Arbitrator Hodges delivers decision on C base grievances

Arbitrator Hodges delivers decision on C base grievances

August 15, 2016 at 3:30 PM

  

Unifor has received the arbitrator’s decision on the C base grievances heard on August 9, 2016.
 
Arbitrator Tom Hodges states that he is without authority to stop the Air Canada decision to close the affected bases or amend the agreement of June 2015.
 
In accordance with the decisions of Arbitrator Teplitsky on June 9 and June 29, 2016 and the June 2015 agreement, the variances to be implemented by Arbitrator Hodges are summarised below:

  • For Air Canada employees that want to remain in their current bases working for Jazz, their seniority date will be the date they sever with Air Canada and begin to work with Jazz. The Jazz seniority date will govern the bidding of schedules, vacation, awarding of vacancies, etc..
  • Air Canada employees will maintain the status they held as of June 1, 2016, in the base only. For lay off purposes Arbitrator Hodges remains seized on the application as it pertains to the former Air Canada employees.
  • Service for the purposes of determining vacation accrual will begin in 2005.
  • Former Air Canada employees remaining in the base will be placed on step 11 of the scale for new employees which is $16.83 per hour.

 
Arbitrator Hodges recognized that this process has implications in undoing the vacancy awards that were processed by Jazz for positions that were made available by the vacant positions left from the Air Canada seconded employees, and will remain seized, on an expedited basis, in determining an equitable way of resolving those issues once the former Air Canada seconded employees declare their intentions.
 
Arbitrator Hodges will provide the parties with a document of reasons for his award in the coming weeks. 
 
Air Canada employees will be provided an opportunity to resubmit an election form indicating their choice based on the June 2015 agreement and the decision of Arbitrator Hodges.