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

COVID-19 Leave Options 

Many members have been reaching out in the past few weeks regarding leave options as the original COVID-19 leave was scheduled to be repealed effective October 1, 2020.  We are happy to report on a new development as today the Federal Government tabled Bill C-2 which includes proposed amendments to the Canada Labour Code.

Bill C-2 includes proposed amendments to the Canada Labour Code to ensure that federally regulated employees have access to job-protected leaves so that they can avail themselves to the new benefits introduced by the government as outlined below:

Subject to this legislation receiving Royal Assent, the new Benefits would provide income support to Canadians by introducing measures that encourage people to safely return to work. Specifically, the legislation includes:

  • A Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks, to workers who are self-employed or are not eligible for EI and who still require income support. This Benefit would support Canadians who have not returned to work due to COVID-19 or whose income has dropped by at least 50%. These workers must be available and looking for work, and must accept work where it is reasonable to do so;
  • A Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) of $500 per week for up to two weeks, for workers who are sick or must self-isolate for reasons related to COVID-19. This Benefit supports our commitment to ensure all Canadian workers have access to paid sick leave; and,
  • A Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks per household, for eligible Canadians unable to work because they must care for a child under the age of 12 or family member because schools, day-cares or care facilities are closed due to COVID-19 or because the child or family member is sick and/or required to quarantine

In addition, any period of leave taken by an employee prior to September 30, 2020, does not count towards the total amount of leave you could now be entitled to under the new proposed legislation.

We are in discussion with Air Canada on implementing these new leaves pending passage by Parliament and will update the membership as more information becomes available, including any policies put in place by the employer.  Please note these leaves would be applicable at Air Canada Mainline and Air Canada Rouge.

In solidarity,

Paper Mailings – REMINDER

As election time approaches we wanted to send a reminder about opting-out of paper mailings.

In 2018, changes were made to the Air Canada Component Bylaws allowing members to opt-out of receiving physical mailings during elections and to receive communication electronically, solely via email.

Turning to electronic communication allows those with difficulty accessing mailboxes to receive their information in a secure and timely manner. This option also represents environmental and cost saving benefits. The use of paper has a significant impact on our carbon footprint – not just from the chopping down of trees to make the paper, but also on the fossil fuel power used for printing, and the chemicals involved, too. We would like to move to a more progressive approach to our communications strategy and this is part of that initiative.

Rest assured you are not opting out of receiving information all together, everything will still be sent to you via email.

Please complete the opt-out form by clicking on the link below and help reduce our Union’s environmental footprint!

https://forms.gle/P8KDLgy2TZoFNNvq7

In solidarity,

Recall Update

We wanted to advise of further recalls to Air Canada Rouge which are solely as a result of members declining positions at Air Canada Rouge. As of yesterday, a total of 440 recall letters to Air Canada Rouge have been sent out, with the most junior person being recalled holding seniority number 20425.

As a reminder if your recall is to Air Canada Rouge, and you are a Mainline member, you do not need to accept but you must still reply to the recall notice. In this case you have up to 14 calendar days to reply to the employer advising that you are not interested in the recall but wish to be maintained on the seniority list for future recalls.

Please see the below chart which based on your recall date advises of the applicable deadlines to reply:

Date of Recall Notice Deadline to Accept Deadline to Decline
Sep 8th 2020 Passed Sep 22nd at 2359 EDT
Sep 11th 2020 Passed Sep 25th at 2359 EDT
Sep 14th 2020 Passed Sep 28th at 2359 EDT
Sep 16th 2020 Sep 23rd at 2359 EDT Sep 30th at 2359 EDT
Sep 18th 2020 Sep 27th at 2359 EDT Oct 2nd at 2359 EDT
Sep 21st 2020 Sep 28th at 2359 EDT Oct 5th at 2359 EDT

We will continue to provide updates like this as we move through the recall process and encourage those with questions to review previous bulletins and reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.

In solidarity,

Recall Update

As a follow-up to last week’s recalls we wanted to advise of a further 80 recalls to Air Canada Rouge, solely as a result of members declining positions at Air Canada Rouge. Here is a breakdown by seniority of all the recalls that have happened since last week:

  • Seniority 16730 to 18210 – 296 Recalls to Air Canada Mainline on September 8th, 2020.
  • Seniority 18215 to 18915 – 140 Recalls to Air Canada Rouge on September 8th, 2020.
  • Seniority 18920 to 19125 – 40 Recalls to Air Canada Rouge on September 11th, 2020.
  • Seniority 19130 to 19325 – 40 Recalls to Air Canada Rouge on September 14th, 2020.

For those who were recalled on September 8th, the deadline to accept your position is today.

If your recall is to Air Canada Rouge (and you are a Mainline member), you do not need to accept but you must still reply to the recall notice. In this case you have up to 14 calendar days to reply to the employer advising that you are not interested in the recall but wish to be maintained on the seniority list for future recalls.

We will continue to provide updates like this as we move through the recall process.

In solidarity,

Seniority List Published

The Union was just made aware that the company has posted a seniority list that includes all cabin crew with your respective 2020 seniority. Crew members who are active, have been recalled or are currently on layoff status have been identified, and we hope this will help you with any decisions you may have to make and with planning accordingly.

Since many crew members have left the company, you will find gaps in the seniority numbering. This is to be expected and a resequencing of seniorities will be processed in January 2021, per Article 16 of the CUPE Collective Agreement.

You can find the seniority list on ACaeronet at In-Flight Service > Crew Scheduling & Planning > Seniority Numbers > Cabin Seniority List_09Sep20.

In solidarity,