CUPE 4070 CARD Committee - Update

Dear Members,

A day of reflection is upon us.  September 30th is known as “Orange Shirt Day” and for the first time is a statutory holiday known as a National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

For the story of Phyllis Webstad and why we have an Orange Shirt Day click here: 👉 https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html 

Online there are many ways to buy an orange shirt, unfortunately, they are not all Indigenous ran organizations, nor do they donate any proceeded to the Orange Shirt Society. We have provided 3 links to Indigenous organizations below.  

To buy Every Child Matters products click here: 👉 https://orangeshirtday.net/products/ 

To buy a learn to bead kit orange shirt brooch click here: 👉 https://moonstonecreation.ca/orange-shirt-breaded-brooch/ 

To buy orange shirts from an Indigenous designer click here: 👉  https://www.feralfawn.ca/product-page/adult-orange-shirt 

If you buy through an organization other than the ones listed above, please check to make sure it is Indigenous-owned and operated or that they are an ally organization that is donating proceeds to help Residential/Day School survivors and their families.

If you cannot buy an orange shirt, please wear something orange in solidarity with Residential/Day School Survivors and their families.

For our colleagues who are working on September 30th, you are welcome to wear an orange shirt pin on your uniform above your name tag.  

To learn about the 94 Calls to Action as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commision click here:  

👉 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf 

A 24-hour Indian Residential/Day School Crisis Line to support former Residential/Day school students and those affected, can be reached any time at 1-866-925-4419 

In Solidarity, 

Your CUPE 4070 CARD Committee 

Swoop Tentative Agreement Ratification Schedule & Events

Dear Members,


As we communicated with you last week, on September 8, 2021; CUPE Local 4070 and Swoop Inc. reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) at the bargaining table for our first ever union Collective Agreement (CA).

We are now ready to inform you of the process (including important dates and times) leading up to the ratification vote of the TA. Here are some important milestones towards ratification that you should be aware of:

Roadshow registration information will be released on September 15 along with the TA PDF. Ratification vote ballots will arrive via email at the start of the voting process on September 18. Certified results of the ratification vote will be announced via e-mail shortly after the ratification period closes on September 25.

Vote & Union Emails
All Swoop Members, regardless of having signed a Union card are legally allowed to vote in the TA ratification process, this applies to all active and inactive Members. Any Member who has not signed a Union card or does not currently have an email address on file with the Local are asked to complete the Rand Member Form on our website in order to ensure they receive email updates and the TA voting ballot. Members are also welcome to sign a Membership card and pay the $5 initiation fee to become a Member in Good Standing using this form if they have not already done so at any time.

This is a tremendously exciting next two weeks for Swoop Members. The Union joins you in being so proud that we have finally reached this milestone.

Please stay tuned, and keep an eye on your email for all communications regarding the ratification events outlined above.

As always, if you have questions or require assistance from your union, please reach out to us at: www.cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,

Your CUPE 4070 Swoop Bargaining Committee
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

ADCP Vaccine Mandate

Dear Members,


Attached is a letter from CUPE Airline Division Counsil of Presidents regarding Canada’s Federal Sector Vaccine Mandate. This letter was sent on September 9, 2021, to Nicolas Robinson, Director General of Civil Aviation with Transport Canada, Barbara Raymond, Executive Medical Advisor with Public Health Agency, and Brenda Baxter, Director General with Labour Program Employment and Social Development Canada.



In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

Tentative Agreement Reached at Swoop Bargaining Table

Dear Members,

After returning to the bargaining table yesterday morning with Swoop management, your SWOOP CUPE Local 4070 Bargaining Committee is extremely proud to inform you that we have reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) for the first ever Swoop Flight Attendant Union Collective Agreement.

This process has been time consuming and labour intensive for both sides since negotiations began in February 2020, over nineteen (19) months ago; and we are so very pleased to be able to bring you a solid TA for ratification vote.

Now that we have reached this Tentative Agreement, the following are the next steps towards ratification:

• The Tentative Agreement (TA) document will be prepared and released confidentially to all Swoop Members.

• The Bargaining Committee and CUPE National Representatives will produce video segments of each of the forty-four (44) Articles which comprise the TA. These will be uploaded to www.cupe4070.ca for all Swoop Members only.

• The Local will plan a series of virtual Roadshows open to all Swoop Members to ask questions directly of the Bargaining Committee such that you are fully informed as to what is contained in your TA being presented for ratification.

• CUPE Local 4070 will hold the ratification vote; via our independent third party voting platform. A vote of 50% plus one (1) vote of all Swoop Members who cast a ballot is needed to ratify the TA into a Collective Agreement (CA).

This is an exciting time for all of us, and we could not be more pleased to share this news with you today! The Union Local will work quickly to arrange all of the details of the ratification process as outlined above, and we will communicate with you as soon as these details are finalized in the coming days.

This is an historic day for all of our Swoop Members. We remain so proud to be your elected voice to bargain for our first ever Union Collective Agreement.

As always, if you have questions or require assistance from your union, please reach out to us at: www.cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,

Your CUPE 4070 Swoop Bargaining Committee

CUPE 4070 Response to the WestJet Group’s Communication Regarding Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

Dear Members,


In the past hour the WestJet Group of Companies released an internal communication to all employees, in every department across the organization. This communication outlines a framework of how they intend to implement the federal government’s announcement from August 13th that requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees working in federally regulated sectors. This includes every employee of national air, marine, and rail transportation companies. This notice is not isolated to crew or frontline workers; every worker employed in federally regulated sectors must be fully vaccinated.

CUPE Local 4070 has been anticipating information on this topic from the Company for some time. The Union has been in ongoing discussions with the Company around mandatory vaccinations. We have been advocating that any direction on vaccines be in the form of an official company policy - not just a directive in the form of a communication by a Company Executive. There is legal rationale why the Union believes that any change in conditions of employment must take the form of official policy or policies.

The Union’s stance is that full details and specifics of what is being mandated by the federal government is largely unknown, and as a result, we are of the position that today’s announcement by the Employer is premature. Despite that, the Union now has official guidance from the Employer via today's communication as to their intended approach on this issue. We are receiving continuous guidance from CUPE National legal counsel as to the best approach forward.

While we cannot provide immediate guidance to you today on this matter; please know that your Union is actively working with CUPE National including in-house legal counsel, with CUPE National Health & Safety officers, with the CUPE Airline Division and its Council of Presidents (ADCP), and with our union allies at ALPA, CALDA and Unifor which represent other unionized colleagues within the WestJet Group.

CUPE Local 4070 remains steadfast in our commitment to representing every one of our Members as we continue to navigate through the pandemic and beyond.

Please note that respective Base Vice-Presidents are part of Local 4070’s Executive response planning; as are the respective union OH&S Committees. They do not have any additional information at this time. Further details will be shared by the Union as they become available.

We hope that you find this update helpful. CUPE 4070 contact information can always be found at: www.cupe4070.ca/contact



In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

Swoop Bargaining Update #6

Dear Members,


Since the last Bargaining update; Collective Bargaining took place from August 23 - 26, 2021 between the Union and the Company. As we indicated previously, the only items remaining under negotiation are: job scope language, and the final comprehensive financial package.

To provide Membership with perspective in terms of where we are at in the Collective Bargaining process:

Swoop (WO)
Overall Bargaining Progress (by Articles completed in TA)
*Accurate as of September 2, 2021

Your Swoop Bargaining Committee spent all of last week bargaining for the comprehensive monetary and financial package, as well as Scope language that will form part of the final TA. We can report that while the financial package was passed multiple times between the Company and the Union; on one return of the proposed package by the Company, the Committee took particular efforts to verbally call out to the Company how disappointing their counter-offer was to the Union. This rebuke was lead by Local Vice-President Jamie Loiselle, and appeared to take the Employer off guard. In our subsequent return pass of the financial package, the Union made it clear what we expect from the Company in order to secure a Tentative Agreement for the Swoop bargaining unit. It was absolutely necessary to outline what reasonable expectations the Union has in this regard.

While these final two (2) Articles are significant; and are clearly not without challenge to negotiate - we continue to believe that with each day of negotiations, we inch closer to reaching a Tentative Agreement to present to you, the Swoop Membership, for ratification vote.

The next round of Bargaining for the Swoop Collective Agreement is scheduled for next week September 7 - 9, 2021. We will again update you following these negotiations.

Further Bargaining dates in September, should they be necessary, are:

September 7 - 9, 2021

September 21 - 23, 2021

As always, if you have questions or require assistance from your union, please reach out to us at: www.cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Swoop Bargaining Committee

An Update from Local 4070 Secretary-Treasurer Kruti Sutaria

Dear Members,


The Union would like to advise of a financial incident involving fraud that occurred in respect to the Local’s primary chequing account during the month of August 2021.

On Thursday August 26th, as your Secretary-Treasurer I noticed unusual activity in one of the Local’s bank accounts. Specifically, four (4) cheques that had cleared our account in amounts of over $4,500 each. The cheque numbers of these withdrawals were suspicious in nature as these cheque numbers had previously been used and cashed in 2019. The dates of these withdrawals were August 11th and 20th.

Additionally, no physical cheques have been used by the Local in over a year thanks to a payment processing software that provides the use of electronic fund transfers; this has minimized the need for paper cheques. 

Upon discovery of what I was confident was fraud, I immediately proceeded to the nearest bank branch where an official investigation was opened. Legal affidavits were signed by myself and Chris Rauenbusch, CUPE 4070 President; and I transferred remaining funds into our savings account to prevent further cheques from clearing. A police report has also been filed with the Calgary Police Service, which is the procedure for theft over $5000 in Canada.

On Tuesday August 31st, the Bank Manager that had helped initiate the investigation contacted me to advise that the four (4) cheques in question were indeed deemed counterfeit by the Bank’s internal fraud investigation department; and that the funds totaling over $18,000 were going to be returned to CUPE Local 4070 that same day. A new account has now been opened to avoid our Members’ funds being held in an account which has been breached; and the original account will be closed in short order once the preauthorized payments are transferred. The deposit was received into the new account on Tuesday August 31st.

I am confident about which cheque was copied; and based on an internal Union investigation, I strongly believe that the cheque in question was sent to a vendor (payee) in September 2019. It appears this cheque was then altered with two of the signing officers’ signatures electronically copied onto the cloned cheques. The Union is awaiting further details from the vendor at which I believe this occurred; for additional information following their own investigation, as well as for the results of the Calgary Police Service investigation upon its conclusion.

As always, my priority and core responsibilities as your elected Secretary-Treasurer are to ensure that the dues - that you, our Members contribute to our Local - are safely and responsibly handled, and that you have trust in the financial accountability of your Union Local at all times. I remain steadfast and unwavered in this responsibility and continue to be honoured to hold your trust in this regard.

A further update on this incident regarding the Police investigation as well as further details will be provided to the Membership at the next General Membership Meeting (GMM), which will be announced soon, that will occur in November.

In Solidarity,
Kruti Sutaria
Secretary-Treasurer - CUPE Local 4070

Education Committee Scholarship Reminder

Dear Members,

The deadline for scholarship application is August 30,2021. 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY! 

To apply you must: 

• Be a Member in Good Standing. 

• Enrolled/accepted to the 2021-2022 academic year. 

• Studying in Canada in a public or private institution. 

• Submit a completed application and submit proof of enrolment/acceptance to education@cupe4070.ca 

Thank you to those who have already submitted applications. We will review applications once the deadline has passed. Awards will be decided by September 10, 2021 and successful applicants will be contacted via phone or e-mail by September 15, 2021. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Education Committee

CUPE 4070 Statement on Federal Mandatory Vaccine Requirement

Dear Members,


As you have most likely heard, Canada’s federal government recently announced that all federally regulated workers in Canada (which includes all Canadian air carriers and our Membership) will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is set to take effect on October 30, 2021.

Since this announcement, the CUPE 4070 Executive leadership has been in contact with Transport Canada, CUPE National as well as in joint consultation with the Airline Division Council of Presidents (ADCP) from the 9 other airlines in Canada represented by CUPE; in order to gather all necessary information related to this policy announcement from the federal government.

In order to be compliant with this federal requirement, the Employer will need to develop policies related to vaccination. At this time the Union has not yet been contacted by the Employer in relation to such policies. Please be assured that prior to the release of any related policy, your Union will be involved and will include CUPE National Legal in all discussions to ensure our Members’ interests are represented.

We will communicate further with the Membership when more details are known, and we have specific information to share.

As always, if you require assistance from your Union, please contact us: www.cupe4070.ca/contact.



In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE 4070 Statement on WestJet’s Request for Immediate Assistance at YYC

We urge every Member of CUPE Local 4070 to refrain from volunteering for wheelchair assistance duty.

Dear Members,


Yesterday, Colleen Tynan - Vice-President, Airports at WestJet released an appeal to employees, including CUPE Local 4070 Members to “sign up to help guests requiring wheelchair assistance in YYC…”

While the Union is aware of the operational struggles currently facing all three of the airlines that we represent; we do not believe that free labour through volunteerism, nor our Members completing work that should rightly be performed by another unionized labour group within our Company, is an appropriate solution.

Unifor was recently certified by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) as the sole legal representation and bargaining agent of WestJet’s ground agents at both YVR and YYC. Asking our Members who are similarly unionized to step in and do their work for free is something that any trade union will always stand up and say no to.

Options open to the Company include rehiring GSAs and ground personnel that were permanently laid off at the Company’s discretion during the pandemic. This would create meaningful union jobs, and contribute towards creating employment in our sector. Instead - the Company is imploring you to provide free, volunteer and zero-cost labour. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

Additionally, your Health & Safety Committee would like to remind every member that pushing wheelchairs is NOT a part of our Members’ job scope. As a result no risk/job assessment or training related to these duties has been conducted, and there is a significant chance of injury from improper pushing or pulling to our Membership.

We urge every Member of CUPE Local 4070 to refrain from volunteering as requested.

We must stand strong with our union brothers and sisters from WestJet recently unionized with Unifor at the Calgary International Airport.

#INSOLIDARITY

As always, if you require assistance from your Union, please contact us: www.cupe4070.ca/contact.

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

Swoop Bargaining Update #5

Dear Members,


Since the last Bargaining update; Collective Bargaining took place from June 28 - 30 and August 9 - 12, 2021 between the Union and the Company. The Swoop Bargaining Committee is pleased to report that we have now signed off in Tentative Agreement (TA) on forty-two (42) of the planned forty-four (44) Articles.

We have signed off in TA on three (3) more Articles, leaving only the comprehensive monetary package and Scope to be agreed to before negotiations are complete.

The three (3) articles that are most recently signed in Tentative Agreement are:

• Accommodation

• Aircraft and Company Assigned Equipment

• Benefits

To provide Membership with perspective in terms of where we are at in the Collective Bargaining process:

Swoop (WO)
Overall Bargaining Progress (by Articles completed in TA)

*Accurate as of August 20, 2021

Your Swoop Bargaining Committee spent last week bargaining for the comprehensive monetary and financial package, as well as Scope language that will form part of the final TA. Scope language defines our Members’ job scope, and clearly indicates what is expected of a Flight Attendant in the course of their daily duties.

We are pleased to inform you that we believe we are beginning to approach the conclusion of the collective bargaining process. While these final two (2) Articles are significant; and will not be without challenge to negotiate - we do believe that we are on track to likely reach a full Tentative Agreement (TA) to present to the Membership prior to the end of 2021.

The next round of Bargaining for the Swoop Collective Agreement is scheduled for August 23 - 26, 2021. We will update you again following these negotiations.

Bargaining dates are secured into September and are:

August 23 - 26, 2021

September 7 - 9, 2021

September 21 - 23, 2021

As always, if you have questions or require assistance from your union please reach out to us at: www.cupe4070.ca/contact. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Swoop Bargaining Committee

Education Committee Scholarship

Dear Members,


Your CUPE 4070 Education Committee is pleased to inform you that we have posted the Application Form for Scholarships: 

WestJet 

3 Scholarships in the sum of $500.00  

WestJet Encore 

2 Scholarships in the sum of $500.00 

Swoop 

1 Scholarship in the total of $500.00 

To apply you must: 

• Be a Member in Good Standing. 

• Enrolled/accepted to the 2021-2022 academic year. 

• Studying in Canada in a public or private institution. 

• Submit a completed application and submit proof of enrolment/acceptance to: education@cupe4070.ca 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY!  

The deadline to apply is August 30, 2021. Awards will be decided by September 10, 2021 and successful applicants will be contacted via phone or e-mail by September 15, 2021.



In Solidarity, 

Your CUPE 4070 Education Committee 

Swoop Update

Dear Members,


Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team had a meeting with our National CUPE reps to discuss concerns brought forward regarding base bidding and related topics. Many of the queries brought forward are items addressed within the Collective Agreement negotiations. Due to the confidentiality of the Collective Bargaining process, CUPE is unable to discuss these items at this time. To further explain, the Bargaining Committee is working tirelessly to  bargain your Collective Agreement to provide a point of reference to protect the Flight Attendants within the Swoop bargaining unit, along with their rights, and clear and concise working rules, regulations, and expectations on behalf of the Flight Attendants and the Company. While this legal document is being drafted, it cannot be shared outside of Collective Bargaining until such time as a Tentative Agreement is ready to present to the Membership for ratification. For this reason, nobody within the Union or the Company outside of that bargaining body is aware of the details of negotiations other than the subject/topics that are scheduled to be discussed. Items such as base bidding, bidding packages and policy relating to this have been discussed in negotiations already, and details will not be released until a complete draft of the Collective Agreement is finalized. Once this is complete, it will then be distributed to the Swoop Membership for ratification.

The main item brought forward was regarding the co-base between Hamilton and Toronto and what exactly a co-base is. This concern will be brought to the Company in the coming days for clarification on their definition of a ‘co-base’ and subsequently what it will mean for us as Flight Attendants in the YHM/YYZ base. Once we have a clear and concise response from the Company regarding this definition, CUPE will then have a better understanding of the Company’s intentions and can proceed accordingly to advocate for our Members.

There were also concerns brought forward regarding base bidding, bid packages, and other bidding-related items are part of Bargaining and currently in negotiations. Stipends, training, and any other matters that relate to pay are also being addressed in bargaining and thus cannot be shared until a draft of the Collective Agreement is complete. 

CUPE recognizes these are not suitable ‘answers’ for our Swoop Flight Attendants. However, at this time we are approaching the end of a very long process, and when negotiations are complete, many of these questions will be provided with clear answers. For now, we ask for your continued patience to allow the process to take the time it requires for CUPE, your Executive Team, and your Bargaining Committee to advocate for your rights and carry out their purpose. This is a historical time for WestJet, WestJet Encore, and Swoop; we have seen two out of three bargaining units with drafted agreements-- our turn is coming very soon!

As your Swoop elected CUPE Vice-President, I am proud to be part of the CUPE4070 team that has brought us to our very own Collective Agreement. The time it takes to get where we need to be will be well worth the wait. I ask that you continue to trust the process-- good things are on their way to us in the very near future. 

Upcoming bargaining dates for Swoop are: 

August 10 - 12, 2021 

August 23 - 26, 2021 

September 7 - 9, 2021 

September 21 - 23, 2021 

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or require representation, please contact us at: cupe4070.ca/contact 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Swoop Base VP & Executive Team

Recall Notice – Swoop (WO) Members - August & September 2021

Dear Members,

The Union has been advised by the Company of two (2) rounds of further ‘recalls’ to active status for Swoop Members who are currently on furlough.

Recall A by base - Effective August 27, 2021:

YHM/YYZ: 8

YEG: 12

Recall B by base - Effective September 17, 2021:

YHM/YYZ: 31

YEG: 8

Swoop will be sending the recall notices for Recall A by end of day today, Monday August 9, 2021. Recall notices for Recall B will be sent out by end of day on Friday August 20, 2021. Recall will occur based on the Company Service Lists that are published – the same lists that were used to determine those who were placed on inactive status and will be completed in order of the Company Service Lists.

In the Memorandum of Agreement agreed to between the Union and the Company, there exists two (2) options for the time-frame of recall and acceptance by the Member. The Company will execute “Option 1 - Expedited Recall". Members receiving a Notice of Recall will have forty-eight (48) hours to respond either to accept or decline this recall.

Following this window, should any necessary mandatory recall notices be needed, they will be sent from the bottom of the base list up on the evening of Wednesday August 11, 2021.

To determine if you are eligible for this recall:

• Check the most recent personal email account that you have registered with the Company.

• Ensure to check your ‘spam/junk’ folder as well, just in case.

Ability to decline recall:
As per the MOU executed between Swoop and CUPE Local 4070, if recall is offered to you, you may elect to decline a recall, and await recall in the future should it occur. You may opt to decline any recall until such time as there are no other Members below you on your base’s Company Service List, at which time a decline to recall would be the end of your employment.

Following these recalls, there will be a total of 201 active status Members at Swoop, with 76 in YEG and 125 in YHM/YYZ.

Should you have any questions for the Union, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Union via our contact form: www.cupe4070.ca/contact.

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

Trial Procedure - Update #2

Dear Members,


As many of our Members are aware, three of our Local 4070 Executives were called as respondents in two separate trial complaints under Appendix F of the CUPE National Constitution. Trial -02 was held on July 13, 2021 with Kruti Sutaria, Local 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Marco Di Virgilio, Local 4070 Recording Secretary, and Chris Rauenbusch, Local 4070 President, as respondents. A Trial Procedure Update for Trial -01 was sent to the Members on August 2, 2021.

Purpose 

“The purpose of the Trial Procedure is to provide members in good standing an internal process to have complaints against other members dealt with in a fair and impartial manner. The Trial Procedure is not to be used for political gain or to resolve interpersonal conflict which does not have a foundation in one of the enumerated offences outlined in Section F.1. 

Members are expected to attempt to deal with issues prior to resorting to file a complaint. Concerns are best resolved when members discuss the issues amongst themselves and arrive at mutual solutions. This can be accomplished either through one on one conversation or through facilitated/mediated discussions. 

The use of mediation can occur at any time once a complaint is filed, including during a trial.” 

- CUPE Constitution Appendix F 

Decision 

The decision in Trial -02 was presented to the respondents on August 5, 2021 and is outlined below: 

THAT Mr. Chris Rauenbusch step down and/or be removed from his position of President of CUPE Local 4070 immediately and banned from holding any type of Leadership/Executive position within CUPE Local 4070 until 2024.

THAT Mr. Chris Rauenbusch provide a letter to the membership that speaks specifically to his decision to step down and/or removal so as to avoid any potential membership backlash for any specific individual(s).

THAT Ms. Kruti Sutaria step down and/or be removed from her position of Secretary Treasurer of CUPE Local 4070 immediately and banned from holding any type of Leadership/Executive position within CUPE Local 4070 until 2023. 

THAT Mr. Marco Di Virgilio provides a letter of apology to the complainant.

THAT Mr. Chris Rauenbusch, Ms. Sutaria and Mr. Marco Di Virgilio engage in specific sensitivity training that provides a focus on harassment and the impact of abuse and trauma specifically towards women.

Appeal Process 

There is an appeal process available to  respondents as outlined in the CUPE National Constitution F.6. 

“The respondent can appeal a finding of guilt and any penalty or order by sending a written appeal to the National President. The appeal must be made within 30 days of when the decision of the Trial Committee was reported to the respondent. The complainant cannot appeal the decision of the Trial Committee.” 

- CUPE Constitution Appendix F.6(a) 

As per the Constitution, this process can take up to one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date that the respondent(s) were notified of the decision of the Trial Panel.

Should any respondent choose to appeal; it is important to note the following from the CUPE National Constitution: 

“The penalty or order of the Trial Committee will not be enforced until: 

(i) the Appeal Panel has made its decision; 

(ii) the respondent gives up the right to appeal; or 

(iii) the respondent fails to appeal the decision of the Trial Committee as set out in Section F.6  (a) and (b).” 

- CUPE Constitution Appendix F.6(h) 

To find more information on the Trial Procedure process, please reference Appendix F of the CUPE National Constitution.

Conclusion 

CUPE National Constitution F.5(k) outlines that the decision of the Trial  Panel will be recorded in the minutes of the next General Membership Meeting. Our Membership will continue to be updated as more information becomes known related to both Trials –01 and –02. Please be assured that the entire Executive continues to operate with the sole focus on supporting our Membership in the workplace, and as recovery from the pandemic continues to unfold.  

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

CUPE Airline Division - COVID-19 Vaccines

Dear Members,

COVID-19 has grounded much of the airline industry for over a year. Canada has been fortunate to receive increased supply of COVID-19 vaccines and has accelerated second doses for individuals choosing to get vaccinated.

CUPE’s Airline Division would like to survey its members to see if members are getting vaccinated. This information will give us an idea of what types of issues may arise for our airline locals (ex: employer vaccination policies, accommodation requests, scheduling changes). This information will help the Airline Division strategize our recovery plan.

If you are interested in reading CUPE’s vaccination information you can go to:
https://cupe.ca/covid-19-vaccination-workers-rights
https://cupe.ca/covid-19-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions
 

Please note that this survey is completely voluntary. You may choose to exit the survey at any time and not submit your answers. This survey is anonymous and there is no data collected that can link a response to an
individual.

You can access the survey here:
https://survey-sondage.cupe.ca/index.php/497793?lang=en

Vous pouvez accéder au sondage ici :
https://survey-sondage.cupe.ca/index.php/497793?lang=fr

To review the full communication in English and French, please click here.


In Solidarity,
Airline Division Council of Presidents (ADCP)

Trial Procedure - Update

Dear Members,


As many of our Members are aware, three of our Local 4070 Executives were called as respondents in two separate trial complaints under Appendix F of the CUPE National Constitution. Trial -01 was held on July 12, 2021 with Marco Di Virgilio, Local 4070 Recording Secretary, and Chris Rauenbusch, Local 4070 President, as respondents. Trial -02 was held on July 13, 2021 with Kruti Sutaria, Local 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Marco Di Virgilio, Local 4070 Recording Secretary, and Chris Rauenbusch, Local 4070 President, as respondents.

Purpose 

“The purpose of the Trial Procedure is to provide members in good standing an internal process to have complaints against other members dealt with in a fair and impartial manner. The Trial Procedure is not to be used for political gain or to resolve interpersonal conflict which does not have a foundation in one of the enumerated offences outlined in Section F.1. 

Members are expected to attempt to deal with issues prior to resorting to file a complaint. Concerns are best resolved when members discuss the issues amongst themselves and arrive at mutual solutions. This can be accomplished either through one on one conversation or through facilitated/mediated discussions. 

The use of mediation can occur at any time once a complaint is filed including during a trial.” 

- CUPE Constitution Appendix F 

Decision 

The decision in Trial -01 was presented to the respondents on July 27, 2021 and is outlined below: 

THAT Mr. Chris Rauenbusch step down and/or be removed from his position of President of CUPE Local 4070 immediately and banned from holding any type of Leadership/Executive position within CUPE Local 4070 until 2024. 

THAT Mr. Chris Rauenbusch provide a letter to the membership that speaks specifically to his decision to step down and/or removal so as to avoid any potential membership backlash for the complainant. 

THAT Mr. Marco Di Virgilio provide a letter of apology to the complainant. 

THAT Mr. Chris Rauenbusch and Mr. Marco Di Virgilio engage in specific sensitivity training that provides a focus on harassment and the impact of abuse and trauma specifically towards women. 

The decision  in Trial -02 is still pending and we will communicate with you once it has been rendered. 

Appeal Process 

There is an appeal process available to  respondents as outlined in the CUPE National Constitution F.6. 

“The respondent can appeal a finding of guilt and any penalty or order by sending a written appeal to the National President. The appeal must be made within 30 days of when the decision of the Trial Committee was reported to the respondent. The complainant cannot appeal the decision of the Trial Committee.” 

- CUPE Constitution Appendix F.6(a) 

 As per the Constitution, this process can take up to one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date that the respondent(s) were notified of the decision of the Trial Panel.

Should any respondent choose to appeal; it is important to note the following from the CUPE National Constitution: 

“The penalty or order of the Trial Committee will not be enforced until: 

(i) the Appeal Panel has made its decision; 

(ii) the respondent gives up the right to appeal; or 

(iii) the respondent fails to appeal the decision of the Trial Committee as set out in Section F.6  (a) and (b).” 

- CUPE Constitution Appendix F.6(h) 

To find more information on the Trial Procedure process, please reference Appendix F of the CUPE National Constitution.

Conclusion 

CUPE National Constitution F.5(k) outlines that the decision of the Trial  Panel will be recorded in the minutes of the next General Membership Meeting. Our Membership will continue to be updated as more information becomes known related to both Trials –01 and –02. Please be assured that the entire Executive continues to operate with the sole focus on supporting our Membership in the workplace, and as recovery from the pandemic continues to unfold.  

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team

Swoop Uniform Committee By-Election Vote Results

Dear Members,


Below are the results of the Swoop by-election ending today.

Swoop Uniform Committee By-Election:
Wendy Moraghan 57 (58.8%)
Brooke-Lynn Bradley Chillman 16 (16.5%)
Janelle Prytula 16 (16.5%)
Nicole Tyler 8 (8.2%) 

A total of 97 Members voted in this election.

Congratulations Wendy!

Thank you to all Members who took the time to participate in this Nomination and Election process.

For a recap of acclaimed positions, please review this email here.

Clerical Error:
During the voting period, we were made aware of a Member who was nominated that did not receive a confirmation of nomination email. This was investigated and the Member should have been sent one. I called the Member to apologize and to offer a solution. The solution was to re-run the election for this Committee and include her. The Member declined this offer. I would like to once again apologize to the Member from WestJet YYC. This was a regrettable situation that we endeavor to avoid in the future.




In Solidarity,
Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer - CUPE 4070

Swoop By-Election Update & Voting Package

Dear Members,


I would like to provide you with an update on the by-election.

The following is a breakdown of the positions that were up for nomination, the nominees and their resume/info sheet (if submitted) and the Committee's current status:

Scheduling Review Committee – 1 (any base) – Acclaimed / No election:
Anthony Mastoris - READ MORE
 
Uniform Committee – 1 (any base) – Election Required:
Janelle Prytula
Nicole Tyler – READ MORE
Brooke-Lynn Bradley Chillman – READ MORE
Wendy Moraghan – READ MORE
 
Committee Against Racism and Discrimination (CARD) – 1 (any base):
VACANT
 
Return to Work – 1 (any base) – Acclaimed / No election:
Ashley Verbeek – READ MORE
 
Temporary Bylaw Committee – 1 (any base) – Acclaimed / No election:
Jan Brojan – READ MORE
 
Women's Committee – 1 (any base) – Acclaimed / No election:
Charlene Patron-Drigo – READ MORE
 

Congratulations to the Members acclaimed to their Committee!

We will proceed with a Uniform Committee Election at Swoop.

Election:
START: June 28, 2021 @ 03:00 PT / 04:00 MT / 06:00 ET
END: July 4, 2021 @ 15:00 PT / 16:00 MT / 18:00 ET

Members In Good Standing (signed card and paid a $5 Membership fee) can vote in this election. If you wish to participate in this election process and have not signed a card, please sign a card and pay the $5 Membership fee on our website at least 24 hours before the election end for processing. SIGN A CARD HERE

Your secure voting link will arrive via email from vote@simplyvoting.com

If you do not find your voting link in your email, please check your spam/junk folder.

If you are still unable to locate this link, please email Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer at: marco.divirgilio@cupe4070.ca. Please include your full name, airline and employee number in the email.

Electoral Officer:
The Electoral Officer for this election will be Kendra Thibault, WestJet Encore Cabin Crew Member - YYC Base.



In Solidarity,
Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer - CUPE 4070

Workforce Update (WO) - June 2021 (Copy)

Dear Members,

Below is a summary of recalls that occurred at Swoop (WO) for June 2021. The Union provides this summary in an effort to keep the Membership aware of developments related to levels of active employment at the Company as we continue working towards recovery.

Swoop (WO) Recall - Effective June 25, 2021:

WestJet and WestJet Encore Recalls for July 2021:

As always, if you require assistance from your Union, please contact us: www.cupe4070.ca/contact.

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team