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

Pension Committee Update – February 2023

Pension Information 101
Why do I have two separate pension deductions on my pay? Best 3 years and other info…

The Pension Committee wants to wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2023.

With the start of the new year, it is good to take some time to think about one’s retirement future.

Here is some general information about the pension plans at Mainline and Rouge.

Hybrid Members at Mainline and Rouge:
You contribute to your pension into two different components of the Hybrid pension plan: one component is a Defined Benefit plan (DB) and the other is a Defined Contribution plan (DC).

The DB pension plan is managed by Air Canada (it is actually managed by an AC subsidiary called Trans-Canada Capital “TCC”).

The DC pension plan is managed by Manulife.

Every member from both Mainline and Rouge hired after November 7, 2011, are part of the Hybrid pension plan.  (Members hired before November 7, 2011, are part of the Defined Benefit pension plan.)

Therefore, members on a Hybrid pension plan, will always see two separate deductions from their pay: one contribution will go to their DB plan and the other to the DC part of the Hybrid pension plan.

Increasing pension contributions for Hybrid members.
Members under a Hybrid pension plan can increase their contribution percentage for the DC (Defined Contribution) component of their pension plan.  (Members cannot increase contribution percentage in their Defined Benefit pension.)

For more information about increasing your DC pension contributions at Manulife, click HERE.

Taking a leave of absence? Don’t ignore how it can impact your retirement.
After a leave of absence, members have 90 days to buyback their pension.  Click HERE for more information about pension buybacks.

Average Annual Compensation (AAC): a.k.a. best consecutive 36 months.
Your pension payment is calculated based on a formula that requires your Average Annual Compensation (AAC), which is your best consecutive 36 months or best 3 years.

For DB members: details and information can be found in the Employee Booklet which can be found by following these links: HR Connex > Retirement > HR Connex Pension > Quick Links > Plan Information > Air Canada Pension Plan – Employee Booklet

For Hybrid members: details and information can be found in the Plan Member Booklet by following these links after logging into ACAeronet: Click HR Connex > Under the ‘Retirement’ tab > Click ‘My DC Pension’ > My Profile > View My Plan Material > Plan Member Booklet

Safe travels.

Regards,

Your Component Pension Committee:

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

pensions@accomponent.ca

Did you know?
Almost half of the current membership is on a DB (Defined Benefit) pension plan and the other half is part of a Hybrid pension plan.

Even though these are two different plans, there is one common link for the entire membership: we are all contributing into a DB pension plan.

Retirement Update:
In 2022, 64 members had retired. Click HERE to look at the breakdown between bases.  Best wishes to all retired members.

Committee Appointments – Air Canada Component of CUPE

Your Component Officers are pleased to announce the following appointments to our Component Committees:

Robert Hatfield – Component Crew Rest Committee Chairperson

Karen Pritchard & Jimi Harton – Central Site Representatives

Carmela Iermieri – Component Grievance Committee Chairperson

Dionne Solomon & Kirk Horsman – Component Grievance Committee Members

Jordan Braystone – Component Health and Safety Committee Chairperson

Nicola Schnell – Component Health and Safety Committee Vice Chairperson

Marc Roumy – Component Pension Committee Chairperson

Caroline Lozeau Gelinas, Henly Larden & Alex Habib – Component Pension Committee Members

Melinda Allen & Alex Habib – Component Hotel Committee Chairperson

Mary Mulholland – Component Preferential Bidding System Co-Chairperson

Jesse Matthews – Component Reserve Committee Chairperson

Michel Foures-Wilson – Component Tabulating Committee Member

Philippe Rousseau & Jennifer Agmon – Component Uniform Committee Co-Chairperson

Patricia Eberley – Wage Indemnity Program Board of Trust Chairperson

Jimi Harton,  Mary Rita Dunning, Silvana DeSantis, & Antonius Lam – Wage Indemnity Program (WIP) Board of Trust Trustees
We are very grateful for the work and the dedication of all members who take on these important roles within their Union. They are the backbone in the running of our Component and are a crucial element to our success. We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation and look forward to our accomplishments into 2023 and beyond.

The Union is currently seeking members who would have an interest in joining the following committees at the Component level:

Benefit Committee
Your Component Benefit Committee works through various benefit related inquiries and assists the membership in understanding their benefit entitlements.  It also is a liaison with the local offices to assist them with their benefit’s related matters.  For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.

Bilingual Committee
Your Component Bilingual Committee is tasked with ensuring that Canada’s official languages act is upheld by the employer and that bilingual issues affecting the members are addressed. For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.
 
Bylaw Review Committee

Your Component Bylaw Review Committee reviews the Component Bylaws and presents Bylaw amendments and/or additions to the Component Executive, which will make final recommendations to be adopted by a Membership referendum vote. For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.
 
Diversity Committee

Our Component Diversity Committee is an important part of our overall goal of integrating membership initiatives and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all our members. The committee will also advocate for our marginalized members in the workplace and manage issues related to discrimination and challenges associated with ethnic or racial bias. For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.

Education Committee
The Component Education Committee is a committee that we feel is important and will be so valuable as we move closer to full collective bargaining in 2025. Education and knowledge are a relevant part of solidifying a solid base of knowledge amongst the membership. Sharing this information amongst ourselves is also a grass roots approach to taking back our power in collective bargaining. For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.
 
New Aircraft Committee

Participate with the Company in obtaining information from the manufacturer on overall and specific galley design, assess safety of design and equipment and give a written report of your findings, with your recommendations, to the Component President. For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.
 
Rouge Pension Committee

The Pension Committee is a joint Committee with the Company and is responsible to ensure the financial and administrative operations of the pension plan is in accordance with the provisions of the pension plan. We currently have a vacancy on the pension plan specific to members enrolled in the Rouge Pension Plan, which is anyone who’s original hiring company is at Air Canada Rouge. This includes members who have transferred to Mainline.  For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.
 
Women’s Committee

Your Component Women’s Committee does the very valuable work of increasing the participation of women in the Union at all levels and educating them about Women’s issues and rights. This also includes corresponding with members who have questions about maternity, breastfeeding, and many other women’s issues. For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@accomponent.ca.

If you have an interest in chairing any of these committees and/or being a committee member, we encourage you to reach out to Component President Wesley Lesosky at w.lesosky@accomponent.ca.

In solidarity,

Black History Month

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History month. This is a time for celebration and a clear recognition of the legacy of black people in Canada.  This month and each month throughout the year, we can all reflect on this history and commit to maintaining an awareness and to foster meaningful change. It is also a time in which we must reflect on the fact that discrimination still exists. We must all do our part to stand up against racism and hatred in its overt and subtle forms.

Now is the time to shine a light and educate ourselves, our friends and family and move towards an enlightened future. The following links we hope, will highlight the many accomplishments of black Canadians and celebrate their contributions. Together we can create a world of inclusion and diversity and respect for all peoples.

https://www.rcinet.ca/en/podcasts/portraits-of-black-canadians/

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

In Solidarity,

Your Component Diversity Committee