The Union's Response - Attendance Maintenance Support Program

Dear Members,


Yesterday afternoon, the Employer sent out their new Attendance Management Support Program (AMSP). We have heard your concerns about the impact this program will have - the Union Executive shares these concerns. The Union is currently working through options with CUPE National and Legal. We will communicate those as more information becomes available. We recognize that our Members’ physical and mental health is especially important, and question the Company's decision to introduce this program during an ongoing pandemic and in the midst of cold and flu season. 

Your CUPE 4070 Executive does not support the implementation of this new iteration of an AMSP, similar to the ones we have seen poorly implemented, and consequently failed, in the past.  Despite the Union making our concerns known, the Employer has continued with implementation of the AMSP. While we were advised that this program would be rolled out, at no time was the Employer in consultation with the Union regarding the policy. This is a part of Management Rights, and the Union is not involved in the development of Company Policy.

The role and scope of your Union as it relates to the AMSP is to ensure the Employer adheres to the Collective Agreement and relevant policy and legislation, that Members' rights are not violated and that our Members are treated fairly. 

Our primary role in this is to support our Membership through Policy changes that affect all Cabin Personnel. 

As Cabin Personnel, it is our responsibility to understand our Collective Agreement. We strongly encourage all Members to review relevant sections of the WS Collective Agreement, including; 

*Article 3 – Management Rights 

*Article 17 – Accommodation 

*Article 20 - Sick Leave  

*Article 30 – Grievance Procedure 

The Process: 

Once you receive notice from your DPM, or designate, that you have a meeting to discuss your attendance, please reach out to your Base VP using the form on the website: cupe4070.ca/contact
 

As the intent of the program is meant to be supportive in nature, the Union is not eligible to attend AMSP meetings with Members. When the Union is not eligible to attend a meeting, it means that discipline is not allowed to be discussed or given. If discipline is discussed in your support meeting, you have the right to request Union Representation before the meeting continues. 
 

Your Union is here to support you. Involving the Union from the onset of any relevant interaction with the Company will ensure the best possible support. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
Interim CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
Interim CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Colleen Tracey
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
Interim WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Elections 2022

Dear Members,

We will be holding elections for most positions in the Local. Please review this email carefully.

The following is an outline for Elections 2022:

Nominations Open:
October 29, 2022 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
Nominations Close:
November 5, 2022 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
 Nomination Acceptance Email Out:
November 8, 2022
Nomination Acceptance Due:
November 11, 2022 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
 Resume/Info Sheet Due:
November October 13, 2022 at 14:00PT / 15:00MT / 17:00ET
 First Round Election Start:
November 17, 2022 at 03:00PT / 04:00MT / 06:00ET
First Round Election End:
November 23, 2022 at 15:00PT / 16:00MT / 18:00ET

Members in Good Standing (signed card and paid $5 Membership fee) can nominate other Members In Good Standing and participate in the voting process. If you wish to participate in this election round 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 nominations or elections end for processing. SIGN A CARD HERE 

Notes

• The nominator must discuss the nomination with the nominee and both must be Members In Good Standing (Signed Union card and paid $5 membership fee).

• Unit and base specific positions require the nominee and the nominator to be from the same base and unit.

• Unit specific positions require the nominee and the nominator to be from the same unit.

• Only one nomination form is required per nominee for the same position.

• You cannot nominate yourself.

Click here to review all positions open for nominations.

For more information regarding the roles and expectations, please consult the bylaws. 

Nomination Forms:
CUPE Local 4070 – President
CUPE Local 4070 – Recording Secretary
CUPE Local 4070 – Trustees
Base Vice-Presidents
Union Stewards
Bylaw Review Committee
Committee Against Racism and Discrimination (CARD)
Communications Committee
Commuter Committee
Education Committee
Health and Safety Committee
Hotel and Transportation Committee
Return to Work and Accomodation Committee
Scheduling Review Committee
Uniform Committee
Women's Committee

All nomination forms must be filled out electronically or printed and scanned and sent by email to: elections@cupe4070.ca

Please include the position and the nominee's name in the subject line of your email. 

Nomination Acceptance
All Members who have been nominated will be sent an email from Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary & Returning Officer, asking if they will allow their name to stand on the ballot and accept the nomination.

If you have been nominated for a position, please monitor your email and spam/junk folder during this period. Nominees who do not reply by the deadline will automatically be considered to have declined their nomination.

Resume/Info Sheet
All nominees that accept their nomination will be given the opportunity to provide a one (1) page (standard 8.5x11 size) resume/info sheet which can be posted on our social media pages and website with links sent by email to all Members for review.

Nominees must send their resume/info sheet in PDF format to: elections@cupe4070.ca

You can start creating your resume/information sheet ASAP. 

Please do not 

• Submit large file resume/info sheets

• Use company logos

• Provide any information you don’t want public

PLEASE REVIEW THE ELECTION OUTLINE ABOVE FOR DEADLINES

Electoral Officer:
The Electoral Officer for this election will be Chantal Weeks, WestJet Cabin Crew Member - YYC Base.


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

WestJet Collective Agreement – Printed Copy (English)

Dear WestJet Members,
 
We have received word from the Company that the previously requested English paper copies of the WestJet Collective Agreement have arrived at the bases.

If you had previously filled out our online form requesting an English paper copy of the Collective Agreement, please see a CSC in the crew room to collect it.

ONLY THE ENGLISH PAPER COPY IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
 

The CSCs have the list of Members who have submitted these requests. Additional English paper copies are also available on a first come first served bases.
 
We will advise you when the French paper copy of the Collective Agreement becomes available and ready to be collected.

CSC hours:
YYC and YVR Mon-Fri 0700-1530
YYZ Mon-Sat 0700-1530
 

In Solidarity,

Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
Interim CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
Interim CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Colleen Tracey
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
Interim WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Update from the Executive Board - October 24, 2022

Dear Members,

Further to our Executive Board Update on October 7, we are writing to you today to inform you that Crystal Hill, President of CUPE 4070, has had her assignment with CUPE National extended until November 4, 2022.

Alia Hussain, CUPE 4070 Vice-President will continue to be the interim CUPE 4070 President in Crystal’s absence. Due to this extension, the Executive Board has appointed Colleen Tracy, WestJet Encore YYC Base Vice-President as the interim CUPE 4070 Vice-President.

WestJet Update:
Brigitte Benoit, WestJet YYC Base Vice-President has also taken an LOA per article 11-9.01 of the WS Collective Agreement starting today, October 24, 2022. Brigitte will also be on assignment with CUPE National with a return date expected sometime in December.
Brandy Whitby has been appointed as the interim WestJet YYC Base Vice-President.

WestJet Encore Update:
Adrian Dayrit has been appointed as the interim WestJet Encore YYC Base Vice-President.

Swoop Update:
Swoop Vice-President Allan Ramsarran has accepted flow to WestJet and will be flowing on November 14, 2022. The decision has been made to not appoint a Swoop Vice-President at that time due to the pending elections. The Executive team will redistribute Allan’s workload and work together to ensure all tasks are being completed and that Swoop Members are being supported.

We will communicate any changes to the above information should there be any further changes.


In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
Interim CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
Interim CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Colleen Tracey
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP, Brandy Whitby
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
Interim WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Adrian Dayrit
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Special Membership Meeting Part 3 - December 7, 2022

Dear Members,

We held part 2 of our Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on October 19, as previously communicated. Once again, due to the length of the meeting, there was a motion to continue the SMM at a future date. The rescheduled date was set to December 7, 2022, per a motion on the floor. The motion further stated that we would submit the amendments made to this point to CUPE National for approval.

This SMM will be a continuation of SMM part 2, and is specific to amendments to the CUPE 4070 bylaws that have not yet been presented and voted on.

As a Reminder:
Special Membership Meetings differ from General Membership Meetings in that “no business shall be transacted at the Special Membership Meeting other than that for which the meeting is called, and notice is given.” More information on Special Membership Meetings can be found in Section 5b of the CUPE 4070 Bylaws.  

Previously, a bylaw amendment was facilitated by providing the Membership with a package and voting period. Upon further review of the bylaws, the Union Executive has determined that this process was not as it was written or intended in the bylaws. 

SECTION 17 - BYLAWS 

(b) Amendments  

These bylaws can only be amended if:  

(i) the amendment does not conflict with the CUPE Constitution; 

(ii) the amendment is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members voting at a General Membership Meeting or at a Special Membership Meeting called for that purpose; and  

(iii) notice of the intention to propose the amendment was given at least seven (7) days before at a previous membership meeting or sixty (60) days before in writing. 

SMM Part 3 Info:
Members in Good Standing (that have signed a Union Card) are asked to register for our Teams meeting using this link:  

Meeting Sign-up

The SMM will take place on December 7, 2022 at
10:00 PT / 11:00 MT / 13:00 ET 
*Membership status will be verified* 

  Meeting Agenda

Bylaw Amendments

Bylaw Amendments FAQs 

We look forward to seeing you there!   

Other Information:
If you have difficulty accessing the SMM and are a Member in Good Standing, please email communications@cupe4070.ca for immediate assistance.

If you experienced difficulties accessing the last SMM please email communications@cupe4070.ca with what the error was, if you were able to fix it, how the error was fixed. We are hoping to eliminate these errors in the future.

If you can't make it to the SMM and have questions for us, please use the "Hot Topics" form so that we can answer them in a future issue of our monthly newsletter: Hot Topics For CUPE 4070 Newsletter

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

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
Interim CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Special Membership Meeting Part 2 - Reminder & Time Change- October 19, 2022

Dear Members,

We held our Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on October 5, as previously communicated. Due to the length of the meeting, there was a motion to continue the SMM at a future date. The rescheduled date was set to October 19, 2022, per the amended motion on the floor.

This SMM will be a continuation of the previous meeting, and is again, specific to amendments to the CUPE 4070 bylaws. This meeting is a continuation from where the last meeting left off.

This was previously communicated as October 19, 2022, 09:00 PT / 10:00 MT / 12:00 ET and due to scheduling conflicts has been changed to October 19, 2022, 10:00 PT / 11:00 MT / 13:00 ET.
 

Members in Good Standing (that have signed a Union Card) are asked to register for the Teams meeting using this link:  
 

Meeting Sign-up

The SMM will take place on October 19, 2022 at
10:00 PT / 11:00 MT / 13:00 ET 
*Membership status will be verified*

  Meeting Agenda

Bylaw Amendments

Bylaw Amendments FAQs 

We look forward to seeing you there!   

If you have difficulty accessing the SMM and are a Member in Good Standing, please email communications@cupe4070.ca for immediate assistance.

If you can't make it to the SMM and have questions for us, please use the "Hot Topics" form so that we can answer them in a future issue of our monthly newsletter: Hot Topics For CUPE 4070 Newsletter

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

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Update from the Executive Board

Dear Members,

We are writing today to inform you that Crystal Hill, President of CUPE 4070, will be away on unpaid leave, per article 11-9.01 of the WS Collective Agreement. Crystal will be on an assignment with CUPE National until October 21, 2022.

In the interim, Alia Hussain, Vice-President of CUPE 4070, will be acting President in Crystal’s absence. The decision has been made to not appoint a Vice-President due to the brief absence. The Executive team will redistribute their workload and work together to ensure all tasks are being completed.

If there are any changes to this timeline, the Union is committed to advising the Membership accordingly.


In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
Interim CUPE 4070 President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

October 2022 Newsletter

Special Membership Meeting Part 2 - October 19, 2022

Dear Members,

We held our Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on October 5, as previously communicated. Due to the length of the meeting, there was a motion to continue the SMM at a future date. The rescheduled date was set to October 19, 2022, per the amended motion on the floor.

This SMM will be a continuation of the previous meeting, and is again, specific to amendments to the CUPE 4070 bylaws. This meeting is a continuation from where the last meeting left off.

Special Membership Meetings differ from General Membership Meetings in that “no business shall be transacted at the Special Membership Meeting other than that for which the meeting is called, and notice is given.” More information on Special Membership Meetings can be found in Section 5b of the CUPE 4070 Bylaws.  

Previously, a bylaw amendment was facilitated by providing the Membership with a package and voting period. Upon further review of the bylaws, the Union Executive has determined that this process was not as it was written or intended in the bylaws. 

SECTION 17 - BYLAWS 

(b) Amendments  

These bylaws can only be amended if:  

(i) the amendment does not conflict with the CUPE Constitution; 

(ii) the amendment is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members voting at a General Membership Meeting or at a Special Membership Meeting called for that purpose; and  

(iii) notice of the intention to propose the amendment was given at least seven (7) days before at a previous membership meeting or sixty (60) days before in writing. 

Members in Good Standing (that have signed a Union Card) are asked to register for our Teams meeting using this link:  

Meeting Sign-up

The SMM will take place on October 19, 2022 at
09:00 PT / 10:00 MT / 12:00 ET 
*Membership status will be verified*

  Meeting Agenda

Bylaw Amendments

Bylaw Amendments FAQs 

We look forward to seeing you there!   

If you have difficulty accessing the SMM and are a Member in Good Standing, please email communications@cupe4070.ca for immediate assistance.

If you experienced difficulties accessing the last SMM please email communications@cupe4070.ca with what the error was, if you were able to fix it, how the error was fixed. We are hoping to eliminate these errors in the future.

If you can't make it to the SMM and have questions for us, please use the "Hot Topics" form so that we can answer them in a future issue of our monthly newsletter: Hot Topics For CUPE 4070 Newsletter

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

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Special Membership Meeting Reminder!

Dear Members,


This is a reminder that today, October 5 at 11:00 PT / 12:00 MT / 14:00 ET, we will be holding our SMM.

If you have not registered yet, please CLICK HERE to register.

Please review this email for more information. This link is where you will find information on who is eligible to participate in the SMM, how to register for the event on Microsoft Teams, and where to find information for review what has been posted on our Member Portal.

If you have difficulty accessing the SMM and are a Member in Good Standing, please email communications@cupe4070.ca for immediate assistance.

If you can't make it to the SMM and have questions for us, please use the "Hot Topics" form so that we can answer them in a future issue of our monthly newsletter: Hot Topics For CUPE 4070 Newsletter

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the SMM.



In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

National Truth and Reconciliation Day - 2022

Dear Members,

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

As part of CUPE 4070's dedication to reconciliation, we understand that truth must come first. Lindsay Poll, Local 4070 CARD Chair and member of Treaty 6 territory and Métis Region 4 will be in the office offering support to members from an Indigenous framework as “Auntie in Residence”.

The Union has secured permission from the YYC Airport authority for traditional smudging ceremonies at YYC in the CUPE 4070 office, located on the arrivals level behind carousel 7.

Please come by and participate in ceremony - reflect on this borrowed land and our individual responsibility to truth and reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day
Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

Honouring the legacy of Indian Residential Schools
The Indian Residential School system operated across Canada between the 1870s and the late 1990s. Indian Residential Schools were created to separate Indigenous children from their families and communities, and to systematically strip away their traditions, cultural practices and languages.

More than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children from across the country were forced to attend Indian Residential Schools, which were often located far from their homes. Many never made it home. 

Learn and reflect 
Take some time to learn about the stories of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and the ongoing legacy of Indian Residential School.  

Links for videos:  

Music video - https://youtu.be/Whg_DrisN18 

Braves wear braids documentary - https://youtu.be/U4B_hUs8A4E 

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up - https://www.nfb.ca/film/nipawistamasowin-we-will-stand-up/  

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

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Committee Against Racism and Discrimination (CARD)

Lifting of Government Mandates

Dear Members, 

On September 26, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the lifting of mask mandates, along with other travel restrictions, effective October 1, 2022. 

This was a regulatory change, however, the Company and your Union participated in a joint risk assessment. Beginning on October 1, the Company has advised they will continue to provide PPE and that wearing a mask will be optional for crew and guests. The Employee Health Team will continue to have on hand and make available, home testing kits. International layover requirements will continue to depend on destination.

We know that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the government mandates have been quite divisive. At this time, it has been deemed safe to be on board an aircraft without a mask starting October 1. Please be reminded that some or all protocols could come back if needed, and always be mindful of crew members and guest choice.

This link illustrates the position of CUPE National and the CUPE Airline Division: https://cupe.ca/cupe-calls-transport-canada-ensure-ongoing-protections-flight-attendants?utm_medium=email&utm_source=CUPEToday

If you have additional personal concerns, please contact your Base VP and CUPE 4070 Occupational Health and Safety Committee: cupe4070.ca/contact 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Health and Safety Committee & CUPE 4070 Executive Team

Special Membership Meeting - Bylaw Amendments and Vote: Registration, Agenda & Proposed Amendments

Dear Members,

We will be holding a Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on October 5, 2022. This SMM is specific to bylaw amendments for the Local. Attending this Special Membership Meeting will include the proposed bylaw amendments and vote.

Special Membership Meetings differ from General Membership Meetings in that “no business shall be transacted at the Special Membership Meeting other than that for which the meeting is called, and notice is given.” More information on Special Membership Meetings can be found in Section 5b of the CUPE 4070 Bylaws.

Previously, a bylaw amendment was facilitated by providing the Membership with a package and voting period. Upon further review of the bylaws, the Union Executive has determined that this process was not as it was written or intended in the bylaws.

SECTION 17 - BYLAWS 

(b) Amendments  

These bylaws can only be amended if:  

(i) the amendment does not conflict with the CUPE Constitution; 

(ii) the amendment is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members voting at a General Membership Meeting or at a Special Membership Meeting called for that purpose; and  

(iii) notice of the intention to propose the amendment was given at least seven (7) days before at a previous membership meeting or sixty (60) days before in writing. 

Members in Good Standing (that have signed a Union Card) are asked to register for our Teams meeting using this link:  

Meeting Sign-up 

The SMM will start at 11:00 PT / 12:00 MT / 14:00 ET 
*Membership status will be verified*

  Meeting Agenda

Bylaw Amendments

Bylaw Amendments FAQs 

We look forward to seeing you there!   

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

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

A Message from your Commuter Committee

Hello WestJet & WestJet Encore Commuters and fellow Members, 

My name is Corie Ives, I am a commuter from Winnipeg and your elected YVR Commuter Committee rep. I am writing to you as I am the Chair of the Commuter Committee and would like to take this time to introduce myself and share some important information with you. The Committee is comprised of myself, Davide Orsi YYC base (commuter from Nanaimo), and our Executive Liaison Bryan Hansraj, WS YYZ Base VP. We currently have vacancies for our WR rep, and WS YYZ rep. 

Our Committee is responsible for ensuring the areas of the Collective Agreement (CA) that pertain to commuting Members are followed, advocate for commuters, answer commuting questions, report issues to our Executive Liaison to inform the Board, and reporting to the Membership at the GMM. This is outlined in the CUPE 4070 Bylaws (LINK). 

CUPE 4070 Members commute from across the country and are a large portion of our Membership. Losing the ability to commute would severely impact WestJet and WestJet Encore operations. We know that the recent announcements of the Employer, reductions of service, and increased loads has had an impact on commuters reporting safely on time to their base. Like all CUPE 4070 Members, Commuters are beyond dedicated, organized, and passionate about their job. Commuting adds an extra layer to their lives as Cabin Personnel / Cabin Crew Members as it imposes longer distance to report for duty, can be stressful, longer times away from home, and so much more. We recognize the challenges of commuting, and we appreciate the understanding and support of our colleagues. 

Your CUPE 4070 Commuter Committee has been active in responding to Member questions and engaging with other parties at CUPE 4070 to advocate for commuter issues to be addressed, identifying opportunities for future changes and improvements for commuters. We are also advocating for jumpseat agreements with other Canadian carriers (to be discussed at the December 2022 Airline Division Counsel of Presidents meeting), alternative modes of transportation, and building a list of discounted hotels.  

We want to remind you that when using the Available Crew Member (ACM) Policy you do not have to be in uniform but must have access to your uniform. If you choose to commute not in uniform, you must adhere to the Standby Dress Code and you are not liquid exempt. Also, commuters are given priority access to available flight attendant jump seats per Article 19-2.01 of the CA. It is important to note that while you do not require a buffer flight currently, it is your responsibility to report on time. If you miss your report, you will be coded UAV and trigger article 38-2 Missed Report Time. 

We would love to be able to connect with our commuting Members and ask that if you are a commuter, to let us know using this form:

COMMUTER FORM 

Should you have any commuting questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Commuter Committee: we are here to support you and advocate for you! If you have suggestions, or found deals that may benefit other Commuters, please share them with us so we can make the information available to all Members. To contact the Commuter Committee you can go to cupe4070.ca/contact or email us at: commuting@cupe4070.ca 

  In Solidarity, 

Your CUPE 4070 Commuter Committee 

Frustration with the Seniority Preferential Bidding System

Dear WestJet Members,

The Union shares your continued frustration with the current seniority preferential bidding system. Despite what you may hear from the Employer, the Union’s position is that this system does not reflect the intent of what was presented and agreed to in bargaining.

Seniority preferential bidding systems are about seniority - not points, not a limit of sixteen bid lines and not a global solver.

With each passing month, the number of individual scheduling grievances is growing. The Union will maintain pressure on the Employer. The three policy grievances filed by the Union in May 2022 remain active – Failure to Implement (-002), Failure to Train SRC (-003) and Failure to Resolve Monthly Awards (-004) - our asks remain firm:

• Implement a seniority bidding system that respects seniority, as was the bargained intent, to be jointly evaluated and selected by the representatives from the Union and Employer.

• The system must allow the Scheduling Review Committee and our Members to clearly understand why they received the schedule they did, and why a day off violation was deemed valid.

• Identification and implementation of improvements to the current system in the interim

What can you do? Dispute! Dispute! Dispute! 

What can be disputed? Unawarded requested day off (RDO) and/or pairing. 

How? Using the form found at this link; please ensure you use separate forms for RDOs vs pairings. You don’t need to create separate disputes within each category - list all your disputed RDOs in one form and all your disputed pairings in the other form.  

When? Before the form closes on 24th of each month or 72 hours after the release of the schedule as per the CA. 

Prerequisite: You had to have bid for that day off and/or pairing and not received it and your bid cannot conflict with preassigned activity such as vacation or training.  

We have hundreds of grievances in queue. We are urging the Employer to reach a settlement that respects seniority; we have yet to receive a reasonable or respectable offer.

All scheduling disputes from the last few months have been escalated to individual grievances. The Union is prepared to attend, present and pursue the full grievance process for every single scheduling grievance that has been filed.   

This issue is the most pressing concern for our members, and we are committed to dedicating all necessary resources to defend and uphold our Collective Agreement.  

Please continue to dispute your unawarded Requested Days Off and pairings using the form before the deadline.  

The Union has been reasonable, patient and willing to participate in discussions beyond what is called for.  For months, the Union’s outspoken desire to collaborate and share information in order to make the transition to seniority scheduling as successful as possible has been endless, yet here we are.  

The Employer had 14 months from ratification to get this right. We are now seeing the release of October 2022 schedules with no resolve.  We cannot get that time back. The Union’s tolerance for this system has expired. There seems to be a lack of concern from the Employer over how this system has and will continue to impact the membership. This is simply, another failed WestJet rollout. 

Only WestJet can fix it. 

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
WestJet YYC Base VP, Brigitte Benoit
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Grooming!

Dear WestJet Members, 

Your Union is receiving a number of reports of Cabin Personnel grooming aircrafts, where grooming is provided, but groomers are late to arrive to the aircraft or short staffed. 

We would like to remind all Cabin Personnel that Article 6-2.03 in your Collective Agreement outlines the Company’s responsibility to provide grooming on all flights over 1:45, or when arriving into a Base (YYZ/YYC/YVR), regardless of flight time; 

6-2.03 Cabin Personnel are required to maintain aircraft appearance while guests are onboard the aircraft. For flights with a scheduled Block Time of one hour and forty-five (1:45) minutes or less, and not arriving in a Base (YVR/YYC/YYZ), Cabin Personnel shall be required to complete post-flight aircraft tidying duties. Cabin Personnel shall not be required to perform post-flight aircraft tidying duties on wide-body aircraft. 

6-2.04 Post-flight aircraft tidying duties shall be limited to:  

• Placing armrests in the down position 

• Crossing of seatbelts 

• Removal of items for disposal not including clearing waste bins in the lavatories or galleys 

• Maintaining general aircraft appearance 

6-2.05 As an exception to 6-2.03 above, in the event of an exceptional circumstance where either no grooming is available or when a groom would result in a significant flight delay or cancellation, Cabin Personnel may be required to complete post-flight aircraft tidying duties on flights with a duration greater than one hour and forty-five (1:45) minutes for both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. 

If you are asked to groom by the Company, it is important as a Member that you ask what the exceptional circumstances are and to AQD/IHR the situation. When reporting these situations please include as much information as possible: Were no groomers available? What length of delay was anticipated? What aircraft tidying duties were performed? How was your OTP affected? Please copy your AQD and report it to your Base VP to allow for the appropriate follow-up.    

We would like our Members to understand that electing to violate the Collective Agreement sets precedent that the Employer can use at the bargaining table. Grooming was a significant win for WS Members, one that our WR and WO Members did not achieve for their Collective Agreements. By voluntarily violating the CA for expedience or convenience without an “exceptional circumstance,” we are essentially telling our Employer that we no longer value this as a part of our CA. 

As a reminder, Members are required to complete aircraft tidying duties on ALL WestJet Encore or Swoop flights including when deadheading and/or flying leisure. Additionally, any violation of the Collective Agreement should be reported to your Union. 

In Solidarity,

Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP, Tyson Conrod
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

Newsletter September 2022

July Sched Delay - SRC Update

Dear Members,  

On August 5, 2022, Alia Hussain, CUPE 4070 Vice-President, and Sarah Ferraro, CUPE 4070 WS Scheduling Review Committee Chair, met with the Employer to hear the policy grievance for late release of July schedules (WS-POL-2022-005).  
 

It was evident in the grievance hearing that the Employer is not fully aware of how late schedule release impacts Cabin Personnel. Some examples were provided, but the Union would like to provide more examples to the Employer to aid in seeking a mutually agreed upon resolution to the grievance.  
 

You can help us by filling out this form.

Please elaborate on any personal stress, impacts on managing personal responsibilities such as family and childcare, missed events, loss of hours due to needing to self-manage, if you required use a personal day, or any other effects delayed schedule release may have had.  

Please be assured that while the form asks for personal details, you will not be identified should you wish to remain anonymous. We intend to bring forward the specifics of these impacts.  
 

The form will be open until 23:59MT on Thursday, August 25, 2022.  

 In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Scheduling Review Committee

WestJet YYC Base Vice-President Interim Appointment

Dear WestJet Members,

WestJet YYC Base Vice-President Brigitte Benoit has taken a 1-month LOA from her role which leaves a vacancy on the Executive.

Tyson Conrod, WS YYC Union Steward, has been appointed to fill this vacancy. The CUPE 4070 website contact form has also been changed to reflect this appointment. Tyson’s email is: tyson.conrod@cupe4070.ca

In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
CUPE 4070 President, Crystal Hill
CUPE 4070 Vice-President, Alia Hussain
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer, Alex Grigoriev
CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary, Marco Di Virgilio
WestJet YVR Base VP, Chris Brewer
Interim WestJet YYC Base VP, Tyson Conrod
WestJet YYZ Base VP, Bryan Hansraj
WestJet Encore YYC Base VP, Colleen Tracey
WestJet Encore YYZ Base VP, Mauricio Mejia
Swoop Base VP, Allan Ramsarran

August 2022 Newsletter