Air Canada Bargaining opens February 11

Air Canada Bargaining opens February 11

February 1, 2011 at 3:00 PM

Your elected bargaining committee has sent a notice to bargain to Air Canada. We will open our 2011 contract negotiations on February 11, 2011. CAW president Ken Lewenza will join us at the bargaining table at the opening and as often as possible throughout negotiations.

Your committee has been working hard to create a set of key demands based on your bargaining proposals meetings and survey results. Wage increases, paid lunch breaks, vacation, sick time and benefit improvements consistently topped the list.

CAW members have made tremendous sacrifices in order to help get Air Canada back on the track to profitability. Today we are working twice as hard as a decade ago and our wages have not even kept pace with inflation.

Our members want respect from Air Canada. Respect can be an intangible issue, but we know it when we have it. Our work needs to be valued, appreciated and paid accordingly. Significant wage gains will go a long way to addressing our need for recognition and appreciation.

Pensions have dominated much of our collective bargaining for the last decade. In 2009, when Air Canada was once again on the brink of bankruptcy, we agreed to a contract extension with an Air Canada pension funding moratorium until 2014. This was to allow Air Canada to move beyond the global financial crisis that had so dramatically affected the overall economy. At that time, and subsequently, the federal government instructed all parties to remain vigilant to ensure the long-term sustainability of the pension plan.

Air Canada is again raising concerns about the funding of the pension plan. This is not surprising given that they have made minimal funding contributions. As the global economy recovers, so too will investments for pension plans. We will be vigilant in protecting our pension plans, as secure pension benefits for our current and future retirees must be maintained. We do not intend to have this round of bargaining sidetracked by pension discussions.

Shift scheduling is an important issue in many locations. Airline work involves shift work and irregular hours, with all of the stresses that inflicts on us and our families. Our hours of work are often extreme, far from the nine-to-five world, so we need to build the best possible schedules, with consistency and as much time off as possible.

In our last round of negotiations, in order to address issues such as pensions and working conditions, we involved a couple of district chairpersons. We intend to build on this process and create sub-committees to work on additional key items such as scheduling, reservations issues, customer relations, and technological developments. We believe this will make our bargaining process stronger and more inclusive. In order to cover a temporary absence on the committee, District 301 District Chairperson, Vicky Xekominos, will be representing the Central region in bargaining until the elected representative returns.

Your elected committee and the additional district chairpersons will be joined by legal, economic and pension experts from the National Union as needed.

On a sad note, long time National Representative, Carlo Levore, is battling a serious health issue and will need to take time to regain his health. CAW President, Ken Lewenza has appointed Local 2002 President, Leslie Dias as a National Staff Representative. Leslie will continue to work closely with your elected bargaining committee, along with Peggy Nash, Assistant to Ken Lewenza. Leslie will be assigned to the Airline Division until Carlo returns, at which point she will assume a new staff assignment.

As per the Local 2002 bylaws (4.4.04) Executive Vice President, Jamie Ross will assume the role of local president until elections are held this spring. Jamie has held a variety of roles within the Union: District Chairperson, Bargaining Committee Representative, Vice President and Executive Vice President. She is the Employee Assistance (EAP) Coordinator and has subsequently worked with many of the bargaining units of Local 2002.

Membership solidarity will be the key to our bargaining success. Our strength at the bargaining table depends on it. Stay informed, direct any questions, rumours or concerns to your District Chairperson and sign up for e-news at  http://www.caw2002tca.ca/  so that you receive up to the minute bargaining news.

Thank you for taking the time to read this bulletin and for your determination to make progress in your workplace.

  

In solidarity,

Your Air Canada Bargaining Committee,
Paul Janssen
Dave Hoskins
Vicky Xekominos
Marcel Rondeau
Christa Chaplin
Jamie Ross

 

 

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