TO ALL TMOS IAMAW MEMBERS AT AIR CANADA
RE: SHIFT TRADE ARBITRATION
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Transportation District 140 Representatives, our legal counsel along with Shop Committee members across the country continued the Shift Trade Limitation and positive pay Arbitration in Toronto on June 16, 2015.
Arbitrator Stephen Raymond started the hearings in an effort to mediate an agreed to settlement. Unfortunately we weren’t able to reach a final resolution to this matter.
The issues discussed were policy changes that the company had made in regards to shift trades and positive pay for other Air Canada Union bargaining agents agreed to and, that the IAMAW could expect the same terms.
The main issue of concern during the mediation process was our memberships’ ability to do partial shift trades as Air Canada was adamant that they would not allow these, even though other Air Canada bargaining units have this ability.
We adamantly advised Air Canada, that partial shift trades are beneficial to both the members and the employer, due to the fact that a member may need time off to attend medical appointments, attend to childcare issues etc, and that the a member should have the ability to have a co-worker cover the remainder of their shift in order that a crew does go short staffed for these types of situations. Apparently the employer would rather recover the monies through the means of under time that this would generate.
Other issues of concerns included the restarting of the shift limit clock, return to work of members that had to resign or be terminated due to having other obligations, an increase in the number of hours that the membership is allowed to shift trade, and a resolve to positive pay.
Once it was apparent that we could not achieve an agreed to resolution to the issues of concerns, your Union advised the Arbitrator. However, the IAMAW representatives will meet internally in an effort to resolve this matter in the best interest of the affected members.
As more information becomes available it will be communicated to the affected membership.
In solidarity,
Tony Didoshak
General Chairperson
Western Region
Boyd Richardson
General Chairperson
Central Region
