Air Canada Pilots on Fire
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Air Canada Pilots on Fire
(from a friend)
Air Canada Pilots,
For the last 6 years we have lived with a concessionary contract as a result of CCAA. Subsequent wage re-opener in 2006 and negotiations in 2009, resulted in the same gun to our head approach by the company and capitulation by the pilot group for the good of ensuring the survival of the company. Or so we thought. We witnessed billions of dollars flow from Air Canada to hedge funds and banks. Watched as Robert Milton personally made over 100 million dollars and senior executives receive huge bonuses. Mr Rovinescu's compensation last year, 4.6 million and also offered a bonus of 5 million for next year.
Our MASTER EXECUTIVE CHAIR, Bruce White, wanted to start a new approach with the company, one of mutual co-operation. We have since witnessed Captains being disciplined for J class seating, reinterpretation of pay protection, stalling of our profit share grievance (negotiated in 2003) , scope violations grievance, reduced summer vacations slots and the list goes on. We have also seen that our feeder airline, Jazz, was able to negotiate a non concessionary contract with improvements in many areas including to their DB pension indexed (for all pilots) fully funded by....Air Canada.. The start up of Sky Regional.*Etc.
Now with this Tentative Agreement, the company wants to divide the pilot group between those that will have a DB pension and those that won’t. Those that will work at Air Canada proper and those at LCC. Reserve rule changes. Grouping Pay. Limited mobility in our ability to bid for pay or lifestyle. Once again having to give something up to protect our pension (potential reduced benefits). 4 years flat pay for new hires. Up to 118 Hours a month.....
In pro sports, we see a revenue sharing between the players and the owners. We have given the company huge amounts of savings, yet where is our share of these cost improvements. As a minimum, we should at least receive 50% of the savings, if not more.
We were told by our MEC chair that this would not be a concessionary contract. In his latest news letter, The MEC Chair Bruce White mentions "it's important to focus on the facts and not the spin.* Reading through the new document will not provide the perspective you need to fully understand the changes contained throughout it." So if the written word is not right, we will now have to listen to the spin of our own NC and hope that the company does not interpret the written word of the contract. We know how creative the company is with a contract that has been in place for decades, imagine how our newly worded contract will be attacked and re-interpreted. Read....degradation of our profession yet again.
*
Very importantly this " MEC unanimously authorized a ratification vote on the tentative agreement" comment in Bruce White’s newsletter #17 is so misleading it is sickening.....Some of the pilot group understand this statement to think the MEC unanimously endorses this TA and that we should vote YES for it........when in fact they were unable to come up with an endorsement at all..... a 6 vs. 6 split vote for and against this TA. They are only unanimously putting this TA forward to the membership to vote on it.....with no endorsement at all.
The company is using this spin in the Daily inferring that this is a done deal. The media is using it as well for the same purpose. Yet here we should be trying to vote this TA down with a 90% plus NO vote and are in the process of creating a vote to have our elected MEC Chair removed. How out of touch the MEC, Negotiating Commitee and company are.
Those that are unsure of the ramifications of voting NO do not need to worry. Voting this TA down will keep our existing contract in place until a point where we have created a new TA. A TA that has been created with a new NC directed by a unified MEC that will actually follow the memberships expectations....all under the supervision of an MEC Chair that uses communication, guidance and transparency while following our constitution throughout the negotiating process.
We have all made sacrifices at some point in our careers to get to Air Canada, pilots before us made sure that they left their profession in better shape than when they started. Now it is our turn. We do not have a gun pointed to our head. We are in no rush to sign a poorly worded concessionary divisive contract. Inform yourself, talk to your LEC reps and get the straight facts, not a spin. Vote NO. Let us do this right for a change, as a united pilot group with a common goal.
This legal and constitutional petition that has started for the recall of Bruce White, our MEC Chair has been running for 36 hours and has over 850 signed names attached. In talking with various members it is clear he has lost touch as to who he works for and who he represents. Please take the time to fill it out.
Vote on the Recall of ACPA MEC CHAIR BRUCE WHITE Petition
It is time that We take back our profession as Air Canada Pilots.
Thank you.
Air Canada Pilots,
For the last 6 years we have lived with a concessionary contract as a result of CCAA. Subsequent wage re-opener in 2006 and negotiations in 2009, resulted in the same gun to our head approach by the company and capitulation by the pilot group for the good of ensuring the survival of the company. Or so we thought. We witnessed billions of dollars flow from Air Canada to hedge funds and banks. Watched as Robert Milton personally made over 100 million dollars and senior executives receive huge bonuses. Mr Rovinescu's compensation last year, 4.6 million and also offered a bonus of 5 million for next year.
Our MASTER EXECUTIVE CHAIR, Bruce White, wanted to start a new approach with the company, one of mutual co-operation. We have since witnessed Captains being disciplined for J class seating, reinterpretation of pay protection, stalling of our profit share grievance (negotiated in 2003) , scope violations grievance, reduced summer vacations slots and the list goes on. We have also seen that our feeder airline, Jazz, was able to negotiate a non concessionary contract with improvements in many areas including to their DB pension indexed (for all pilots) fully funded by....Air Canada.. The start up of Sky Regional.*Etc.
Now with this Tentative Agreement, the company wants to divide the pilot group between those that will have a DB pension and those that won’t. Those that will work at Air Canada proper and those at LCC. Reserve rule changes. Grouping Pay. Limited mobility in our ability to bid for pay or lifestyle. Once again having to give something up to protect our pension (potential reduced benefits). 4 years flat pay for new hires. Up to 118 Hours a month.....
In pro sports, we see a revenue sharing between the players and the owners. We have given the company huge amounts of savings, yet where is our share of these cost improvements. As a minimum, we should at least receive 50% of the savings, if not more.
We were told by our MEC chair that this would not be a concessionary contract. In his latest news letter, The MEC Chair Bruce White mentions "it's important to focus on the facts and not the spin.* Reading through the new document will not provide the perspective you need to fully understand the changes contained throughout it." So if the written word is not right, we will now have to listen to the spin of our own NC and hope that the company does not interpret the written word of the contract. We know how creative the company is with a contract that has been in place for decades, imagine how our newly worded contract will be attacked and re-interpreted. Read....degradation of our profession yet again.
*
Very importantly this " MEC unanimously authorized a ratification vote on the tentative agreement" comment in Bruce White’s newsletter #17 is so misleading it is sickening.....Some of the pilot group understand this statement to think the MEC unanimously endorses this TA and that we should vote YES for it........when in fact they were unable to come up with an endorsement at all..... a 6 vs. 6 split vote for and against this TA. They are only unanimously putting this TA forward to the membership to vote on it.....with no endorsement at all.
The company is using this spin in the Daily inferring that this is a done deal. The media is using it as well for the same purpose. Yet here we should be trying to vote this TA down with a 90% plus NO vote and are in the process of creating a vote to have our elected MEC Chair removed. How out of touch the MEC, Negotiating Commitee and company are.
Those that are unsure of the ramifications of voting NO do not need to worry. Voting this TA down will keep our existing contract in place until a point where we have created a new TA. A TA that has been created with a new NC directed by a unified MEC that will actually follow the memberships expectations....all under the supervision of an MEC Chair that uses communication, guidance and transparency while following our constitution throughout the negotiating process.
We have all made sacrifices at some point in our careers to get to Air Canada, pilots before us made sure that they left their profession in better shape than when they started. Now it is our turn. We do not have a gun pointed to our head. We are in no rush to sign a poorly worded concessionary divisive contract. Inform yourself, talk to your LEC reps and get the straight facts, not a spin. Vote NO. Let us do this right for a change, as a united pilot group with a common goal.
This legal and constitutional petition that has started for the recall of Bruce White, our MEC Chair has been running for 36 hours and has over 850 signed names attached. In talking with various members it is clear he has lost touch as to who he works for and who he represents. Please take the time to fill it out.
Vote on the Recall of ACPA MEC CHAIR BRUCE WHITE Petition
It is time that We take back our profession as Air Canada Pilots.
Thank you.
Last edited by publius; 13th Apr 2011 at 09:43.
Join Date: Sep 2005
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What's the bet that Bruce White is in an Air Canada management job within the next few months? He won't be the first or the last union rep who is poached.
The really sickening thing is that people like him are negotiating their own terms and conditions whilst still in their role as a rep. People like that are to be found in many airlines. The lack of moral ethics is a prerequisite for a job in airline management these days.
The really sickening thing is that people like him are negotiating their own terms and conditions whilst still in their role as a rep. People like that are to be found in many airlines. The lack of moral ethics is a prerequisite for a job in airline management these days.
