Meeting in Winnipeg for Perimeter Pilots - March 28 2019

March 27, 2019 at 11:00 AM
To all Perimeter and Bearskin Pilots,
 
We recently received the anticipated news that the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered a vote be taken giving pilots the opportunity to choose which union will represent you.
 
Unifor has been absolutely clear from the beginning that we believe pilots must have the right to vote on which union should represent them. We believe strongly in democratic unionism and the right of all pilots to choose for themselves which union they will join.
 
While the CIRB order is a step forward, we had hoped they would also set out the dates, times and procedures for the vote. Like you, we want to see this process move forward so your voice can be heard. At the moment, the board has appointed a returning officer, Daniel De Santis, who will contact Unifor and ALPA to make arrangements for the conduct of the vote. Unifor will, of course, participate fully in this process, and communicate with you about the progress made.
 
We anticipate these details soon and we be holding further meetings to keep you fully informed, the first of which will be held in Winnipeg this week on Thursday, March 28 from 7-9pm at the Victoria Inn.
 
As you make this important decision, keep in mind Unifor is Canada’s largest and most influential union in the private sector, with 315,000 members - all in Canada. Most of ALPA’s members, however, are in the United States. We have about 20,000 members working across aviation industry, including pilots.
 
We know this industry, and our representatives have met with Transport Minister Marc Garneau many times and will continue to do so. We are a trusted and respected voice on the issues facing the industry. In fact, Unifor has direct access to the Transport Minister through the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
That access was instrumental in Unifor’s recent Lobby Week efforts, meeting with cabinet ministers, senior staff and MPs regarding safer fatigue rules for pilots. This is an important issue, and Unifor demands that updated rules be based in science. For more, go to saferskies.ca.

Unifor is coordinating future meetings to develop a legitimate Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS). Because this is an industry-wide issue, Unifor invited other unions to participate, including ALPA and ACPA at Air Canada.
 
Unifor is a member-driven Union. That means the direction of your bargaining unit will be decided by you and led by co-workers of your choosing - pilots representing pilots. On top of that, you will have the resources of a much-larger union behind you, including a professional Unifor negotiator. All this means Unifor has been able to successfully negotiate the largest pay increases in the Industry.
 
Unifor is able to support a research team that is second to none, as well as departments dedicated to issues such as pensions, benefits, human rights, women’s rights, and more while keeping dues low.
 
Unifor has been there for the pilots at Perimeter since the beginning - since ALPA turned down the chance to organize Perimeter pilots several years ago. When ALPA said No to Perimeter pilots looking to form a union, we said Yes, and we have stood with you ever since to negotiate industry-leading contracts for Perimeter pilots.
 
Once the vote takes place, work will begin on merging the membership of the two unions into one. ALPA has boasts that it has a policy on merging seniority lists. That policy, however, has little substance to it and in fact, seems designed to go to arbitration - taking the process out of your hands.
 
At Unifor, we have a policy of combining seniority lists, giving certainty and predictably to a potentially stressful process.
 
We have also attached a brief comparison of the existing contracts, which have been previously distributed for quick reference. If you have questions on this, please let one of us know.
 
We will communicate more information to you soon about the details of your coming vote. Please watch for that, and for details of further membership meetings.
 
We look forward to continuing to discuss these and other issues with you,

In solidarity,
Justin Gniposky - Unifor National Representative 

Unifor Local 2002 – Perimeter District Team
 District Chair Eric Ketonen
204-599-0139 // [email protected]  
 
District Vice-Chair Stephen Ross
204-250-7082 // [email protected]
 
District Vice-Chair Riley Box
204-803-9272 // [email protected]