Air Canada language program shines light on divisive culture

Air Canada language program shines light on divisive culture

February 4, 2022 at 5:00 PM

  

Air Canada portrays itself as a company that welcomes diversity and respects individuality. However, the new Contact Centre Incentive Program is offensive, divisive, and discriminatory. It offers Shine Points to those who would participate in the “Program” and are willing to commit to speaking select languages (supplementary to English and French).

The company suggests that this incentive program is to "support our global customers". If so, the priorities should be to repatriate all worldwide contact centre work back to Canada, and eliminate Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), a major anxiety for our members that may hinder decent customer service.

The one-time offer of Shine Points is disrespectful, implying that an employee who does not have the ability to speak another language is not worthy of a reward. Air Canada management has created yet another division within its work culture. A discussion with the union to improve the ability to link customers with the many employees that have the language abilities to serve our global customers, would be a better approach.

Air Canada forgets that the language in the current collective agreement (found in Letter of Understanding No. 6 concerning Route Language) states that no more than 25% of functional requirements at each location is required. Skill-setting agents to speak multiple languages violates this provision.

Unifor strongly opposes this ill-conceived incentive program, and calls on the company to withdraw it immediately. The union is asking Air Canada, genuinely, to encourage diversity and respect individuality.

  

In solidarity,

Air Canada Bargaining Committee
Steve Murphy – Pacific Region
Joanne Goulet – Interim Chairperson, Western Region
David Peng – Central Region
Benoit Lapointe – Eastern Region
Cheryl Robinson – Atlantic Region
Tammy Moore – President, Unifor Local 2002
Frances Galambosy – Unifor National Service Representative, Airline Sector
Leslie Dias – Unifor Director, Airlines Sector

  

  

/22-02-04 Air Canada language program EN.txt