TO ALL IAMAW MEMBERS
WORKING AT AIR CANADA
AIRPORTS & CARGO
LOU 29
Dear Brothers & Sisters:
Due to Air Canada hiring street hires into above basic positions within the Airports & Cargo Operations, as a result
of LOU 29 failures, your Union filed a grievance requesting that the Company Cease & Desist hiring off the street
into above basic positions. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful obtaining the Cease & Desist order through the
arbitration process based on the threshold question of proving irreparable harm to our Membership. Irreparable
harm is defined as an issue that could not be corrected through monetary compensation or a condition that could
not be put in place through remedy of some sort. In this particular circumstance, the only issue to be remedied is
wages, which an arbitrator has the authority to provide. As such, the parties then entered into discussions in an
effort to rectify this frustration and agreed to the following:
1) The parties would meet as soon as possible to conduct a comprehensive review of the LOU 29 process;
2) Review of the interview questions with the highest percentage of failures (incorrect answers);
3) Discuss the grandfathering of actors for the purposes of acting in above basic positions;
4) Discuss coaching, educating and preparing our members for the interview process; and
5) The Company agreed to meet and advise the Union if a requirement existed in any above basic positions within
the Airport and Cargo Operations whereby the company would have to hire off the street.
On November 13, 2017 the Union and the Company met to discuss the above questions as part of the LOU 29
review process. After reviewing the questions and the data it was determined that this is a complex issue that will
require further discussions in order to fully understand all of the issues regarding these LOU 29 frustrations. As an
example, the “B” station LOU 29 passing rate is much higher than the “A” station LOU 29 passing rate and the LOU
29 failure rates are very inconsistent across the country.
At the November 13, 2017, the parties agreed to the following:
1) Actors will be grandfathered for the purposes of acting only, however, the Company informed the Union that
they intend to include this as a Company Agenda item during the 2019 round of Negotiations.
2) The Company will hold a LOU 29 Employee Information & Question Session in January of 2018. Any Member
that wishes to write the LOU 29 exam or wishing to request an LOU 29 interview is strongly encouraged to
attend information sessions.
3) The parties agreed to meet in the coming weeks to review the interview questions and the interview scoring
process. There will be more information regarding this item.
Your Union understands the effected Membership frustrations regarding the LOU 29 processes and will continue to
obtain solutions to improve the LOU 29 process. As more information becomes available regarding these issues
updates will be communicated to the effected membership.
In Solidarity,
Keith Aiken, General Chairperson
Transportation District 140, IAMAW
