Thunderbird-
I assure you that I do understand the grievance quite well after having had several conversations with several Canadian AOA GC members.
Until recently, the company had always allowed Canadians on US bases and vice versa. Paris was a game changer. In 2010, American pilots were denied YYZ due lack of the right to live and work and junior Canadian pilots were awarded the base out of seniority. Where was the objection from Canadians?
What I have observed from AOA Canada since its inception is the desire to do what suits Canadians regardless of its knock on affect on any others while hiding behind the fact (yes I admit it is a fact) that Canadian law dictates such actions. Certainly you can understand how that would be viewed by any outside Canada.
If the company is equally requiring all pilots to have the right to live and work to obtain a base, how is that a problem? I would point out that our labor contracts do not usurp law. NAFTA is subject to proper legal interpretation and due diligence by CX.
In my humble opinion, NAFTA does not authorize either country's CX pilots to operate as they have on bases because each country operates its own CX local branch. This is taken from the Canadian Goverment's webpage regarding the International Mobility Program: Authorization to work without a work permit – Business visitor.
Example: A U.S. based company provides marine maps and computer software to commercial and private mariners, including sports fishermen. The U.S. company has no subsidiaries or affiliates in Canada. The company wants to map the Lake of the Woods, most of which is in Canada, using sophisticated marine mapping devices. The end product will be marine maps and computer software that will assist mariners in navigating the Lake of the Woods. These products will be commercially available to anyone who wants to purchase them. In order to do this, the company needs to send two of their employees along with a boat load of this equipment to circumnavigate the Lake of the Woods, take depth and other readings, and return to the U.S. with their findings. Their findings will in turn be used to produce the marine maps and computer software. Since there is no Canadian employer contracting for their services, and since the U.S. company will be the direct beneficiary of the foreign worker’s efforts, business visitor criteria are satisfied.
International Mobility Program: Authorization to work without a work permit ? Business visitor