June 4, 2009 at 7:20 PM
It has been determined that the CAW and Air Canada have different interpretations of the recent Memorandum of Settlement. Specifically, this pertains to employees who have opted into Aeroplan (as an employer) and the travel passes they are entitled to. As a result the June 05 date has been extended until June 10, 2009.
The agreement outlines the following Personal Travel Privileges as follows:
Category 1 – Eligible to retire
"Category 1 –Eligible to retire: Employees deemed eligible to retire on December 31, 2010 will receive full retirement benefits as per the Air Canada Employee Travel Policy (regardless of whether they elect to retire or not)."
• The company’s new position is that service award passes will only be issued until October 4, 2009 (must reach the milestone before October 4).
Category 2 – 15 plus years of service
"Category 2-15 plus years of service; Employees with fifteen years of deemed service or more but who are not deemed employees eligible to retire on December 31, 2010 will receive unlimited Air Canada personal travel privileges until the number of deemed service at Air Canada plus the number of years elapsed since May 31, 2009 total 25 or otherwise at such time when the former employee would have been eligible to Retire had he she continued employment with Air Canada. Upon meeting either of these two criteria the employee is entitled, upon personally notifying Air Canada, to receive full Air Canada retiree travel privileges as if such employee was in Category 1."
• The company’s new position is that these employees will not have access to service award passes. As well there will be no access to OAL passes or any other third party offers to Air Canada employees (such as hotel and car rental deals for example).
This is simply not what the company offered to its employees. We are working expeditiously to address these issues.
For more information, please contact:
Marcel Rondeau | Sandi McManus