September 2024
Local 2002 President Tammy Moore and I spent Labour Day participating in the Annual Toronto Labour Day Parade, an event with deep historical significance dating back to 1872. This year we had members from Local 2002 executive board from across the country march in our Labour Day parade. Despite being positioned at the end of the parade, Unifor remains the largest union present, proudly representing the strength and solidarity of organized labour. Labour unions are a testament to the hard work of our ancestors, who fought for the rights and benefits we enjoy today. It is always an honour to walk side by side with fellow union members in this historic celebration of workers' rights.
Pay Equity Update
On September 4, 2024, the company released an update, curiously dated August 24, 2024, announcing that the Federal Government has approved a one-year extension for the pay equity deadline. The new deadline is now set for September 3, 2025.
Contact Centers and Frozen Computers
This is a reminder that if the phone system freezes and you are unable to complete a call, it is essential to open a Trouble Report, remark the PNR, and call the customer back. Always follow SOP. Failure to follow these steps could lead to a meeting with management.
District 304 - CJM Yellow Shirt Day
On a random day back in June, several members from CJM D304 wore the same colour as a coincidence. District Chair David P noticed it was the same colour as our current Collective Agreement. What a way to show solidarity without even realizing it!
Unifor/AC Bargaining Committee Chair
Eastern Region (Quebec) Bargaining Representative and Committee Chair Benoit Lapointe is retiring after more than 10 years of service as the Bargaining Representative for the Eastern Region and 27 years with the company. For the past two years, Benoit has also served as the chair of the Air Canada Bargaining Committee. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to him for his dedicated years of representing the labour movement and wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life. I am honored to have been elected to chair the committee for the remainder of the term.
ALPA Information Picket
ALPA held an information picket at YYZ-ARPT on August 27, 2024. To show Unifor’s solidarity, Pacific Region Bargaining Rep Soppo and I drove by the ALPA members' information picket at Toronto Terminal 1 with the Unifor flag proudly flying from the sunroof. Unifor is closely monitoring the situation and fully supports ALPA members in their fight for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.
See Unifor 2002 Executive Board’s message "A pilot Strike will Impact all of us"
National Truth and Reconciliation Day
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
This statutory holiday was added to the federal labour code after the ratification of our Collective Agreement in March of 2020, and therefore it is not included in Article 13 (Statutory Holidays). This means it is not part of the GHO program, even though September 30 is a statutory holiday for all members (GHO or non-GHO). If you have any questions, please contact your district Union office.
General Holiday Option (GHO) / Vacation Purchase Program(VPP) Deadline
Deadline for GHO and VPP for 2025 is September 15, 2024. No exceptions past this date are possible. Inactive employees who do not have a confirmed return to work date in 2025 as of October 1, 2024 will not be eligible for GHO/VPP.
To sign up or change your selections: ACaeronet under HR Connex > Go to eHR Kiosk > Unifor AC General Holidays & VPP.
