CUPE 4070 Newsletter - August 2024
August Content:
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice President Update
Grievance Process
Local Grievance Update
Sunwing WestJet Merger
Bargaining 2025
WS Update
Scheduling Review Committee Update
Encore Update
Auto Boarding at Encore
Encore Rumors
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice President Update
Hello Everyone,
It’s hard to believe that we are already in August and nearly halfway through 2024. It has been an eventful year as always at Local 4070 and we have so much to come still.
While I am known as the WestJet Toronto Base Vice President (BVP), I recently took on the portfolios of WS YWG Base, WS YYC Base, and Interim Local Vice President due to leaves of absences in our Local. I remain grateful for the appointment by Local President Alia Hussain with the support of my fellow Executives. It is important to us as a local that when an elected representative is on leave, the role is covered, and the work is continued seamlessly. As I entered this role, WS YYZ Base required support and Chris Amaddeo has been appointed for the interim as well as Lisa Blayney as interim YYC Base VP.
In transitioning roles from Toronto to the Interim Local Vice President, I saw a change in my portfolio. While I continue Tyson’s work, I take on supporting our Local President, Alia Hussain, in daily operations of the local; meeting with WestJet, WestJet Encore, Local 4055, CUPE National (CUPE); and supporting the development of our Local with its internal administration.
In place of an essay of an update, I leave this newsletter to you in sections that I hope will be easier to read, and one that you will save to utilize when you are out on the line as I believe that you are your most important advocate.
I thank you for your continued engagement and support. Our Local is stronger when our members are engaged, educated on their collective agreement, working rules, and supporting one another collectively. I look forward to the continued work with our Executives in whatever capacity the membership allows me.
Bryan Hansraj
CUPE 4070 Interim Vice President
Grievances: What and how are they handled?
Grievances are filed when the company has violated the collective agreement (CA).
They can also be filed if a member was to complete a violation.
It is an expectation of the company that the members know and understand their Collective Agreement.
If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to contact your Local for clarification!
It is important to know your CA in full and have the ability to search articles you may need to reference. There are some key articles we would like to highlight and encourage you to be comfortable with.
20 – Sick and Personal Leave (also Policy Grievance Settlement CLC Sick Leave Amendment)
34 - Scheduling
36 - Deadheading
37 - Hotels and Transportation
38 - Deadheading
41 - Pay Administration
A Grievance begins with an informal discussion between yourself and your DPM. This must take place prior to a formal grievance being filed.
Step one (1):
Email your DPM to address the violation during the informal discussion phase. CC your Base VP on all communications between yourself and your DPM.
Be sure to include these details in your email:
What is the Violation?
What are the details of the violation? If it is a scheduling violation, include a screenshot of your schedule from Crew View
Employee Number
Base
Your DPM will investigate the occurrence and send you a response. If there is a violation found, your DPM will then engage the Base VP to negotiate a remedy, Step two (2).
Your Executive remains the sole bargaining agent between the company and the union.
It is important to remember the deadline to file a formal grievance is 30 days from the occurrence.
If the issue is not resolved between the DPM and Base VP prior to the 30-day deadline, a formal grievance will be filed by your Base VP. Timelines for the formal grievance process are outlined in the Collective Agreement and the chart below.
Once Step 1 and Step 2 in the grievance process have been exhausted, the grievance is reviewed by the Grievance Committee.
The Grievance Committee will review the file with consultation of the CUPE National Servicing Representatives, decide whether the file will proceed to arbitration or not. If the committee withdraws the file, the member can appeal the decision. From there the Grievance Appeal Panel will review the file and decide whether to uphold the Committee’s Decision or have the file reviewed again with any new information brought forward by the member.
The Grievance Committee consists of the Local VP, Base VPs and a Steward from each base, identified in the Local Bylaws.
Local Grievance Update
Continuing the work of Local Vice President Tyson Conrod, I am addressing all outstanding grievances with the company and working to address the efficiency of the company addressing grievances.
I have met with the new Labor Relations Representative and am working internally with the Grievance Committee, Executives and National Servicing Representatives to improve our internal processes of addressing grievances at Step 1 & 2, filing formal grievances and filing for arbitration. This process is vital as we move closer to bargaining. Having a record of the company's responses in this process to assist in Tracking and trending will help support the bargaining committee's work.
Your Local Executive settled a series of outstanding grievances in relation to Excessive Duty Days over 17 hours. Your Executive is pleased to see these files addressed, some waiting to be addressed for up to two (2) years. As communicated to the membership on July 19, 2024, there is now new language within the Collective Agreement, which reads that any extension beyond the limits of 34-11.01 will result in a penalty payment of $1600 to the affected member.
Members expressed concern with the Q&A that was provided, and with that we would like to take a moment to clear up any confusion surrounding the new language.
This amount, along with any other amount outlined in the chart is not cumulative.
Which means it is not in addition to the other premiums located in the chart, but instead when the threshold is met, the affected member will receive $1600.
We have secured the addition of language requiring the company to provide us with the reason the duty day was exceeded and a corrective action plan. We retain our maximum duty days that were already outlined in the CA.
Update on Group Grievances
The Policy Grievance filed in relation to the Scheduling System and current PBS Process remains active. Discussion remains ongoing between the Local and the company to address the concerns. There is active conversation with the employer seeking a sequential solver system. We expect the Local Executives, with the Scheduling Review Committee, will be able to provide a long-awaited update to the membership later this year.
Sunwing - WestJet Merger
In May of this year, we announced the formation of a merger committee composed of representatives from Local 4070, Local 4055, and CUPE National. This committee has been working together to explore the merger and its effects, with a primary focus on evaluating seniority models.
If the committee cannot reach an agreement, the matter will be resolved through mediation and should that not be successful arbitration.
At this point, no decision has been reached, and any rumors about the outcome are speculation.
Bargaining 2025
December 2025 will mark the expiry of the WestJet Unit Collective Agreement. It is no secret that there are many areas with opportunities to improve our working and living conditions. It is important that our membership is aware and understands their current working rules and engage in the process.
Following the Executive Elections this fall, the President-Elect, will have the ability to stand up (call to election) the Bargaining Committee no later than December 2025 per our Local Bylaws, Section 15.
If you have not already, we recommend that you begin a notebook or virtual notebook, of the areas of strength and areas of opportunities within our collective agreement. When the time comes, the Bargaining Committee will survey the membership and utilize the results to identify the priorities of the Local.
It is important that we do not bargain in public such as posts on social media or sharing in public areas that we are not happy with or that we cannot lose. To bargain in public weakens the Local’s position at the table in the future as the employer (has the ability to obtain this in advance) does obtain this in advance and will utilize it against the Bargaining Committee.
We also draw caution to social media posts and videos that demonstrate your perspective on our working conditions such as unpaid work, especially in uniform or on company property. We are not actively bargaining, and drawing negative attention to the company can be perceived as a violation of the WestJet Business Code of Conduct which can lead to meetings with the employer which can lead to discipline.
There will come a time when your Local Executive and Bargaining Committee will call you for engagement and action. Until then we ask that you study your collective agreement, take notes, and prepare for the future.
Scheduling Review Committee Update
In an effort to share the inner working of the scheduling review committee we thought we would share some insight to the committee.
In August, we received 11 Day off Disputes and 30 Pairing Disputes. Our Scheduling Review Committee aims to investigate and respond to these disputes before the end of July. Investigating each individual dispute can be time-consuming, as it depends on the complexity of the issue and the need to analyze the entire schedule.
To avoid filing a dispute and receiving a schedule that does not work for you, we encourage you to reach out to us for bidding advice before the bidding period closes. We are always available to assist you proactively and help you avoid any scheduling issues.
The Scheduling Review Committee is responsible for investigating disputes monthly and handling other schedule-related matters such as Reserve call outs, pairing extensions, RTD assignments, and call outs. If you have any questions or investigations, you would like us to undertake, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
WestJet Mainline
Schedule Dispute Period follows the language of the Collective Agreement,
WS - 34-2.02 In the event that a Cabin Personnel wants to address concerns with their issued monthly schedule, they will notify the Union representative on the Scheduling Review Committee within Seventy-two (72) hours of schedule release to review and respond.
**The form to file a Dispute can be found on SharePoint and will only be active for Seventy-two (72). You can also find the form HERE.
You do not need to fil out more than one dispute form for Pairing Disputes. Please do not fill out the form and email the SRC. We cannot accept disputes through email.
Reminder that a dispute is not a grievance and the investigation must be completed thru the form as Step 1.
We have been working hard to implement new processes within the committee to improve efficiency and consistency for our members' benefit. We will be releasing a monthly communication with updates and important information. If you have any scheduling questions or specific inquiries, please send us an email HERE.
Also, keep an eye out for our Newsletter, which will be coming out later this month.
WestJet Encore
Schedule Dispute Period follows the language of the Collective Agreement.
WR - 34-2.03 In the event that a Cabin Crew Member wants to address concerns with their issued monthly schedule, they will notify a Union representative on the Scheduling Review Committee within seventy-two (72) hours of schedule release to review and respond.
To begin the dispute please send an email to your DPM and WR YYC Base VP within 72 hours of schedule release.
Please note that Reserve is not given on a seniority bases and you must use a bid line to "avoid" reserve.
Please contact the WR YYC Base VP with any questions proactively for the best opportunity of receiving a preferred schedule.
Encore Update
Auto Boarding at Encore:
We have received concerns about auto boarding and the potential conflicts it may be creating between flight crew and airport staff. This week, the WR Base VPs met with management to address these issues. We encourage all CCMs to maintain excellent communication with CSAs. If you need additional time for safety reasons, safety briefings, or a necessary bathroom break, please be proactive in communicating this.
We will collaborate with management to resolve these issues and ensure that auto boarding operates smoothly. Auto boarding is essential for keeping our flights and guests on schedule and ensuring the seamless operation of our network.
Encore Rumors:
A rumor around flow for 2025 and the Sunwing merger has been floating within our membership.
WR has a flow agreement, it allows 4% of WR to flow each year - subject to WestJet operational requirements.
Last year, 133 CCMs were processed, exceeding the required 4%. Encore has assured us that there is no indication they will fall short for the remainder of this year and into 2025. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stay vigilant to ensure that the current flow agreement is upheld.
Save the Dates:
All events can be found "Events" on CUPE4070 website
General Membership Meeting (GMM)
Nov 13th, 2024 - 1100PT/1200MT/1400ET
Sign up will be available closer to the date.
Open to Members in Good Standing and/or to those who have completed the application process.
Elections
Elections will be held in November. More information will be available closer to the date.
Galley Gossip:
Previous months submissions: Galley Gossip Wall
CUPE 4070 can answer Union related inquiries only. For Company related inquiries, please reach out to your Leader or submit a Company E-Report.
No new Galley Gossip questions were submitted, please submit here.
In solidarity,
Your Local 4070 Executives:
President, Alia Hussain
Interim Vice President, Bryan Hansraj - Interim
Recording Secretary, Calvin Gautschi
Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
WestJet YEG/YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet Interim YYC Base VP, Lisa Blayney
WestJet Interim YWG Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Interim YYZ Base VP, Chris Amaddeo
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Heather Crippen
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Marcus Johnstone-McKinney