Getting to Know your Local: December edition

December 20, 2018 at 11:22 AM



Welcome to Getting to Know Your Local, a Unifor Local 2002 newsletter dedicated to bringing you information about our Local and our members.  

For the month of December, we end the year with our largest unit: Air Canada: Customer Sales & Service Agents 



Air Canada (National): Customer Sales & Service Agents (CSSA’s)
Local 2002 represents more than 4,800 Customer Sales and Service agents (CSSA’s) that are employed at Airports, Call Centres, Customer Relations, and Customer Journey Management (CJM) across Canada. The majority of our members are the first point of customer contact providing customer service in multiple languages.

Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline in Canada by fleet size and passengers carried. The airline was founded in 1937, it provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to 207 destinations worldwide on six continents.
 
In 1946, ninety-six out of ninety-eight eligible passenger agents (forty-one of whom were female) at Trans Canada Airlines (TCA later named Air Canada) signed union cards to organize as the Canadian Airline Passenger Agent Association (CALPAA). In spite of management’s strong objections, the Wartime Labour Relations Board (WLB) granted certification, and on November 8, 1946, CALPAA bargained their first contract with TCA, paving the way for all of our Local’s members today. 

Although we work in an industry that’s constantly changing, we have always been on the right side of history when it comes to fighting to better the lives of workers and their communities. Collectively we have made history, and we continue to build on this great legacy for all our members.
 
Airports 
Members conduct passenger check-in, prepare and issue tickets and boarding passes. Members also assist passengers at airport counters, gate locations, pre-boarding of passengers, Members play an important role in ensuring that Air Canada departing flights are ready for a secure and on-time departure.  
 
Call Centres 
Members handle inbound calls offering the highest level of customer service and providing information regarding flights, fares, destinations, special offers, and other travel products. They make new flight reservations, modify existing bookings, monitor social media channels, and provide timely resolutions to customer inquiries, including concerns and/or issues ensure customer satisfaction. The Call Centre agents provide technical and sales support of the Air Canada Web product.
 
Customer Journey Management (CJM) 
Members are the support during irregular operations for the entire Air Canada system, they provide support and solutions over the phone in a timely manner. They also pre-edit flights in advance of departure time, build seat maps for check-in, resolve seating conflicts, and accommodate seating assignments for special needs customers.  They work with all departments in the Operation Centre (OC), the Contact Centres and the Airports. They ensure proactive and effective customer recovery plans are in place during an irregular operation event.

Members manage delayed and canceled flights, create extra sections to replace them, rebook customer using the in-house Air Canada Passenger Rebooking System (PRS), flight editing, and book hotel rooms for customers, and issue compensation. 
 
Customer Relations 
Members assist all customers and travel agents in seeking solutions to resolve complaints related to post-travels. They handle all claims received in writing from travel agents and/or clients that are related to travels for which problems/issues need to be resolved.  

They negotiate settlements by phone, analyze and review appeals on decisions, provide and maintain a high customer service level and professionalism through the course of telephone and/or correspondence. Agents work closely with Operations, Destination Services, Airports, Sales, Reservations.