days until our Collective Agreement expires, we are preparing, we are united and we will make change.

Layoff and Vacation

We were recently made aware that Crew Planning was removing January 2021 vacation days from some members who were laid-off effective January 31, 2021. This was due to the fact that those members had now taken more vacation than they would have earned.  To clarify, vacation allotment is taken in the year it is earned and is based on the vacation year running from May 1st to April 30th.

This would have had unintended consequences on your Insurable Earnings for EI and would have left members with a smaller than expected final paycheque with no means to “make-up” the hours that they had lost. The Company has confirmed this was done in error.  Earlier today they confirmed the vacation days and associated credit(s) will be added back to your schedule and paid on your February 17, 2021 paystub. Vacation Reconciliation will then take place at the end of the Vacation Year, which is consistent with past practise and the information contained in your layoff letter.

We appreciate all of you that have written in on this, allowing your Union to raise and bring the issue forward.

In solidarity,

MAYDAY, PM Trudeau!

The Airline Division of CUPE is calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to help Airline Workers. We as Flight Attendants have been on the frontlines of COVID-19 from the onset and we have had very little consultation from our Federal government. Our industry is on life support and we find ourselves with no real plan from Mr. Trudeau and his government. Please join us in having our members’ voices heard and our stories shared.
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Staffing Update – February 3, 2021

We were advised moments ago that Air Canada Rouge will be suspending operation effective February 8, 2021. This will result in the remaining active membership that is currently working at Rouge being placed on layoff status.  As one cannot mitigate their own layoff, and there are no positions remaining at Rouge, and no one junior at Mainline, there will be no bumping or mitigations offered. More information will follow once official layoff notices are issued.

For Air Canada Mainline, at this time we have not been advised of any layoffs however there has been discussion on this and we will keep you posted once we have more information on how any staffing surplus will be dealt with at Mainline.

This further staffing surplus is a direct result of the continued restrictions placed on air travel by the Federal Government and their unwillingness to put in place a safe and reliable strategy for resuming air travel.

We understand there will be many questions, rumours, and thoughts on this.  Please reach out to your Union, do not rely on rumours and please be there for one another.  These are unprecedented and very challenging times.

In solidarity,

Mitigation Update 3

The Union was advised today of the programs, attached below, that have gone out as a form of mitigation to ALL members, Mainline and Rouge, who are active or on layoff.

If you are interested in resigning or retiring from the Company, please review the attached programs that have been made available from Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.

Air Canada Mainline Mitigation Program
Air Canada Rouge Mitigation Program

The Union has not been advised of the required staffing levels for the weeks and months ahead but have been updated by the company that they are currently reviewing them and will advise when they have any information to share.

In solidarity,

Interruption of Legal Crew Rest at a Layover Station (B5.05.01, Note I)

The Union is extremely pleased to announce that we have received a positive arbitral decision from Arbitrator Elizabeth J McIntyre upholding a group grievance whereby Air Canada directly contacted crew members during their minimum legal crew rest at a layover station.

The Union argued that the Collective Agreement language in Article B5.05.01 Note I, (negotiated in the 2015 round of bargaining) is very clear, and that during the minimum legal rest period, the company cannot directly contact crew members for any reason. And furthermore, the company is only permitted to leave a silent message in the crew members’ rooms advising of any changes to their schedule during the minimum legal rest period.

The company argued that during the minimum legal rest period, they could directly call crew members 2:30 or less prior to flight departure if the 2:30 or less fell within the minimum legal rest period.

Thankfully, the arbitrator agreed with the Union’s position and upheld the grievance as follows:
“…Conclusion

  • After careful consideration of the evidence and the submissions and for the reasons set out above, the grievances are allowed.
  • I therefore declare that the Company violated the collective agreement when it directly contacted the grievors during their rest periods on September 27, 2018.
  • I further declare that the grievors are entitled to continuous pay for the pairing in question and applicable premiums…”

Please CLICK HERE to see the entire award for more details.

To make sure you understand your rights:
When on a layover at Mainline, and anytime during your minimum legal crew rest period, the company CANNOT directly contact you, for example: they cannot call you on your cell phone or on the hotel phone. They can only ask the hotel to leave you a silent message in your room.

We would like to especially thank our Vancouver Local President for bringing this case forward and helping us reach this incredibly successful outcome. We would also like to thank our Grievance Committee and our grievors who worked on this case which was presented on November 27, 2020.

In solidarity,