Harold's March 2023 Newsletter
Update on Family Care Policy Grievance
The union has reached a settlement with the company on the implementation of ten paid sick days and the Family Care language we had in our Collective Agreement. The Unifor Local 2002 Air Canada Bargaining Committee has issued a bulletin dated March 14, 2023 with more detail, available at the following link.
Volunteer Manager Grievance: Protecting our Scope Work
The union filed several grievances in the summer of 2021 because the company had called all available managers for all departments to come and “assist” with the operation at YYZ-ARPT. This was a clear scope violation, as anyone who is not a member of Unifor is not allowed to be brought in “as needed” to perform our work. If there is a staff shortage at the airport, the solution is more adequately trained CES Agents.
Our grievances on this issue have resulted in the company providing funding and hours for District 301 union leaders to attend training with Unifor’s National Education Department, since the scope violations occurred at YYZ-ARPT. This is a significant outcome to show to the company that the union will always stand up to protect our scope work. The training opportunities for the District that was affected by these violations will also help the union serve the membership more effectively into the future.
This was only possible thanks to the support and collaboration of members so that the union could file grievances over several examples. A special thank you to the former Bargaining Rep for the central region, and current District Chair of CJM, David Peng, for his dedication to this arbitration, which started under David’s leadership when he was the Bargaining Rep and he carried it through to the finish.
GIDIP ROAD SHOW
Come and meet the Unifor 2002 GIDIP trustees and ask any questions or concerns regarding our disability plan. It’s always good to be well informed and to get to know the plan, and hope that you never need to make use of it.
A zoom link will be made available for anyone unable to make it in person. Zoom links and exact location and times will be communicated by your District Chairs closer to the event. Upcoming dates include:
April 27: Toronto, Sheraton Four Points Hotel – Meadowvale 1000-1200 & 1500-1700
April 28: Toronto Terminal 3 Sheraton Gateway 0900-1100 & 1300-1500
To View the full Unifor 2002 Bulletin: Bulletin Link
Small Base update coming soon
The bargaining committee continues to meet with the company and our counterparts at Jazz as instructed with the arbitrators’ decision. The committee will be sharing any details as soon as they are available.
Not using your company email when communicating with the Union
Here is an interesting article on a well-known Canadian employer that was secretly having every email sent from their company’s email system to automatically BCC Labour Relations, without the sender’s knowledge. Some unionized employees had been using their company email to communicate with their union, and only found out by accident that these emails were being shared with the company as well. To be clear, there is no reason to think that this has happened with our employer, but this article is a reminder that our employer’s email system is controlled and monitored by the employer. It is always recommended to use a personal email address, and not one issued by the company, to communicate with the union. For the article click here:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-snc-lavalin-email-surveillance-union-negotiations/
“On Dec. 1, 2021, several Candu employees reported to the union that when they sent an e-mail to staff members of SPEA or to an SPEA e-mail account, they received an automatic “out of office” response from one of SNC’s labour-relations managers, Dana Duncan. This was despite the fact that Ms. Duncan’s e-mail address was not included in the original e-mail.”
