TO ALL IAMAW MEMBERS
AIR CANADA TMOS
OFF DUTY STATUS GRIEVANCE
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On May 12th, your Committee of General Chairpersons went to bat again to defend our collectively
bargained rights. The Company’s utter contempt for the Collective Agreement and disdain for its
employees was again painfully manifest with the invocation of a second wave of Off-Duty Status
(ODS) commencing in January of this year, almost eight (8) months after the initial period of ODS
transitioned to the lay-off, bumping and recall provisions of Article 16.
Your Union immediately challenged this misuse of Article 20.14 via the grievance procedure. In her
award dated May 27, 2021, Arbitrator Christine Schmidt allowed the Union’s grievance and directed
Air Canada to cease and desist the current application of Article 20.14.
Since the outset of the Covid-19 crisis, the IAMAW at all levels has endeavoured to work with the
Company in to find sensible, mutually agreeable solutions to emerging challenges. It should come as
no surprise that the Company has largely disregarded the Union’s input and suggestions. This
unwillingness to co-operate has resulted in your Shop Committees and General Chairs working
closely together to file and arbitrate a litany of grievances.
Since December 2020, the IAMAW has successfully argued the Shift Bid, Part-Time Cap, PVA
cancellation and misuse of ODS grievances at arbitration, among others.
Rather than honour the Collective Agreement or at the very least seek resolution with the IAMAW, the
Company continues to spend obscene sums of money on internal and external legal counsel to
defend their blatant violations of many provisions of our Collective Agreements. Effectively, the
Company repeatedly chooses to contravene your legally negotiated rights and spend precious
resources on high-priced legal counsel rather than deal in good faith.
Rest assured, the IAM will continue to hold the Company accountable for their reprehensible
behaviour.
In solidarity,
Steve Prinz
DL140
Western Region
Kevin Timms
DL140
Western Region
Guillaume Lingat
DL140
Eastern Region
Dan Janssen
DL140
Central Region
Serge Gélinas
DL140
Eastern Region
Ed Hepburn
DL140
Atlantic Region
Lou Pagrach
DL140
Central Region
