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CUPE 4070 Election Update
I would like to provide you with an update on the upcoming elections. You will receive an email with nominee information sheets (if provided) once elections open on Friday morning.
Dear Members,
I would like to provide you with an update on the upcoming elections. You will receive an email with nominee information sheets (if provided) once elections open on Friday morning.
Elections/Voting
November 22, 2019 at 03:00 Pacific / 04:00 Mountain / 06:00 Eastern -
November 28, 2019 at 15:00 Pacific / 16:00 Mountain / 18:00 Eastern.
A reminder to nominees going into an election
You must send your information sheets in PDF format to Marco Di Virgilio, Recording Secretary at: rs.cupe4070@gmail.com by November 21, 2019 at 10:00 Pacific / 11:00 Mountain / 13:00 Eastern.
The following election will be open to all CUPE 4070 Members In Good Standing
CUPE Local 4070 Vice-President
Jamie Loiselle (acclaimed)
Congratulations Jamie on your re-election!
CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer
Brad Call
Calvin Gautschi
JP Girard
Kruti Sutaria
Shelley MacDonald
Trustee (3 year)
JP Girard (acclaimed)
Congratulations JP on your re-election!
Bylaw Amendment Vote
We will simultaneously conduct a bylaw amendment vote with the CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer election. The bylaw amendment information will be included in the email containing the CUPE 4070 Secretary-Treasurer information sheets.
The following election will only be open to WestJet YYZ Base CUPE 4070 Members In Good Standing
WestJet YYZ Base Vice-President (January 2020 – November 2020)
Boris Zalac
Chantale Tremblay
Jordan Christenson
Natasha Kervin
WestJet YYZ Base Return to Work and Accommodation Committee (December 2019 – November 2020)
Vacant/No election
Election Officer
Sylvia Alves is our Elections Officer. She can be reached at: sylvia.alves@cupe4070.ca
Good luck to all nominees in this upcoming election!
If you are a not a Member In Good Standing (Signed Union card & Paid $5 Membership fee) and wish to participate in this election period, please sign a card and pay the $5 Membership fee on our website by November 27, 2019 at 15:00 Pacific / 16:00 Mountain / 18:00 Eastern to ensure processing by the close of the election period. SIGN A CARD HERE
In Solidarity,
Marco Di Virgilio - CUPE 4070 Recording Secretary
Bargaining Update #11
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for Round 11 of Collective Bargaining in Calgary from November 4 to 7.
Dear Members,
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for Round 11 of Collective Bargaining in Calgary from November 4 to 7.
As we mentioned in our previous Bargaining Update, the Union had presented the Company with a ‘package deal’ related to the Scheduling Article, hoping to come to a place of mutual agreement. The Company was not prepared to accept our proposal.
The CUPE National Airline Scheduling subject matter expert (SME) will be away from the bargaining table for an upcoming period, as such, the Union and the Company have agreed to park the Scheduling Article for the time being.
Much of the Article has been agreed to, however, on a number of clauses we remain significantly apart. Rest assured, when this Article does resurface, your Bargaining Committee, along with our CUPE Scheduling SME will pursue the collective interests of our workgroup as vigorously as we have thus far.
The Federal Government is set to enact Airline Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), by December 15, 2019. The Company's position is that the APPR may cost the Company millions of dollars in IROP expenses if the Union doesn’t acquiesce to certain demands for extreme scheduling flexibility rights for the Company.
“Free reign over our Members’ rights as workers and human beings is unacceptable.”
— JAMIE LOISELLE, VICE PRESIDENT
The Union is prepared to be partners in running a successful business with our Employer, however, we will never agree to a scheduling strategy that is dependant on the systematic abuse of our Membership.
So far, the Company's demands related to the Scheduling Article have been ruthless, making it clear that they view our Members not as trusted partners in business, but as people to exploit for corporate gain and use as a degree of insurance against any APPR situation. This is nearly the sole reason we were unable to reach a Tentative Agreement on this Article at this time.
You have our word; we will not stand down or accept unreasonable language or conditions in our Collective Agreement. It is a NO, plain and simple, and we will not change our stance in the New Year or ever.
Following the Scheduling Article, both sides presented their Article on Training. This Article spells out details of everything related to training: the way such days contribute to your monthly block, e-learning scheduling and credit, when and how you can trade/change your training etc. During the week, both sides exchanged counter-proposals. Reasonable progress was made.
With a small number of clauses of the Article outstanding, the decision was made by the Union to park this Article, as the final details to be agreed to are contingent on what is agreed to in the Scheduling Article, which had just been parked. Once Scheduling is agreed to, both sides will revisit the Training Article and resume negotiations with the details needed to provide the complete context.
Next, the Union and Company exchanged proposals on the Article which deals with Discrimination.
This Article sets forth an agreement between both the Union and the Company that any discrimination and harassment against a Member of the Bargaining Unit on a multitude of grounds will not be tolerated.
The exchange of one counter-proposal by the Union was accepted by the Company, and the Discrimination Article has now been signed in Tentative Agreement (TA).
The atmosphere at the bargaining table was mixed this week. On many occasions, it appeared that the Company's representatives simply dismissed the concerns that we brought forward on your behalf, as petty or insignificant.
You certified this Union with a strong mandate to fight hard for your rights as workers, and we continue to do so at the bargaining table in good faith.
We will not accept proposals which devalue the contribution that each and every one of us makes, every time we put on our uniform.
WE are the largest workgroup at this Airline.
WE make or break the operation.
Guest loyalty depends on US!
Make no mistake about it.
Your Union is here to fight hard at the bargaining table for the dignity, respect and industry appropriate work rules that we deserve as leading aviation professionals.
“Please be proud of the work that you do, and be proud that together, we will stand up and protect your interests, especially when we are asked to do more with less.”
— CHRIS RAUENBUSCH, PRESIDENT
“There is a reason this Airline is successful – and it is YOU!”
— ALEXIS ALLAIN, BARGAINING COMMITTEE/MOBILIZATION LIAISON CUPE LOCAL 4070
As we get closer to dealing with Articles related to compensation, please know that we are there to defend your best interests. Scheduling and Compensation are two key areas where our Company is lagging the industry. You know it, we know it, and they know it. We will not settle for the status quo, or anything resembling it.
As your Bargaining Committee, we realize that this update is different in tone and detail than what you are likely used to. We felt it was necessary given our experience at the table recently. We commit to keeping you informed as the situation unfolds. This is the current reality we are facing.
Round 12 of Collective Bargaining is scheduled for December 9 to 12 in Calgary.
If you have any questions about the Collective Bargaining process, please engage your Mobilizing Team at: weare4070@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 WestJet Bargaining Committee
FAQ/RUMOUR BUSTING
Everything discussed at the bargaining table is strictly confidential. Please consider any information that you hear outside of our updates a rumour. We ask that you please refrain from spreading rumours about bargaining. If you do hear a rumour and would like to know if it is legitimate, please reach out to your Mobilizing Team at weare4070@gmail.com.
Q: Is there a ‘grooming strike’ planned in the near future?
A: No. A ‘grooming strike’ would be considered job action. What is and isn’t considered part of the job can party be formed by what is in contracts and writing, but the status quo also forms a part of the frozen practice. In legal terms, and established practice that has always been adhered to doesn’t actually need to be in writing anywhere in order for it to be enforced. The simple act of stopping something we have always done up until now without being in a legal strike position would be classified as ‘illegal job action’, and would seriously undermine any efforts in Collective Bargaining.
Q: We are frequently asked: when will this be over? How many rounds of bargaining are there?
A: The answer is it’s over when we have completed Tentative Agreements on all Articles that each side agrees to included in the Collective Agreement (CA). There is no limit to the number of rounds that can take place. It is important to remember: We are making history, building the first-ever legally binding Collective Agreement for the Cabin Crew Members of WestJet. Every word, and every clause, in this CA is being put together from scratch. Once completed, this process will never occur again while unionized with CUPE. Every time a CA expires in the future, the negotiations are based on changes to the previous CA that either side would like to see, and negotiations are held on that alone.
Your Union understands that this process feels long and extended for you, our Membership. Your Union is focused on every detail. Building a new CA is extremely complex, and one Article may indirectly influence or be impacted by or upon many other Articles.
Making sure we get this right is the priority.
Currently, we have agreed with the Company on dates into the first week of April 2020 for bargaining. We are now also pursuing dates a few months beyond into June 2020 with the hope that such a timeframe will bring us to/near the conclusion of Collective Bargaining. As we progress into the new year, we will provide further guidance on the anticipated timeline.
Bargaining Update #10
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for Round 10 of Collective Bargaining in Vancouver from October 21 to 25.
Dear Members,
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for Round 10 of Collective Bargaining in Vancouver from October 21 to 25.
As we communicated in the previous Bargaining Update, the entire week in Vancouver was set aside entirely for the Scheduling Article, continued from Round 9 of Bargaining.
The Scheduling Article is lengthy and complex. It contains all the rules around how our schedules can be planned and modified, including bidding, rest, and duty parameters.
This Article contains over 30 clauses, many of which are extremely detailed, and your Committee is conscious of the expectations of the Membership with regards to Scheduling. There are many areas of the Article where we simply will not compromise, and maintain that our Membership expects improvements. We have been firm at the bargaining table: we will not bend on these issues.
The CUPE 4070 WestJet Bargaining Committee convened Sunday evening to finalize our counter proposal to the Company. Our counter was finalized and presented to the Company mid-morning on Monday.
The entire week was spent presenting or receiving numerous counter proposals, listening to the needs of each side and trying to generate solutions.
It is fair to say that despite not reaching a final Tentative Agreement on the Scheduling article, significant progress was made and we closed this 5-day round of bargaining by presenting a “package deal” to the Company on Friday Afternoon. This process involves addressing certain issues important to one side, while making gains for the side presenting. Unless the content of the full package is agreed to, all parts of the deal are off the table.
The Scheduling Article proposal by the Union will potentially be responded to in Round 11 of Collective Bargaining next week, November 4 to 8. The Company has not yet informed us of their plan.
If you have any questions about the Collective Bargaining process, please engage your Mobilizing Team at: weare4070@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 WestJet Bargaining Committee
Bargaining Update #9
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for our ninth round of Collective Bargaining in Calgary from September 25 - 27.
Dear Members,
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for our ninth round of Collective Bargaining in Calgary from September 25 - 27.
On the agenda were the following topics:
Deadheading
Reserve
The Union presented counter-proposals of both the Deadheading and Reserve Articles, which had been brought to the table during the previous round of negotiations. After a period of back and forth on these Articles, and some compromise on both sides, the Union and the Employer reached a Tentative Agreement on both.
These two Articles have now been signed off.
The Employer presented a proposal for an Article related to Management Rights to Bargaining Unit Work. This Article focuses on the right of both “qualified” management, such as PSMs, being permitted to fly as a CCM under certain circumstances, as well as non-qualified leadership assisting with inflight service, and other duties.
Your Bargaining Committee crafted language to include in a counter-proposal, as the Employer’s version of the Article was vague, and non-detailed. As an example, we can agree with the sentiment that having PSMs maintain their qualifications is advantageous, we can not allow anyone outside of the bargaining unit unfettered access to our flying - this simply can not occur.
Although our counter-proposal is ready, the Committee decided that we preferred to “park” this Article until such time as we are dealing with other issues that may be indirectly related to who does what scope of work. This Article is an ask from the Employer, and as such, it must be related to other issues in a give and take manner.
On Thursday morning, the Employer presented their entire Scheduling Article. Quite simply, this Article is massive. The Union worked for the remainder of Thursday and Friday on our counter-proposal, and this work continues. The Union anticipates presenting our counter-proposal on Scheduling at the beginning of Round 10 of Collective Bargaining scheduled for October 21 - 25 in Vancouver.
If you have any questions about the Collective Bargaining process, please engage your Mobilizing Team at: weare4070@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Bargaining Committee
Bargaining Update #8
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for our eighth round of Collective Bargaining in Calgary from September 18 - 21.
Dear Members,
Your Bargaining Committee met with the Employer for our eighth round of Collective Bargaining in Calgary from September 18 - 21.
On the agenda were the following topics:
Reserve
Deadheading
Bargaining for these three days consisted of two previously tabled Articles: Reserve and Deadheading. Both sides brought forward multiple proposals and counter-proposals.
Progress was made on several aspects of both the Reserve and Deadheading Articles; however, there remain select clauses within each which require more work from both parties.
Some progress was also made on another previously parked Article. The Union presented a counter-proposal of the Layoff & Recall Article to the Employer. The Employer received this proposal with explanation and took it away for further consideration. We hope to discuss this Article further this week.
All three Articles will continue to be dealt with in round 9 of Bargaining, which will take place from September 25 - 27 in Calgary.
If you have any questions about the Collective Bargaining process, please engage your Mobilizing Team at: weare4070@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Bargaining Committee
Bargaining Update #7
Last week your Bargaining Committee continued collective negotiations in Vancouver from Monday through Thursday.
Dear Members,
Last week your Bargaining Committee continued collective negotiations in Vancouver from Monday through Thursday.
The week got off to an unexpected start early Monday morning. Jeff Martin contacted our Local 4070 President to advise the Union that he had made two significant organizational changes. He advised Chris that VP Guest Experience, Louis Saint Cyr and VP Crew Resources, Scott Groh were no longer with the Company, effective immediately.
Greg Orth, Director lnflight, now the senior leader of the department, reached out to Chris Rauenbusch, President CUPE Local 4070, to state his intentions of forging a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship. This expression of positive relations was reciprocated by Union leadership. Greg and Chris plan to meet soon to discuss the next steps towards a renewed relationship.
Due to these circumstances, bargaining began slightly behind schedule on Monday mid-morning. With the absence of Louis and Scott at the table, Jason Begley, Director of Labour Relations, has assumed the role of senior negotiations lead for the Employer. Two articles were presented by the Union for potential agreement prior to commencing the Scheduling Articles:
Travel Privileges & Jumpseat Access
Commuting (re-tabled after a previous logistical delay)
By Monday afternoon, with overall positive back-and-forth counter proposals, we reached and signed off on the following Articles as a Tentative Agreement:
Travel Privileges & Jumpseat Access
We achieved one item in particular that was a priority for us, and which will positively impact our Commuters.
Tuesday morning saw the re-tabling of the Commuting Article. This Article was previously ‘paused’ as various experts were scheduled to come in for the last round of bargaining to address Health & Safety. Throughout Tuesday, both sides presented offers and counteroffers; exploring the needs of both the Union and the Employer. Some inroads were made, yet by the end of day, the Employer was unwilling to move on one specific part of the Article that the Union views as the basis upon which the rest of the Article hinges. This divergence on this clause caused us to reach an impasse on the Commuting Article. The Union will not agree to an Article with a clause that could potentially negate the validity of the entire Article at the behest of the Employer at any time during the term of the Collective Agreement. We stand firmly behind our Commuters and will continue to do so. This Article is now ‘parked’ until later in Collective Bargaining as there was no movement possible at this time.
Wednesday morning saw the first Scheduling Articles brought to the table. Both sides shared proposals for the Reserve Article. We started off relatively aligned in the concept, however, there were many terms we could not agree to. The Committee spent the rest of the day in caucus, away from the Employer, determining an appropriate counter-proposal - this continued into Thursday morning. The Reserve topic is extremely complex in terms of what is being negotiated regarding the reserve system moving forward in the Collective Agreement, and the Committee debated internally on many issues. The full impact of any counter-proposal needed to be weighed and examined before an offer back to the Employer could be made. There are significant changes from the status quo being tabled by both sides, and proper diligence is required on every facet of what is being agreed to.
At 10:15PT on Thursday morning, the Union’s counter-proposal was presented to the Employer. The other side was engaged and took our presentation seriously, asking for clarification on several clauses. They took our ideas away to make some changes, and these were tabled to the Union by 14:40PT. There was progress made on the Employer’s counter to us, however, after caucus by the Bargaining Committee, there remained areas that we need to see more movement on to ensure this programme will be workable for our membership. The Union began working on another counter-proposal to present back, however, the day concluded with the counter proposal not yet complete. The Reserve Article will continue to be negotiated at Round 8 in Calgary this Wednesday through Friday.
It should come as no secret or surprise that bargaining had recently become somewhat contentious, with the atmosphere in the room showing signs of decay. The Employer had become, in our view, less and less open to hearing our perspectives and the reasoning behind why we were presenting certain things, or why we could not agree to others.
In an effort to provide clarity to our membership: the tone at the table changed significantly this week. In the view of the Committee, the tone, approach and demeanour with which the Employer interacted with us was felt to have made a major turn for the better. There were many back-and-forths, and another article was ‘parked,’ however, this is normal in Collective Bargaining. All of our concerns were legitimately being heard and respected, even where disagreements remained. The most recent counter brought to us by the Employer demonstrated significant willingness to hear our issues, and make a meaningful effort to address many of them. We take this development as a positive sign.
Although this refreshed atmosphere at the table is new, we will not take for granted that it will continue indefinitely. The Committee is cautiously optimistic that we can begin to develop a better relationship with the Employer.
Round 8 of Bargaining will take place Wednesday, September 18th to Friday, September 20th in Calgary, and continue to deal with Reserve as well as Scheduling.
If you have any questions about the Collective Bargaining process, please engage your Mobilizing Team at: weare4070@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Bargaining Committee
Organizational Structure Change
You may have seen Jeff Martin’s Organizational Structure change update earlier today.
Dear Members,
You may have seen Jeff Martin’s Organizational Structure change update earlier today.
With the departure of Louis Saint Cyr, and Scott Groh from WestJet effective immediately, we wish to assure our Membership that Collective Bargaining continues as normal today, and into the future.
CUPE Local 4070 President Chris Rauenbusch spoke on the phone with Jeff Martin prior to this announcement earlier this morning. The discussion focused on the context behind this change, and more importantly that the Employer is committed to maintaining negotiations as scheduled. Jeff advised that he made it pointedly clear to those at the bargaining table on the Employer's side, now led by Jason Begley, Director Labour Relations, that they have his full authority and confidence to make the decisions necessary.
Bargaining is in progress in Vancouver presently, despite a small delayed start this morning.
All articles tentatively agreed to in negotiations remain tentatively agreed to for the remainder of the bargaining process.
If you have any questions related to this change, please e-mail info.cupe4070@gmail.com
DON’T FORGET! YVR Base Meeting this Thursday at 19:00 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport in Richmond.
In Solidarity,
Your CUPE 4070 Executive Team
It's Time To Talk About Pay
I’ve been having a lot of thoughts about the recent transition to a semi-monthly pay-system. In addition to the slew of emails I’ve received from members concerned about the impact on their personal finances, I’ve been forced to sit down and really think about what this transition to a different pay system means for us.
Dear Members,
A Message From Your VP:
I’ve been having a lot of thoughts about the recent transition to a semi-monthly pay-system. In addition to the slew of emails I’ve received from members concerned about the impact on their personal finances, I’ve been forced to sit down and really think about what this transition to a different pay system means for us.
It was our hope, when this solution was presented, that it would rectify the longstanding issues we’ve had with our paycheques. Hours missing, block growth not properly calculated, pairing pickups being overlooked... All of this occurred as a result of a very short reconciliation period between the end of a two-week pay period, and the payday Friday. The amount of time to reconcile everyone’s pay and get paycheques out was limited, which resulted in a higher margin of error. The new pay system rectifies all of these issues by providing crew pay with a longer reconciliation period, the result of which will be fewer errors on your paycheques.
But the transition has sparked an interesting debate, one that has led me to realize there are two entirely separate issues at play here.
What if the issue we are looking at, now that we’ve rectified the ongoing pay errors, is the fact that your average, middle-of-the-pack Flight Attendant is living paycheque-to-paycheque? Or that your top-end Flight Attendant hardly makes any more money than they did 10, even 15 years ago?
We know that this is not an issue unique to Flight Attendants. In fact, the average income of workers in Canada has not seen a dramatic shift at any time in the last forty years. In 1980, according to Statistics Canada, the average annual income for Canadians was $38,800.00. By 2016, it had barely moved, sitting at $45,400.00.
By comparison, the cost of housing and associated costs of living have risen to a point where they are completely disproportionate to the median income. One only needs to go back to 2005, when, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the price of your average home in Canada sat around $225,000.00. When you compare that to the average price of over $500,000.00 in 2019, it’s no wonder workers are feeling the strain now more than ever.
So let me make a bold suggestion, that perhaps we are missing the forest for the trees here. Perhaps, our frustration at the financial implications of this pay system transition is misdirected. Perhaps the real issue, is that we do not make enough money. We do not make the kind of money we need to live a lifestyle that was within reach ten, or twenty years ago.
And let me make an even bolder suggestion:
Like so many of the pressing issues that we face as a society, this one will only get worse. If we do not take action now to ensure that workers are getting a fair shake, we will continue to see the average Canadian’s financial situation worsen. We will continue to make less money than we need, and the gap between our income and the cost of living will spread to an insurmountable point, while the debts we carry grow, and our retirement savings get used up in a feeble attempt to live comfortably and provide for our families.
So maybe, just maybe, instead of demanding that our pay system be reverted to the problem-ridden system we just got rid of, we start demanding real change. Perhaps we start demanding that corporations pay employees their fair share, not only here, but across the country.
Surely we deserve, at the very least, to be able to afford to live comfortably, day-to-day, without having to depend on overtime or a second job to pay the bills. We should be able to maintain a healthy work-life balance, while supporting our families and putting aside enough money to retire at a healthy age.
In summary, I firmly support the change in pay structure, as does the rest of your Executive. We believe that this is the best solution to the ongoing pay issues that have dogged us for years. With that being said, I hear the Members loud and clear when they tell me they are struggling to get by, I just wonder whether the new pay system is really to blame for that. If we didn’t depend on Per-Diem to form a part of our overall income, and instead, relied on it to replace the cost of food while we are travelling for work (as it was intended before workers in our industry became increasingly underpaid), we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. It is my sincerest hope that we are approaching a point where, as workers, not only in airlines, but across the country, we can wake up to the hard truth:
We don’t make the kind of money we need to get by. And at the end of the day, when it comes to how we are paid, it doesn’t matter how many slices you cut it into, if there’s not enough pie to share, people are going to be hungry.
I hope I have expressed my reflections on this topic appropriately, and would love to begin to bring this discussion to the forefront of our minds as we move forward together.
In Solidarity,
Jamie Loiselle,
Vice President, CUPE 4070
To see the statistics referenced in the above post, follow the links below:
[on average annual income]
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=1110023901#timeframe
[on average mortgage costs]
Happy Labour Day WestJet!
Happy Labour Day! We wanted to share a Labour Day message with you from our President, Chris Rauenbusch.
Dear Members,
Happy Labour Day!
We wanted to share a Labour Day message with you from our President, Chris Rauenbusch:
This Labour Day is truly historic. It is the first Labour Day in the history of WestJet Inflight that we have a functioning Union Local, and are 4,000 strong across all WestJet Group brands. I simply wish to say “thank you,” and provide you with a quick update on the Canada Labour Code (CLC) changes which technically came into effect yesterday, September 1st.
Thank you. Thank you to our members who joined us during the certification drive, and helped certify CUPE as our legally recognized trade union. Thank you to all members who have joined us every day since our certification to engage in your Union. Thank you to all of the volunteers, who have gotten involved in shaping its future. I also wish to thank those who have yet to join the Membership. I am aware that building a union is a long term commitment, and it is not for the faint of heart! Building the trust of every last person in the bargaining unit will not be accomplished in one year, or two. I do however thank you for remaining a professional, committed to the success of our Employer, and open to judging the union by it’s actions as we move forward.
My goal, and I know it is shared by the entire Executive of CUPE Local 4070, is that we continue to build trust daily, with every single CCM we represent. In solidarity, we will create a better workplace, and a more successful WestJet. Thank you to every single one of you, the CCMs of the WestJet Group.
Now to update you on the CLC changes and the Union’s efforts to protect our members’ rights as intended by the Federal Government:
As your President, I was deeply involved in the document (PDF attached) that was submitted in rebuttal to the Employer’s misleading submission to Employment & Social Development Canada on August 14th. Our rebuttal was submitted to the Government last week, on behalf of every single flight attendant under the CUPE umbrella.
As of now, Federal Minister Patty Hajdu has indicated that certain interim exemptions would apply — at least until further tweaks can be made after the October election — but she acknowledged that the government was still hammering out who they will ultimately include.
To be clear with you, our Members:
As per Minister Hajdu, our workplace is currently under ‘interim’ exemptions, so your work rules remain status quo, you must proceed as we are accustomed. Given that the Minister has indicated this won’t be addressed until following October’s Federal Election, please be aware, there will not be a quick resolution to this issue.
I commit to keeping you updated as this process unfolds. .Myself and your CUPE 4070 Executive, CUPE National, as well as the CUPE Airline Division, will fight vigorously for our rights in front of the Government, and wherever else necessary.
If you have any questions on any issue in your workplace, please reach out to info.cupe4070@gmail.com, or myself directly.
To read the letter submitted by the CUPE Airline Division click HERE.
In Solidarity,
Chris