airline to get back to being a world leader.
We look forward to productive conversations and meaningful dialogue this round.
As proposals are always fluid, we are not able to provide language until we come to a tentative agreement that we are willing to move forward to the membership for ratification. The following list represents an overview of some of the key issues we will be addressing at the bargaining table. PLEASE NOTE: This list is NOT in order of priority, it is in chronological order based on general articles of the Collective Agreement.
- Article 2 – Scope
- Article 5 – Ground Duty – Pre/Post Duty Period
- Article 5 – Underpayments/Overpayments
- Article 5 – Wage Increases & Rates of Pay
- Article 5 – Night Flight Premium
- Article 6 – Deadheading Credits
- Article 6 – Training Credits
- Article 6 – Training Credits & Flight Time Limitations
- Article 6.02.02 – Duty Periods 30 Minute and Extended Pick Ups
- Article 6.03 – Four (4) Hour Credit for Reporting Even if No Flight Operated
- Article 6.03 – Unpaid Work
- Article 7 – Per Diems and Work Allowances
- Article 8 – Vacation Credits and MML Reserve and Blockholders
- Article 8 – Vacation Entitlements
- Article 9 – Sick Days
- Article 9 – Sick Leave and Accumulation
- Article 10 – Personal Time Bank
- Article 17 – Reduction of Forces/layoff and Wage Freeze
- Article 19 – Hotels
- Article 19.05 – Prone Rest
- Article 20.01 – Health & Safety Flight Releases Charged to Company
- Article 21 – Hotels
- Article 21 – Union Review of Onboard Services
- Article 22 – Improved Benefits
- Article 23.03 – Introduction of New Aircraft
- LOU 28 – Onboard Crew Rest
- LOU 30 – Pension
- LOU 44 – Grievance Procedure
- LOU 51 – B767 Crew Rest Seats and Crew Rest
- LOU 59 – Flow Through
- LOU 59.07 – Flow Through Wage Freeze
- LOU 60.04 – Crew Complement
- LOU 61 – A330 and A321 XLR Crew Rest Seats
- New LOU – Deadhead Seating Priority
- New LOU – Dedicated Crew Seats All Flights
- New LOU – Jumpseat Agreement – Reciprocal
- B4.02.02.04 – Language Requirements
- B5.02.01 – Duty Periods 30 Minute and Extended Pick Ups
- B6 – Reassignment
- B6.03.05 – Reassignment Timeframe
- B8 – AM/PM Reserve
- B8 – Reserve Days Off Protection
- New Appendix – Implementation Timeline 2025 CA
- New MOA – Air Canada Rouge – Folding into Mainline
- New MOA – Truth and Reconciliation
**LOU = Letter of Understanding
**MOA = Memorandum of Agreement
The Union and employer have dates set in January 2025 to meet in Montreal and Toronto where we will continue bargaining. We will report back at that time.
Your Bargaining Committee is committed to fostering open communication, education, and engagement. The exercise of bargaining is collective and each of us has a role to play. This week was the start of a very important process – one that will affect every one of us. We are encouraged by the interest and energy shown by the membership thus far.
Together we will achieve the Collective Agreement we deserve.
In Solidarity,
Your Bargaining Committee