Air Canada Retirement Incentive for Crew Schedulers at Flight Ops and Inflight
April 15, 2021 at 12:57 PM
Our union has been engaged in discussions with Air Canada under the joint planning committee process as stipulated in the Group Termination provisions of the Canadian Labour Code for the CSSA members. While our bargaining units at Flight Ops and Inflight were not part of these discussions because this process did not apply to us. Air Canada has agreed to extend the following retirement incentives to the Air Canada Flight Ops and Inflight bargaining units just the same.
Unifor and Air Canada have agreed on two retirement incentives:
#1. Added Pension Benefit up to age 65: Members who as of August 1st, 2021 at the latest, are eligible to receive an unreduced pension (members who are at least age 55 and have 85 points) who apply for a temporary pension benefit before May 14th, 2021, and who retire between June 1st and August 1st, 2021 will receive an annual pension benefit of $400 per year of allowable service accumulated in the pension plan in addition to the pension benefit they are otherwise entitled to receive, to a cap of a maximum of $14000 until age 65.
For Example, A member that is age 55 with 30 years of allowable service will be entitled to 30 x $400.00 = $12,000 per year in addition to their monthly pension until they reach age 65.
#2. Unreduced Pension from 55/85: Members who as of August 1st, 2021, are not eligible to receive an unreduced pension (do not have age 55 and 85 points) and who apply for an unreduced pension before May 14th, 2021, and who retire or resign between June 1st and August 1st, 2021, will be entitled to a pension reduced from the date they will reach 55/85points (age + qualifying service), without accumulation of qualifying service, instead of a pension reduced from the date they reach age 65. The member will have the option to start receiving the unreduced pension from the date they reach 55/85 criteria instead of an immediately reduced pension.
The normal reduction would be 6% per year from age 65. With this option, the pension would be reduced by 6% per year from age 55.
For Example, A member that is age 54 with 31 years of allowable service will have a 6% reduction in their pension benefit for 1 year to age 55 with this option, rather than a 6% reduction for 11 years to age 65.
Both programs will be paid for through the surplus of the pension plan which currently sits at a solvency surplus of 111% or $3 billion. Air Canada reserves the right to limit the number of applications for each program.
Members will maintain all previously granted and unused C1/J passes (Thank You, Appreciation, Holiday, and Unique events) which have not expired. They must however be used within 2 years of retirement date (IE: 01 March 2023). Unused Reunion passes are also able to be carried into retirement but must be used no later than December 31st, 2022.
Members who opt for one of the programs will also be granted a one-time “Mitigation Retirement Pass” valid for the retired employee and one companion of choice. The Mitigation passes have a priority of PJ5/J00, must be booked 21 days in advance, and are subject to availability. These passes must also be used by December 31st, 2022.
Further details will be released by the company. The application deadline will be May 14, 2021. The company will provide a calculator to assist members in determining if they qualify and how much they will be entitled to.
In Solidarity,
Air Canada Crew Schedulers: In-flight and Flight Operations
Nick Levore, District Chairperson
Gaetano Amodeo, District Chairperson
Theresa Amicarelli, Assistant to the Local President
Leslie Dias, – Unifor Director-Airlines Sector