income protection
 

Has income protection been considered ... take one currency and base your salary and per diems add ons etc and protect your income on your local currency worldwide, then it doesn't matter what your home country is. Everybody gets paid based on one currency and the the income protection insurance keeps it on a level playing field

Mmm. Interesting.

I don't think it has been considered and may be it should. As it is now all GO pilots are paid CDN dollar and we all know that it can be quite a moody currency.

works really well

Heli-Jet

It sounds you are talking from experience. Can you tell us how you make it work for you.

Well the company I work for pays all it's expats in US dollars. There are about 15 different nationalities, so you can imaging the fluctuations in all the foreign currencies. Company gave us all a base line for our local currency against the US and when the currency fluctuates we get paid more. Eg the Canadian or the Aussie dollar is strengthening against the USD so we get paid more last month I pulled an extra $2500 on my Salary. belive me all the crews are happy about our currency protection. Should the Aussie or Canadian dollar drop against the USD well then we still win as we get more money due to the exchange rate. so you see it is a win win situation.

I am sure your union rep can get CHC GO to arrange currency protection for all your foreign nationals. The Canadians might want to get a better basic by taking a look at the European wages and get CHC to match them. Price of oil is going to go up again and BC will want to get his calculator out again

Your company... do they bear the cost (or gain) of adjusting to currency fluctuations or is it covered by some kind of insurance they subscibe to?

The company bore the cost or gain ... however I am sure if you check online there are insurance companies that do currency protection together with Income protection (loss of license)

Just like to let everyone know that the new website is up and running at GHPA - Global Helicopter Pilots Association > Home and all CHC Global pilots are welcome to register.

After you register (with your real name) you will be vetted and if eligible, will be granted access to the members only portion of the website.

GHPA Members Alert - New Website!
 

The GHPA has a new website up and running. This is for CHC Global Operations pilots only. Existing GHPA members must obtain a new ID & password and CHC GO pilots wishing to join the Union are kindly requested to fill in an application form and submit to the GHPA address listed therein.
Collective Bargaining talks will begin on October 29th and we need to prepare a wishlist. Once online, you can participate in an internal Forum and express your opinions.
All the best,
Norm Robichaud

OPEIU Grants Charter to Global Helicopter Pilots Association

New York, NY – The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, CLC, has granted a charter to the Global Helicopter Pilots Association (GHPA), effective October 27, 2009. The group will be known as GHPA, OPEIU
Local 103.

The pilots organized in 2006, but had to fight through a series of legal challenges mounted by the CHC, the pilots’ employer. GHPA voted to affiliate with OPEIU in March 2007, and affiliation was granted upon the recent issuance of a decision by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB).

“This was a long time coming, but we’re glad we now represent the more than 275 GHPA pilots,” said OPEIU Director of Organization and Field Services Kevin Kistler. “Contract negotiations have begun, and we look forward to achieving an agreement that provides improved compensation, benefits, and working conditions.”
“I’m truly impressed with the skill and dedication that GHPA pilots have shown in their struggle to gain a voice in their profession,” said Butch Grafton, president of the Professional Helicopter Pilots Association (PHPA). “I also know that with the dedication and determination I’ve seen throughout their struggle to reach this point, they will certainly improve every aspect of their working life.”
ABOUT OPEIU
The Office and Professional Employees International Union represents more than 125,000 members in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. OPEIU represents employees and independent contractors in banking and credit unions, insurance, higher education, shipping, hospitals, medical clinics, utilities, transportation, hotels, administrative offices and more.

Professional organizations and Guilds affiliated with OPEIU are a diverse group that includes physicians, pharmacists, chiropractors, appraisers, podiatrists, dentists, clinical social workers, hypnotists, teachers and helicopter pilots.

Federal Court of Appeal has denied CHC's latest attempt to have the CIRB ruling overturned.........

And so the business unit sale begins...

:ok:

Really?
 

Do you really believe they will sell their assets because of a small fraction of their workforce is now organized?

One would have to be somewhat naive to think CHC and First Reserve are not, at the very least, considering it or some variant of divesting themselves of parts of the business.

I mean lets be serious here, we're talking about a bunch of people who have deluded themselves into believing the GHPA will/would never happen. There are bound to be quite a few necks on the chopping block right now and I'm fairly certain no idea will be too outrageous.

JW

CHC Pilots Association: As a matter of fact......
 

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is good to see that Global Helicopter Pilots Association keeps getting confirmed as a union in accordance with rules and regulations in Canada. It is my hope that management will find the will and motivation to build a constructive and friendly relationship with GHPA in the time to come.

As far as unions for pilots within CHC, all pilot groups with exeption of GHPA have established collective labour agreements with their respective companies.

In the 5 countries/6 business units in Europe you will find pilot union membership varying between 90-99,5%.

The percentage is lower in GHPA. Some reasons may be that the union is newly founded and membership is scattered around the globe. Historically, management was perceived to be union hostile, leading to some pilots not daring to show an interest in union membership

CHC Australia has a separate CLA through the membership in Australian Federation of Air Pilots and Australian ALPA. Membership percentage equals Europe.

Other staff groups in the European companies are also unionized with high percentile membership.

If FRC follows what seems to be the typical timeline for its type of company, they will stick around for 5-7 years from taking over CHC in the summer of 2008. Whether FRC would sell CHC as a single entity or as separate companies is for them to know and for us to find out.

In my opinion, profit and cash are keywords for FRC. Unions, new and old would hardly be of major interest as long as business is taken care of in a professional manner.

Best regards,

Olav Bastiansen
Executive Chairman
CHC-PA

Well said Olav. I agree.

Yes, well said.

The days of being a proud CHC employee are far behind me. They treated me very well for 16 years but it was time for a change and I am very happy that I finally made the leap.

RH

Thank you for your comments/clarification on the subject Olav.

Hmmm
 

... heard a rumor ...

... that by the end of 2010 CHC will not have a Cdn operating cert ... so what does that mean to the Cdn pilots ...


???

Some of CHC's executives (Canadian citizens working in Vancouver) will/have bought a majority of shares from FRC (US owner of CHC) for their Halifax operation. This new company (51% Canadian owned) will be able to retain the Canadian AOC. Paper shuffling really.

The Halifax pilots were asked if they want to join this new "company" or stay on CHC's roster.