TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE IAMAW
Calin Rovinescu’s Letter to Employees
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
In his latest letter to employees, Calin Rovinescu expressed his concern for the “abrupt and irresponsible manner” in which “their employees” (referring to Aveos) were treated, stating that the way Aveos management treated their employees is not only regrettable, but reprehensible.
Mr. Rovinescu seems to forget that these people were his employees only a short time ago and that Air Canada was warned that Aveos would not be a viable company going forward.
He also made a reference to the devastating impact on Aveos’s employees and their families.
However, he is concerned that there has been “damage to our brand” and to “our revenue base”, not about how Aveos employees will afford to feed and clothe their families from now on.
Mr. Rovinescu is also “disappointed that union leaders and our own employees would deliberately choose to damage the Company to advance their own goals.” He says that “It is this company that pays their salaries, feeds their families, covers their medical costs and benefits, funds their pensions and provides them with travel privileges.”
He seems to forget that “our own employees” have been making the necessary sacrifices for many years to make sure that this airline continues to operate. The salaries, medical benefits and pension plans are the result of negotiated settlements reached over a long history of give-and-take between IAMAW members and the employer.
Mr. Rovinescu says that we cannot take our customers for granted but he certainly doesn’t seem to have a problem taking his employees for granted. Air Canada employees work around the clock on shifts, in all weather extremes and on every holiday that other people who have “normal” jobs would never think of doing.
His immediate focus is to work doubly hard to regain the “customer confidence”. “Let us work together to restore the confidence of our customers,” he writes.
What about the real stakeholders of this company – the employees? What about working on regaining “employee confidence”? RESPECT IS A TWO-WAY STREET, Mr. Rovinescu. LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
In solidarity,
Chuck Atkinson
President and Directing General Chairperson
